Ça faisait 4 ans que ce livre traînait sur ma PAL et pour une bonne raison j'ai envie de dire.

Les écrits de Paulo Coelho sont fortement teinté de spiritualité, spiritisme, religion et autres joyeusetés

I'm going to be honest...I didn't like this book one bit! I don't know if it's just that I dislike Coelho's writing style in general, the translation (Spanish), or if it's just the particular books that I have chosen to read from this author (The Alchemist).

When i read the short summary in the back of the book and also some general reviews I thought I was in for a treat about a struggle between good and evil tied in with some suspense or some drama. It had the morality struggle but I found that it lacked a certain luster in the story in general. Imagery was at an all time low and characters were one dimensional and when you are dealing with a subject as complex as morality that is a big no no.

Although I appreciate the ideas and thought the author is trying to provoke I felt that, at least to me, the intentions were dumbed down by his lack of feeling and passion in his writing. At certain points I just really wanted to story be be over already, and considering how short of a book it is that is quite disturbing.

I think I might just not be a Coelho reader. I bought Veronika Decides to Die the other day and I am hoping that maybe just maybe he will convert me but chances are looking pretty slim.

Billed as a novel of temptation, it is about a small town and a man who has lost everything (a la Job) who offers the villagers money to murder someone in an attempt to answer the question once and for all, are humans inherently evil or good? about half way through, i stopped to inform the author that no matter what he wrote, i still believed that people were inherently good, and that the majority of us would not commit murder for money.
the struggle was realistic; there are all sorts of reasons to need money, to help others, to save them, etc; but the whole town had to agree. a woman struggled with her role, and did emerge a hero as she reasoned with the townspeople. there was a powerful chapter about how terror drives many people; even if they look calm and peaceful, there is something terrorizing them: fear of being alone, fear of what people would think, fear of loss, etc. i think there is truth there, and i started to think about my fears and whether they are the driving force, but i don’t think so, i tend to use love as my energy. but i can see that we do have a dark and light side, a good and a dark side, an angel and a devil on our shoulders.

(Book 52 from 1001 books) - O Demônio e a Srta. Prym = The Devil And Miss Prym, Paulo Coelho

The Devil and Miss Prym is a novel by Paulo Coelho, first published in Brazil in 2000.

For almost fifteen years, old Berta had spent every day sitting outside, watching over the little village of Viscos and talking with her deceased husband. She is waiting for the devil to come, as her husband predicted.

One day a stranger with a tragic past arrives with the intention of staying one week in the village and he buries 11 bars of gold in the woods. On the way back he meets the young barmaid Chantal Prym, who is bored of the idyllic scenery and slow pace of life.

Regularly she seduces tourists in the hope that one of them will prove to be her escape route. The stranger shows her the buried treasure and promises that it will belong to the villagers if they agree to kill someone.

A battle follows within the young woman follows between her angel and her devil. After some days, she decides to tell the villagers what the stranger has proposed, trusting that they will refuse.

The people's reaction, however, plants the seed of doubt inside Chantal. Now she fears for her own life. As an act of desperation, she plans to abandon Viscos with one of the stranger's bars.

Destiny sends a rogue wolf, which threatens Chantal's life, but she escapes with the stranger. Meanwhile the villagers assemble to choose their victim.

The scapegoat they choose is Berta, since she is already old and serves no purpose in the village. Before the villagers shoot a sedated Berta, Chantal convinces them that under no circumstances is murder justified.

Spoiler Alert
In the end the stranger receives the answers to his questions through a brief conversation between St. Savin and the Arab Leader Abah.

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: سال 2003میلادی

عنوان: شیطان و دوشیزه پریم؛ نویسنده: پائولو کوئیلو؛ برگردان آرش حجازی؛ تهران، کاروان، 1381، در 233ص؛ شابک 9647033109؛ چاپ هفتم 1383؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان برزیل - سده 21م

یک غریبه به روستای دور افتاده «ویسکوز» می‌رسد، همراهش کوله پشتی حاوی یک دفتر ضخیم، و یازده شمش طلا است؛ او به دنبال پاسخ به یک پرسش است که او را آزار می‌دهد: «آیا انسانها، در اصل، خوب یا بد هستند؟»؛ در دنیا دو مقوله ی «خیر» و «شر» وجود دارند، که همیشه در تضاد با هم هستند؛ در این کتاب، به همین دو مقوله پرداخته شده، که یک‌سوی آن خدای یگانه، و سوی دیگر شیطان؛ قرار دارد

نقل از یادداشت نویسنده: (نخستین «اسطوره ی شکاف»، در «ایران باستان» زاده شد: ایزد زمان «زروان» - پس از خلق گیتی، هماهنگی گرداگردش را دریافت، اما کمبود بسیار مهمی را احساس کرد - یک همراه، تا در این زیبایی با او سهیم شود؛ یکهزار سال برای آوردن پسری نیایش کرد؛ ...؛ اسطوره میگوید، از نیایش آغازین خدای زمان، نیکی -هورمزد- پدید آمد، و از پشیمانی اش، بدی -اهریمن- جفت همزاد «هورمزد» شد)؛ پایان نقل از یادداشت نویسنده

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 03/08/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 06/07/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

„Gėris ir Blogis turi tą patį veidą; viskas priklauso nuo to, kokią valandą jie pasipina kiekvieno žmogaus kelyje.“

Tai citata, apibendrinanti visą kūrinį. Labai ilgai galvojau dėl skiriamo įvertinimo dydžio, labai gaila būtų nuvertinti iki 2 žvaigždučių, vis dėlto, Coelho laikomas naujuoju "klasiku", vis dėlto ir tos 3 žvaigždutės atrodo per daug. Tai dėl ko visa tai?

Knyga yra "Alchemiko" analogas, visiškai identiška, veiksmas vyksta mažame kaimelyje, pagrindinis veikėjas yra svetimas, nešantis tam tikrą žinutę, kurią perduoda kitiems ir iš to gimsta pagrindinė kūrinio mintis. Gal kiek keista, kad pagrindinis veikėjas atvyksta su nuodėmingu pasiūlymu, jis nėra išgrynintas gėris, bet tikriausiai apie tai ir yra knyga. Gėrio ir blogio kova vyksta visada, nei vienas nėra iki galo gražus, daugiausiai dėl to ir daugmaž prisijaukinau kūrinį, kadangi veikėjai patys savaime primena tipinius "realybės" gyventojus. Tai didžiausias knygos pliusas. Vis dėlto, skaityti antrą kartą tą patį - nuobodu. Yra autorių, turinčių savo braižą, kurio nesumaišytum su niekuo kitu, tačiau tos istorijos, būdamos panašios, sukuria skirtingus jausmus, turi skirtingas prasmes, ar, bent jau, vyksta kitokiu laiku, kitoje vietoje su kitokiais veikėjais. Dabar jaučiausi apgauta, skaitydama antrąkart tą patį. Prieš daug metų teko skaityti "Vienuolika minučių", todėl žinau, kad autorius gali būti visiškai kitoks, jis imlus pokyčiams.

Vis dėlto, tokias knygas visada laikau "jeigu ką", todėl ją labai labai nuoširdžiai rekomenduoju tiems, kurie su knygom nedraugauja arba tiems, kurie nedraugauja su filosofija, knyga trumpa, šriftas didelis, daug mažų pastraipų, turint laiko ir jėgų, galima perskaityti per kelis prisėdimus. Knyga suteiks tam tikro peno smegenims, gerų ir prasmingų minčių, tačiau žmonės, kurie skaitė "Alchemikas", "Dievas visada keliauja inkognito" ir panašius veikalus, tai nieko labai daug naujo neras. O liūdna, nes pati tikėjausi įsidėti į krepšelį nors vieną rimto žanro knygą, kuri atsvertų kartais per daug prisikaupusių "niekalų".

Where do I even begin with this book? A range of adjectives come to my mind, the most favorable being boring and bland, and the strongest patronizing and utterly exasperating.

I could not read it for entertainment, because the plot line is so predictable. If you want to read about a village killing an old woman, go read The Lottery, which is extremely haunting and a staple in the curriculum at least in North America. It also has the benefit of being a short story, so you wouldn't have to suffer through too many pages if you happen to hate it.

I could not read The Devil and Miss Prym as a morality play or an allegory, just because the conflict has been in use for centuries. While this itself is no reason to prevent an author from studying the fundamental of human nature, one would expect a new angle or at least some depth. Sadly, I found neither. The opposition is quite shallow, not to mention very unrealistic.

I was hoping to find at the very least interesting language or memorable characters. I found the English translation to be unremarkable and can only hope that the original Portuguese is more inspiring, but in view of all other shortcomings of the book, I doubt it. The characters are one-dimensional and all speak with the same voice - if it wasn't for the narrator switching perspective all the time, I wouldn't have even noticed when someone new speaks. It's okay that I found no character to identify with - I need none. It is also okay that I did not sympathize with anyone - I also don't need that. What I needed was a strong female figure, and that I absolutely did not find in Chantal Prym. I felt that she was molded after every single stereotype of the weak woman that is out there: an unimaginative unambitious young woman who uses her sex as a trap to catch a male to take her away. I cannot count the times I wanted to hurl the book against the wall in frustration. The only thing that stopped me was that it was an e-book and I wouldn't want to damage my faithful e-reader.

One more note on authorial voice: Coelho seems to have no faith in his reader's intellectual abilities whatsoever. Every sentence goes contrary to the principle "show, don't tell". Every minute detail of the setting, of the characters' internal monologue, or their interaction with one other is spelled out and interpreted for us. There is no work left for the reader to do, except sit back and be fed the already digested (particularly devoid of nutrients) meal. Maybe that works for some readers. Not for me.

Lo spunto del racconto è interessante e PC, stavolta, lascia da parte le usuali tiritere su improbabili Guerrieri della Luce e mirabolanti Leggende Personali (deo gratias). Poi però il racconto declina, si fa banale e la storia evolve senza lasciare traccia dietro di sè: solita spiritualità da 4 soldi (fantasmi protettori, angeli consiglieri, diavoli tentatori, etc etc) e solita, semplicistica dicotomia BeneMale (consiglio caldamente all'autore di leggersi Saramago, Bulgakov o Goethe per imparare qualcosa sul tema).

I personaggi poi sono del tutto privi di spessore e di profondità, totalmente irrealistici e privi di quella estrema complicatezza che contraddistingue noi tutti: i buoni sono saggi, giudiziosi, colmi di spiritualità; i cattivi sono grossolani, materialisti, vigliacchi. Il campo di battaglia si divide nei due eserciti contrapposti, come nelle più semplici favole per bambini; da una parte la vecchia che vede i fantasmi e la cameriera ignorante eppure saggia e molto poco sprovveduta, dall'altra i grezzi e spicci paesani, in mezzo, nella no man's land, il ricco straniero di cui il bene-Dio e il male-Diavolo si contendono l'anima (ma dai?).
In tre parole: TUTTO GIA' VISTO, o se preferite, TUTTO MOLTO SEMPLICE. Poichè questo è il leit motiv di PC: la realtà è semplice e bella, sono gli uomini che la rendono complicata e brutta. Il tutto incorniaciato sempre da una spiritualità da catechismo spicciolo per bambini d'una banalità sconcertante.

Ultima osservazione: se l'inizio del racconto è interessante, il finale è piattissimo, banale, risolto con un cavillo "burocratico" - mi si passi il termine - così concreto da essere degno della peggior tradizione di azzeccagarbugli italici.
Insomma, alla fine di questa breve, voluta immersione nelle opere di PC ho ora ben presente cosa significhi essere un mediocre scrittore e un pessimo intellettuale ma, nel contempo, un grandioso venditore di fumo e un mistico milionario.

I just love, love, loveee this book. My 4th re-read and each time I never failed to be amazed the message delivered in the book. There is no straightforward answer as to whether human beings are good or bad, but instead it is a matter of individual choice. In terms of conclusions about Good and Evil, its up to the reader to decide. It would seem the way a reader see the subject of God and religion will determine the conclusion.

از همون اوایل می‌دونستم چی می‌خواد بگه و انتظار داشتم همین پیش بیاد. فقط اینکه چقدر اعتقاداتش (حالا اگر مسیحی هست یا آئیست کابالا یا هرچی... ) پوچ هستن....
الحمدلله که ما اسلام رو داریم و کتابهای خیلی خیلی زیادی درمورد سرشت انسان و دلیل خلقتش و سرنوشتش نوشته شده. فقط کسی نیست بیاد داستان جذابی بنویسه و اونا رو در اختیار جوون‌ها بذاره تا دیگه افتخارشون این نباشه که پائولو کوئیلو می‌خونن.

Rating: 4.5/5

Most people either love Paulo Coelho’s writing or absolutely hate it. I haven’t seen many who have straddled the fence on this author. I’m in the former category, though I know quite a few people who don’t care for him at all. While some believe his writing is too simplistic, I, on the other hand, sometimes crave simplicity! I do quite a bit of heavy reading (though not recently), and it’s nice sometimes to curl up with one of Coelho’s books and know that I will probably read it in one sitting. I also believe his ’simple’ books have a much deeper meaning to them, and this story is also indicative of that.

One day a stranger comes to Viscos, an idyllic mountain town. The stranger has a plan to tempt the villagers with some gold. They only have to do one thing to get the gold, but that act is contrary to the basic character of the town’s residents. There hasn’t been any trouble in the village for years, and when Miss Prym, the local barmaid, is told of the plan, she is confident the villagers will be able to withstand the temptation.

The story raises the question of whether humans are generally good or generally evil, and also why God, if there is one, would allow evil things to happen to good people.

Highly recommended.
2000, 205 pp.

*WARNING FOR SPOILERS*

Are human beings inherently good or evil? "The Devil and Miss Prym: A Novel of Temptation," by famed author Paulo Coelho, is intended to be an exploration of this theme, with various legends introduced into the conversation throughout the book. One of these legends involves a man traveling with his horse and dog when he is struck by lightning and killed. Not realizing he is dead, the man continues his walk, but eventually the group becomes thirsty. They come across a gateway which leads to a fountain overflowing with water. The guard at the gate tells the man this place is Heaven and he is allowed in, but only if he comes alone. The man, not wanting to abandon his animals, instead continues on walking and comes to another gateway, where everyone is allowed to drink from the nearby spring. The man asks this guard where he is, and the guard replies, "Heaven." The place with the fountain was actually Hell, prompting the man to exclaim that it is wrong for them to be trying to trick people into entering their gate under false pretenses. The guard replies, "On the contrary, they do us a favor, because the ones who stay there are those who have proved themselves capable of abandoning their dearest friends." To me, this story served as a warning, as I wondered, what would I have done? Dying of thirst, would I have proved to be selfish and unknowingly entered through the gates of Hell? Even though I consider myself to be a good person, could I have made one bad choice that would have forever changed my fate? For those of us looking for assurance about our own goodness, though, "The Devil and Miss Prym" does not provide any conclusions. Through his exploration of the origins of the town of Viscos and its later struggle between Good and Evil, ultimately Coelho tells us there is no answer about whether humans are good or bad, but rather it is all a matter of individual choice.

First, Coelho makes it clear through his discussion of the town of Viscos that nobody is strictly Good or Evil but instead these forces struggle within each of us. Viscos began as a town inhabited by the dregs of society, including bandits, smugglers, prostitutes, and murderers, and the "wickedest" of them all, an Arab named Ahab. One day, St. Savin comes to Ahab’s house and asks if he can spend the night. Ahab laughs and decides that he will kill the man that night, sharpening his knife over the sleeping St. Savin. But the next morning, when St. Savin awakens, Ahab is in tears and tells him, "For the first time ever, someone spent a night by my side trusting that I could be a good man . . . Because you believed I was capable of behaving decently, I did." Later, we learn that Ahab’s transformation had really come earlier when he asked St. Savin a series of hypothetical questions. For example, if St. Savin was tempted by a beautiful prostitute, would he see her as ugly? What would he do if he was offered gold? Or could he love two brothers equally if he knew one hated him? In each case, St. Savin acknowledged he would be tempted by Evil but that he would try to control himself. Ahab then realized St. Savin wasn’t so different from him – they both struggled with Good and Evil – just as everyone does: "It was all a matter of control. And choice. Nothing more and nothing less." Ahab then transforms Viscos into a peaceful trading post. But that doesn’t mean the people of Viscos are, by nature, good people. Good and Evil still struggles within each of them. Some realize they can't abide by the new rules and leave town, while others decide to stay. It is their individual choice about which path they chose.

While most of the “good” people decide to stay in Viscos, leaving it as a peaceful place, its inhabitants are eventually tested many years later when a stranger comes to town and offers them gold if they will murder a fellow citizen over the course of the next week. The stranger tells Chantal Prym, the local bartender, that he used to be a good person, but since his family was murdered by a group of terrorists, he has been tortured with questions about why the terorists did it and whether it is proof that all people are Evil. Viscos will be his testing ground for Good and Evil. If someone in the town is murdered, that will prove his theory that humans are inherently Evil. In fact, this town of honest and decent people initially succumbs to temptation, agreeing to murder one of its elderly citizens, forcing her to take a drug to sedate her, and dragging her across town, where the townspeople plan to shoot her. Before the shooting actually takes place, though, Chantal speaks up, telling them the exchange of the stranger’s gold for actual currency is going to be messy and asking whether they can really trust the other townspeople not to divulge how they got the gold to the bank. In the end, the townspeople agree they cannot trust one another, and they return to their lives without accepting the stranger’s deal. Chantal, who has made a separate deal with the stranger, receives the gold instead for her willingness to go along with the stranger’s game. Seemingly, then, there is no resolution the original question posed: Are humans good or bad? In making his original proposal, the stranger had told Chantal, "If you steal the one gold bar but the village resists temptation, or vice versa, I will conclude that there are good people and evil people – which would put me in a difficult position because it would mean that there’s a spiritual struggle going on that could be won by either side." So the final answer then is that there is no answer: there is Good and Evil struggling in everyone, and it is our own choice about what we do. The terrorists who killed the stranger’s family chose Evil, but the people of Viscos chose Good. Our ultimate path is not pre-destined. It is up to us and the choices we make whether we choose a path of Good or Evil.

Through his exploration of the origins of the town of Viscos and its later one-week struggle between Good and Evil, author Paulo Coelho tells us there is no answer about whether humans are good or bad, but instead it is a matter of individual choice. In terms of conclusions about Good and Evil, then, everything is left to the reader. When Chantal is thinking about stealing the gold, the stranger asks, her, "If you had to write a book about your experiences, how do you think most of your readers would react – given all the difficulties they have to face, the injustices dealt to them by life and other people, the struggle they have in order to pay for their children’s schooling and to put food on the table – don’t you think that those people would be urging you to take the gold and run?" When Chantal tells the stranger she doesn’t know what readers will think, the stranger answers, "Nor do I. But that’s the answer I’m looking for." The fact that ultimately no answer is given by the author is disappointing, but as readers we can in fact answer this question for ourselves. Were we, in fact, hoping Chantal would steal the gold? Or, drawing from the earlier example, would we have stopped at the Gates of Hell to selfishly get our own water and abandon our friends? Does that say something about our own struggle between Good and Evil? While Coelho may come up short in providing answers about the struggles between Good and Evil that are happening all over the world, in reality, he is still providing a service by asking the question in the first place. Books are meant to spark discussion, and that is exactly what "The Devil and Miss Prym" does by asking readers to question where they stand in their own struggle between Good and Evil.

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