“To love is to lose control.”

Hm, this is a strange and hard one to review.
On the one hand, there is no plot, barely anything happens at all.
Yet on the other the writing is so lyrical, so peaceful, and tackles such interesting and important topics that it kept me reading.

Pilar is invited to a seminar by an old friend. Their reunion strikes a chord and changes them both. They travel together across parts of Spain and France, discussing life, love, faith and spirituality.
A lot of the focus is on Christian ideas, but there are also plenty of other forms of spirituality included.
At times it really made me stop and think, and the writing took me away from myself and into another world, a simpler world where faith is easier and the people are kinder.
Overall I did enjoy it, I liked some of the different ideas included - a major one being God portrayed as a woman, or ‘the mother'; a lot of interesting stuff. Reckon I’ll keep this one to reread someday as I’m sure there was plenty that I missed or went over my head.

“Love can consign us to hell or to paradise, but it always takes us somewhere.”

3.5 stars

By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho offers an exploration of love, spirituality, and personal transformation, but ultimately falls short in delivering a meaningful or engaging narrative. The prose feels overly simplistic, and the philosophical musings often come across as repetitive or forced rather than thought-provoking. Coelho's attempt to explore the deep connection between the protagonists and their journey towards self-actualization feels superficial, lacking the emotional depth or complexity needed to make their journey resonate.

The pacing is slow, with long stretches of introspection that detract from any potential momentum. The romance, which is central to the story, feels clichéd and contrived, making it difficult to connect with the characters or their emotions. Rather than offering insight, the book seems more like a collection of vague aphorisms, which may appeal to readers seeking spiritual guidance but will likely frustrate those hoping for a more substantial or nuanced story. Overall, it’s a disappointing read that fails to live up to the promise of its premise.

This is another book of Coelho which couldn't give me satisfaction as what The Alchemist does. I learn a lot from The Alchemist.

However, it still a nice one.
It gives proof that Coelho has a deep knowledge and skills about diverse religions, although it is clear that that He has more about Christianity. However, it might be hard for those non-Christianity readers when they read this book (this is only a guess).

Above all, I do believe that GOD has feminine face. Why I can say that? Well, we are, humans, were created through GOD's image. And I believe that each of us has both, feminine and masculine factors. It just a matter of in what context we put ourselves.

I love the way Coelho says in this book, that every religions put different names for GOD. Thus, every religion are good. Unfortunately, I still can't find the right quotation of it.

Last, I do feel grateful for Coelho. He reminds me to keep on believing GOD's will in my life. To not easily give up, since there always be a rainbow after rain...

edit 16.05.2022:
şöyle bişi yaşandı. sevdiğim şeyi bile affetmem sen affetsen ben affetmem.

n

ps: dosto'nun öteki'sini hâlâ okumadım.

edit bitti.


böyle olağanüstü bir kitabın üstüne neler söyleyebilirim?

aşk terimini; tanrıya duyulan aşk ve insana duyulan aşk diye ikiye ayrıldı, bazıları bunu çorba yaptı, bazıları imkansız dedi, bazısı yalnızca biri mümkündür gibi; çeşit çeşit kendi savlarını atıp bunun üzerine kitap yazdılar ayrıca.

bu kitap hiç bir şey gütmüyor. yani ne koparma, ne bir araya getirme, ne de ortada bırakma... kendime, bu kitapta tanrı aşkını da, insan aşkını da deneyimledim, diyebiliyorum. bırak, sana bunları öğretsin. bırak, sana ne aradığını, ne istediğini bulmana yardım etsin.

kitapta öteki diye bir hikayeden bahsediyor, sanırım dostoyevski'nin öteki'si, okumadım bilemiyorum.*shame on me*

yüreğim burkuldu be.

By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept" tells of Pilar, a frustrated scholar looking for some greater meaning in the endless cycle of her days. When a childhood friend contacts her, she is surprised to learn that her former playmate is now a charismatic spiritual leader, someone revered as a miracle worker. She is even more astonished when he reveals that Pilar has always been his great love. Confused by this sudden opportunity for a new chance at life, Pilar gradually comes to realize that the man she loves is being called upon to choose between her and his spiritual calling. As the suffering lovers travel through sacred sites in the French Pyrenees, the difficult choice they face offers a startling revelation about the divine and the redemptive power of love. Full of warmth and wisdom, joy and unexpected sorrow, their story is a magical celebration of the endless possibilities that life has to offer, and a fable about opening your heart to miracles.

Pilar is like all the other woman from the barrio who is smart and has her life all planned. But as she visits a childhood friend that she secretly loves. She embarks in a journey that will give her a chance to rebuild her life and have the gift to love ones again.
As she meets her childhood friend, she eventually not only learns that this guy had planned to enter the seminary but also that he is a visionary of the Virgin Mary and he is able perform miracles by curing. She then leaves the normal life she has been living and has been hating and sets her life to be with this man and be with him while he cures and preach all through out the world when she realize that there are other means of serving God other than being a priest. But after she excites her mind for this dream life, she then learns that the man she loves just recently denunciated his power to cure to the Virgin Mary to live a normal life that he expected Pilar to prefer. Pilar, after knowing about this- knowing she wouldn’t live the extra ordinary life she had dreamed- went by the River Piedra and sat down and wept blaming herself to be the reason why this guy will fail to cure the lives of many men.

Review:
“Very inspiring. I could see myself through Pilar: the best character I see myself into so far. This story is very close to my heart. A simple story, with an important lesson.”

PS. I have a crush on someone who’s planning to be a priest. i_i. It doesn’t feel good. X)


Lesson: p.95

“If pain must come, may it come quickly. Because I have a life to live, and I need to live it in the best way possible. If he has to make a choice, may he make it now. Then I will either wait for him or forget him.
tWaiting is painful. Forgetting is painful. But not knowing which to do is the worst kind of suffering.”

هي رواية مزيج بين افكار جديدة و تقليدية – احداث متوقعه واخرى غير متوقعة و تتلخص في عبارة واحدة فقط :"إن الله واحد و إن تعددت طرق الوصول إليه".

عنوان الرواية هو اقتباس لعبارة مشهورة وردت في الانجيل (العهد القديم) على لسان اليهود بعد جلائهم من أورشليم (بيت المقدس)وهو
(By the river of Babylon, we sat down and wept)

تطرح العديد التعريفات حول الحب و فلسفة وجوده والتوحد معه حتى انه قد يرتقي الى درجة يصبح فيها عباده نصرفها للرب متى ما كان الصدق موجود في صميمه.

من رؤيتي الشخصية يتم التركيز على جانبيم الاول هو الجانب الديني حيث يتم اعادة تسليط الضوء على السيدة العذراء باعتبارها رمزاً للرحمة على الارض والجانب العاطفي : المتمثل في قصة حب بين بيلار التقليدية أسيرة الماضي والصديق الرحال العائد من طفولتها وبين نظرتها للحب والحياة واشياء اخرى
هي الحياه واحدة نعيشها لمرة واحدة لذا يجب ان نغامر بكل شيء بها من اجل الحصول علي سعادتنا ....
بصراحة تمنيت ان اكون بيلار ... وان يكون هذا النهر موجد فعلا وان تكون هذه الاسطورة حقيقية لكي أرمي بالكثير من ألاشياء والافكار وحتى الاشخاص به واحيلها الى حجارة
اجمل مقتطفات من هذا الكتاب :

- كان لي طوال حياتي الالاف من المعلمين وبت اثق بأن النار سوف تتوهج عندما احتاج اليها ..كنت تلميذ الحياه ومازلتها لقد أستيقنت المعرفة وتعلمت من أشياء أكثر بساطة من أشياء غيرمتوقعة مثل الحكايات التي يرويها الاباء والامهات لاولادهم .

- أننا نحيا في غمرة العجائب والمعجزات تحصل من حولنا وعلامات الرب تنير لنا الدرب والملائكة يجهد في ان تسمعنا صوتها لكن ما يستغرقنا ان ما لقناه من ان بلوغ الرب له صيغته وقواعده لانولي لذلك انتباها ولاندرك انه موجود حيث يفسح له المجال ليدخل .

- أني لاتألم لاجل حب لايستحق غذابي ...وتضنينا العذابات لضننا باننا نعطي أكثر مما ناخذ ولان حبنا لايجزى ولأننا لانتمكن من فرض قواعدنا ..لكننا نتعذب بلا سبب لأن في الحب بذرة نمائنا.

- الحب الحق هو فعل عطاء تام .

- ينبغي ان نجازف فنحن لاندرك حقاً معجزة الحياه الا أذا اتحنا لغير المتوفع أن يحصل

- يجب ان نصغي دائما الى الطفل الذي كناه يوماً والذي مازال موجوداً فينا فذلك الطفل يعلم ماهي اللحظات السحرية دائما نستطيع ان نكتم بكاؤه لكننا لانستطيع ان نسكت صوته ذلك الطفل الذي كناه ذات يوم يبقى حاضراً .طوبى للاطفال لهم ملكوت السماء .

- أذا كنا لانولد من جديد واذا كنا عاجزين عن النظر مجدداً الى الحياة ببراءة الطفولة وحماستها فهذا يعني ان الحياة فقدت معناها .
- من يحب يحتاج ان يعرف كيف يظل نفسه وكيف يعثر عليها

- الحب ملئه الاشراك .. عندما يهم بالظهورلايبتدئ منه الانوره ولايتيح لنا أن نبصر الظلال التي يولدها هذا النور.

- ما من شئ أعمق من الحب ...هو قول سخيف في حكايات الاطفال الخرافية ..يكفي ان تقبل الاميرة الضفادع كي تتحول الى أمراء فاتنين وفي الحياه الحقة تقبل الاميرات الامراء فيستحيل هولاء ضفادع.

- ان من الافضل خسارة بضع معارك في نضالنها من اجل احلامنا من ان نهزم حتى من دون ان نعرف لما نناضل.

- من العبث الكلام عن الحب ..لأن الحب له صوته الخاص ..يتكلم من تلقائه ..صمت يتيح لقلبين ان يتقاربا ويتعارفا على نحو أفضل .

- أن اتبع الانسان بقلب صادق درب الايمان أمكنه أن يتحد بالله وان يجترح المعجزات

- المهم أن تكون بكليتك حيث تختار أن تكون ..أن مملة منقسمة على ذاتها لاتصمد فيوجه غزوات العدو والكائن المنقسم على نفسه لايفلح في جبة الحياة.

- الانتظالا مؤلم والنسيان مؤلم ولكن أشقى العذابات هي الاندري مالقرار .

- أن المعرفة كلها تكمن في أصغاء الواحد منا الى روحه.

- ان الله بحكمته المتناهية قد خبأ الجحيم وسط الفردوس حتى دائما نبقى متيقظين ...كي لاننسى تذكار المشقة في غمرة أنغماسنا في بهجة الرحمة.

- لم أغد أريد ا، أغرق في ظلمات نفسي فالسقطة من الطبقة الثالثة تحدث من الاضرار ما تحدثه السقطة من الطبقة المئة ...أن كان لابد لي ان اسقط فلا أسقط من المكان الاعلى .

- اعتقد أننا اذا بحثنا عن الحب بشجاعة فسوف يكشف لنا عن وجوده وعندئذ نصبحخ مركز أستقطاب لمزيد من الحب وان كان هناك من يهتم لامرنا فان الناس جميعاً يهتمون أيضاً ..لكن اذا كنا وحيدين فاننا نزداد عزلة غريب أمر الحياة هذه.

- قد يسلك الساعي الكثير من الدروب وقد يتعرف الى اديان وشيع كثيرة لكنه بما يفعل لن يلاقي الله قط ..فالله موجودهنا الان بجوارنا .. بامكاننا ان نراه في هذا الضباب ... في هذه التربة ...في هذه الملابس فملائكته تسهر على نومنا وتعيننا في كدنا ..لكي نلتقي الله يكفي أن نبصر من حولنا .

- علينا ان نعترف في ذوائبنا بان الله قد خلقنا للسعادة لذا فالاحرى ان نقر بان كل مايدفعنا الى الحزن والهزيمة هو صنعه ايدينا ولهذا نتوصل دائما الى قتل الله على الصليب او في المنفى او حتى في قلوبنا.

- قبول التحدي والسير قدماً واليقين بان ما من يوم شبيه بالاخر وانه كل صباح ياتي بمعجزاته الخاصة وبلحظاته السحرية الخاصة حيث عوالم قديمة تنهار وكواكب جديدة تظهر .

- طوبي لمن يستطيعون القيام بالخطوة الاولى وذات يوم سيدرك الانسان بأنه قادر على التحدث بلغة الملائكة واننا جميعاً نمتلك في مانحن عليه اعطيات وبامكاننا اجتراح المعجزات وأن نشفي ونفهم ونتنبأ.

- دعوا الموتى يدفنون موتاهم ...لاوجود للموت ..كانت الحياة موجودة قبل ولادتنا وسوف تبقى موجودة بعد
رحيلنا عن هذا العالم كما هو الحب كان موجوداً قبلاً وسيبقى موجوداً الى الابد.

- أن القلب هو صاحب الامر ومايامر به هو القاعدة

Pilar ritrova il vecchio amico di infanzia e primo amore della sua vita che la ha cercata dopo diversi anni da quando è partito alla ricerca di una sua dimensione, che lo ha poi portato ad entrare in seminario, come le ha annunciato in una delle sue lettere.
Lo incontra infatti in occasione di una sua conferenza e, quello che inizialmente doveva essere una giornata di pausa dallo studio, diventa una settimana di viaggio in sua compagnia dentro e fuori di sé alla riscoperta della vita, dell’amore e della sua fede, e in cui andrà a sondare tutte le proprie paure più recondite.
Nonostante abbia amato altri libri di questo autore trovandoli strumenti di crescita personale, non ho apprezzato ugualmente questo testo.
È come sempre ricco di contenuti di spessore e riflessioni sulla vita e sul modo migliore di viverla, ma stavolta non ho trovato un argomento a me vicino e che mi toccasse direttamente, probabilmente perché ho le idee abbastanza chiare sia riguardo il come vivere l’amore che riguardo la religione.
Anche se devo ammettere che questo secondo punto, per come è stato toccato in alcuni punti del libro mi ha interessata in particolare sull’aspetto della dimensione più intimistica e personale del vivere il rapporto con Dio e anche sulla figura della Madre Madonna. Un po’ meno invece mi ha toccata la parte dei doni e di questi riti di preghiera e di miracolo e profezie. Sono credente e penso che con la fede sia tutto possibile ma ho trovato qui questo aspetto trattato in maniera un po’ semplicistica e quasi grottesca, rendendolo chiaramente finto.
La crescita personale di Pilar dall’inizio alla fine mi è piaciuta pure tanto, a livello introspettivo ed anche spirituale, in questo suo ritrovarsi, ma non ho davvero capito perdonatemi la sua reazione finale. Cioè ok che ti dispiaccia, che ci sia rimasta male e ti senta in colpa ma poi te ne farai una ragione no? Cioè insomma è stato tutto così teatrale che non so...Insomma mi sono venute un po’ a cadere di botto tutte le certezze costruite nelle 200 pagine fino a quel momento .
Altro aspetto che mi soddisfa sempre nei libri di questo autore è come ai momenti più intimistici sia sempre associato un adeguato contesto naturale e paesaggistico che ti fa calare nei luoghi e condividere le esperienze mistiche ancora meglio.

“Che cosa ne sa figliola della vita religiosa?”
“Molto poco: che i preti fanno voto di povertà, castità e obbedienza.”
Ho riflettuto un attimo, poi ho deciso di proseguire.
“E che giudicano i peccati degli altri, anche se poi li commettono loro stessi. Pensano di sapere tutto del matrimonio e dell’amore, ma non si sposano mai. Minacciano con le fiamme dell’inferno errori che poi commettono anche loro. E ci presentano Dio come un essere vendicativo che incolpa gli uomini per la morte del suo unico figlio.”
Il prete ha sorriso.
“Lei ha avuto un’eccellente educazione cattolica,” ha detto. “Ma io non le sto domandando del cattolicesimo. Bensì della vita spirituale dei religiosi.”
Dapprima non ho reagito. Quindi ho detto: “Veramente non saprei. Sono persone che abbandonano tutto e partono alla ricerca di Dio.”
“E lo trovano?”
“Questo deve saperlo lei. Io non ne ho idea.”
(...)
“Lei è in errore. Chi parte alla ricerca di Dio, perde il proprio tempo. Può percorrere numerosi cammini, avvicinarsi a moltissime religioni e sette, ma in questa maniera non lo troverà mai. Dio è qui, ora, accanto a noi. Possiamo vederlo in questa nebbia, in questo suolo, in questi abiti, in queste scarpe. I suoi angeli vegliano mentre noi dormiamo e ci aiutano quando lavoriamo. Per ritrovare Dio, basta guardarsi intorno. Ma non è facile. Più Dio ci rende partecipi del proprio mistero, più noi ci sentiamo disorientati: perché lui ci chiede continuamente di seguire i nostri sogni e il nostro cuore. Ma comportarsi così è difficile, perché siamo abituati a vivere in maniera del tutto diversa. E scopriamo, con nostra sorpresa, che Dio ci vuole felici, perché lui è il Padre.”
(...)
“Per avere una vita spirituale, non c’è bisogno di entrare in un seminario nè di praticare il digiuno, l’astinenza e la castità. Basta avere fede e accettare Dio. Da quel momento, ciascuno di noi si trasforma nel suo cammino, noi diventiamo il veicolo dei suoi miracoli.”

Started out with its hooks in, but didn't take a super long time to lose me. I wasn't fond of his not unfounded but one-dimensional ideas about women, and the narrative became an exercise in what felt like intentional anecdotal quotes designed to become memorable one-liners but not quite getting there. Coelho is one hell of a talented writer, but this one is far from his best. Your mileage may vary.

It was an essential reading , asserting to recognise life's opportunities as they come & accept them by not judging them in the light of the past. Because ultimately everything results in either 0 or 1, and even after judging too much to get a 1, things may always change later.
I disagree with one point in it, God throws the dice! As Einstein put it , " God does not play dice. "

Ok where do I start. Personally for me, whenever you mix religion with a special type of philosophy I get this sense as if someone is calling my name. This book called my name. The character Pilar reflects us all in a way. The man in the story (completely nameless) has loved ever since they were little. They go about roaming in the street for a vacation, but her religion takes a whole different turn.

He guides her through life in a span of a week. Thats pretty cool. They keep mentioning 'Her'. As is the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus and mother to all. What kept me reading was how they discussed god consisting of both male and female. God has a face of a woman and a man. I know, shocking... this is just a VERY brief summary to what the book has to offer. Coelho never disappoints. (Except for The Spy, I'm not really sure what he was thinking.)

Thank you, Mr Coelho.
At a time when my parents and my son are dying, and can't accept love, help and support, this one paragraph in your Author's Note gave me joy and hope:
"But ultimately there is no good reason for our suffering, for in every love lies the seed of our growth. The more we love, the closer we come to a spiritual experience. Those who are truly enlightened, those whose souls are illuminated by love, have been able to overcome all the inhibitions... They have been joyful — because those who love conquer the world and have no fear of loss. True love is an act of total surrender.
"...One doesn't love in order to do what is good, or to help, or to protect someone. If we act that way, we are perceiving the other as an object, and we are seeing ourselves as wise and generous... To love is to be in communion with the other and to discover in that other the spark of God."
You have chartered for me a path of sanity, serenity, and true generosity. I can only hope to be able to walk it!