[Book] Review: The Winner Stands Alone by Paulo Coelho
The Brazilian writer and poet Paulo Coelho became famous for his philosophical novels, which are translated into 112 languages. In the novel "The winner is one," the author confidently holds the stamp. Although the novel is somewhat different from the others, it is no less profound in meaning.
The book tells about the lives of several people during the Cannes Film Festival, about their life stories, plans, ambitions. From the novel, the reader learns a lot about the creation of films, the long journey from the idea to the masterpiece of cinema art. And the actors, to us, ordinary people, always seem the happiest and most successful on earth, now appear as simple cheap dolls run by producers, or as puppets, ready for anything in order to stay on television for more years of their lives.
The main characters in the novel have completely different life stories, although they are intertwined. We see a girl who has a purpose in life, works hard and risks everything to achieve this goal. A girl who thinks so naively that when she becomes a famous actress, she will not get sick with a star fever and will not forget where she started.
We see a rich businessman who thinks, even piously believes that he has power over human lives; who convinces himself that he kills for the sake of love; a man who, having a lot of money, thinks he can have people.
We also get acquainted with a person who is simply bored to live; who has a lot of money, and does not know what to spend them for, the man who manages almost everything in the cinema; whom they recognize on the streets, but are well known and feared in the world of motion picture art.
How will their destinies intertwine? What are their life stories? How did their careers start and end?
The whole novel is thoroughly permeated with the author's reflections on human life, about fame and sacrifice for her, about love and happiness.
The winner remains lonely ... the winner must sacrifice his goal, should go only forward, go, fall, rise and go again. I have to cut my way to glory. The winner will lose everything, but he will receive more: he will receive money, fame, recognition, influence, power, reach the goal, realize the dream of all life, but will remain alone. The winner remains alone ... always.
And each of us sometimes blindly goes to the goal, gritting his teeth on the broken glass to get out on the grass. Goes through the smoke to breathe fresh air. Goes in the dark to go out into the light. Our whole life is permeated with suffering and trials, everyone carries a cross, and the one who loved his cross is happy.
Often we complain about life, we envy the winners. But often we think about what the winner sacrifices, what is the price of his triumph?
A novel about how hard life is in any caste of society. On the strength and weakness of money. About how easy it is to get lost in the wilds of your own soul and how difficult it is to get on the right road.
Do you want to understand this novel? Do you want to feel what the author felt? Then learn not with your eyes, but with your heart. Understand not with the mind, but with the soul. And read not the lines, but between them.
Sincerely, @avdiapolice
@minnowpond up!
Paulo Coelho was one my favorite writers when I was a teenager, but then growing older, these books seem too easy for me now. Now I see what he is doing)) He is making money on his hundreds of books. He just take couple of good thoughts pour gallons of water in there and вуаля! the book is ready. I won't read this book, but still thank you for this great review, it seemed to be even better than the book)