Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
HarperCollins (2012), 192 pages
Description
The narrator of The Zahir is a bestselling novelist who lives in Paris and enjoys all the privileges money and celebrity bring. His wife of ten years, Esther, is a war correspondent who has disappeared along with a friend, Mikhail, who may or may not be her lover. Was Esther kidnapped, murdered, or did she simply escape a marriage that left her unfulfilled? The narrator doesn't have any answers, but he has plenty of questions of his own. Then one day Mikhail finds the narrator and promises to reunite him with his wife. In his attempt to recapture a lost love, the narrator discovers something unexpected about himself.
User reviews
LibraryThing member MariaSavva
I hadn't read a Paulo Coelho book for a while and this book has reminded me what I love about his writing. I am definitely intending to read more of his work. I love the way the prose pulls you in and keeps you interested. There are many inspirational and spiritual passages in the novel which seem
The book is about an internationally acclaimed author whose wife has disappeared. She is a War correspondent and, therefore, the husband does not know whether she left him, or whether she was kidnapped or something far worse. One day a man appears at one of the author's book signings with a message from the wife to say that she is okay. The husband then becomes increasingly obsessed with idea of finding her. She becomes his 'Zahir' which is defined as something which, once seen or touched, can not be forgotten. We follow the husband in his journey to find his wife, and also in his own personal spiritual journey along the way.
It is described as a novel of 'obsession' and, in my view, Paulo has done a great job in writing the book in such a way that the reader has almost a compulsion to read on to find out what happens - almost as if the book becomes an obsession.
The book isn't perfect, so I can't give it five stars. I did find it a bit confusing in places, as there are often long conversations in the book between characters (sometimes multiple characters) without reference as to who is the speaker. Also, the lack of quotation marks at the beginning of new paragraphs when a character was making a speech or talking over a few paragraphs, was a bit annoying and also confusing.
Finally, I was quite disappointed with the ending; for me it was too predictable and a bit contrived.
But on the whole I enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend it.
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to be written with the intention of giving hope and direction to the reader.The book is about an internationally acclaimed author whose wife has disappeared. She is a War correspondent and, therefore, the husband does not know whether she left him, or whether she was kidnapped or something far worse. One day a man appears at one of the author's book signings with a message from the wife to say that she is okay. The husband then becomes increasingly obsessed with idea of finding her. She becomes his 'Zahir' which is defined as something which, once seen or touched, can not be forgotten. We follow the husband in his journey to find his wife, and also in his own personal spiritual journey along the way.
It is described as a novel of 'obsession' and, in my view, Paulo has done a great job in writing the book in such a way that the reader has almost a compulsion to read on to find out what happens - almost as if the book becomes an obsession.
The book isn't perfect, so I can't give it five stars. I did find it a bit confusing in places, as there are often long conversations in the book between characters (sometimes multiple characters) without reference as to who is the speaker. Also, the lack of quotation marks at the beginning of new paragraphs when a character was making a speech or talking over a few paragraphs, was a bit annoying and also confusing.
Finally, I was quite disappointed with the ending; for me it was too predictable and a bit contrived.
But on the whole I enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend it.
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LibraryThing member bookwoman247
When Esther, the wife of a famed author becomes a war correspondent, and disappears, along with her assistant, Mikhael, the author can only assume that the two are having an affair.
As hard as he tries to let her go, she has become his zahir, a thing that cannot be forgotten. The desire to find her
When Mikhael appears, bearing the news that Esther is in Kazakhistan, the author sets off on a quest, both spiritual and literal, to find her.
This book is very typical Coelho. It is obvious that he writes from deep within his soul, with great passion. Although I do find his brand of spirituality interesting, it is not for me. I prefer to read his work as more of a simple, basic quest. I can only take his work in small doses, but find him enjoyable enough to read if I'm in the mood.
As hard as he tries to let her go, she has become his zahir, a thing that cannot be forgotten. The desire to find her
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intensifies, burning ever stronger, the harder he tries to forget her.When Mikhael appears, bearing the news that Esther is in Kazakhistan, the author sets off on a quest, both spiritual and literal, to find her.
This book is very typical Coelho. It is obvious that he writes from deep within his soul, with great passion. Although I do find his brand of spirituality interesting, it is not for me. I prefer to read his work as more of a simple, basic quest. I can only take his work in small doses, but find him enjoyable enough to read if I'm in the mood.
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LibraryThing member denina
Pretentious and pseudo-philosophical/intellectual.
LibraryThing member MomsterBookworm
Not your typical romance novel, but an excellent love story, nonetheless. It's not so much about 'obsession' but about the journey of the (re)discovery of oneself and of selfless love.
LibraryThing member rayski
The Zahir is the obsession of a person. The narrator’s obsession is a lost love, a woman. The narrator is part Coelho. The overall story is not great, but as typical with Coelho the beauty of the book is in individual passages, especially those dealing with letting your past go so you can have a
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future. Show Less
LibraryThing member patgarth
His wife leaves him, he becomes obsessed, she becomes his Zahir.
LibraryThing member karima29
According to the writer Jorge Luis Borges, the idea of the Zahir comes from Islamic tradition and is thought to have arisen at some point in the eighteenth century. Zahir, in arabic, means visible, present, incapable of going unnoticed. It is someone or something which, once we have come into
Faubourg Saint-Peres
Encyclopedia of the Fantastic (1953)
This book, was another journey with Coelho into his world of the spirit, and this time the real essence of love. What it means to love someone, and yourself... And again, the main character appears to be him, with the same background and his life experiences, although I'm not sure that this particular thing ever happened to him. The narrator/protagonist in the story is never named.
The book also addresses happiness and wealth. He talks about what it's like to be a celebrity, more importantly, what it's like to be a human being while being a celebrity.
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contact with them or it, gradually occupies our every thought, until we can think of nothing else. This can be considered either a state of holiness or of madness.Faubourg Saint-Peres
Encyclopedia of the Fantastic (1953)
This book, was another journey with Coelho into his world of the spirit, and this time the real essence of love. What it means to love someone, and yourself... And again, the main character appears to be him, with the same background and his life experiences, although I'm not sure that this particular thing ever happened to him. The narrator/protagonist in the story is never named.
The book also addresses happiness and wealth. He talks about what it's like to be a celebrity, more importantly, what it's like to be a human being while being a celebrity.
Show Less
LibraryThing member vpfluke
This is Coelho's best novel since the [Alchemist]. I found that I wanted to stay with the story even when its profundity wasn't there. The story is narrated by a person who may be a mirror of the author, I don't know. His wife has left hime for mysterious reasons, much of which deals with the
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peculiarites of love and relationships. A Kazakh immigrant provdies an alternate spiritual path which attracts a number of young people, and has entwined relationship with the narrator's wife. Much of the story is laid in Paris and provides some look into an aspect of the homeless world. Show Less
LibraryThing member kipp15
A long obsessive quest to reunite with the beloved.
LibraryThing member mrs.starbucks
Completely unexpected...it's one of those novels that says so much you have to read it 50 times to understand even a paragraph the way it deserves to be understood.One of the things I love most about Coelho is the...almost Pagan...approach to things. If you have very traditional concepts of love,
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marriage, religion, nature and miracles, I don't think you'd get very much out of this. For me, Coelho's works are explorations of things I already feel and believe without giving in to confirmation bias. I thought this story would be dark, a sort of descent into madness. It turned out to be anything but that. It's rather a story of redemption from obsession, and not just any obsession, but the obsession with the way things are supposed to be. That is the ultimate Zahir, and a Zahir that belongs to all of us at one time or another. Show Less
LibraryThing member veranaz22
A novel following a journey of a novelist in search of his wife, or rather of obsessing over why his wife left. But instead of finding her, he finds out things about himself.
This novel had a wonderfully strong start, but started to get very disconnected in the middle. Overall, it was such a joy and
Three and a half out of five.
This novel had a wonderfully strong start, but started to get very disconnected in the middle. Overall, it was such a joy and
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such an experience to read. After reading "The Alchemist," I had no interest in reading anymore of Coelho's work, but this novel inspires me to give his work another chance. Looking forward to more Coelho!Three and a half out of five.
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LibraryThing member FicusFan
A strangely written post-modern story of love, the meaning of life, spirituality, and the battle against conformity.
The narrator seems to speak directly to the reader for most of the book. He tells the story of his life, and his marriage. His journey to find love, his place in life, and how he lost
His wife becomes his obsession, his Zahir. As he works through the process of trying to figure out how he lost her, where she is, if he wants her back, and how to go about it, he realizes that the Zahir is a symptom of the problem.
The narrator explains his philosophy on love and life, and what he has learned, the mistakes he has made, and the spiritual growth he has achieved.
At first it was not enjoyable because of the odd method of telling the story, then the narrator seemed unlikeable. But around page 25, it because interesting, and I was hooked. I don't know if I would read more of this type of fiction, but it was a change for me and it sucked me in. The narrator also seemed to be exploring lots of uncomfortable truths about life and living. If the reader has not already done some thinking along these lines, s/he might become uncomfortable and unable to enjoy the flow of his journey.
There was a bit of magical realism mixed in with a character who has visions. The story takes place mostly in Paris, and then ends on the Asian steppes of Kazakhstan. All in all very interesting.
The narrator seems to speak directly to the reader for most of the book. He tells the story of his life, and his marriage. His journey to find love, his place in life, and how he lost
Show More
his wife. His wife becomes his obsession, his Zahir. As he works through the process of trying to figure out how he lost her, where she is, if he wants her back, and how to go about it, he realizes that the Zahir is a symptom of the problem.
The narrator explains his philosophy on love and life, and what he has learned, the mistakes he has made, and the spiritual growth he has achieved.
At first it was not enjoyable because of the odd method of telling the story, then the narrator seemed unlikeable. But around page 25, it because interesting, and I was hooked. I don't know if I would read more of this type of fiction, but it was a change for me and it sucked me in. The narrator also seemed to be exploring lots of uncomfortable truths about life and living. If the reader has not already done some thinking along these lines, s/he might become uncomfortable and unable to enjoy the flow of his journey.
There was a bit of magical realism mixed in with a character who has visions. The story takes place mostly in Paris, and then ends on the Asian steppes of Kazakhstan. All in all very interesting.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Athy127
Slow to get through at first but at halfway through you really can start to connect to the main character and understand his obsession. The ending is absolutely fantastic.
LibraryThing member junebedell
Excellent! Coelho is one of my favorite authors, and The Zahir is wonderfully thought provoking as regards relationships between men and women. The analogy using the railroad tracks to describe the relationship between spouses is very enlightening. Highly recommend!
LibraryThing member Allzz
a book about a husband who is searching for his wife and also wants to know why she left him...a good read but depressing at times...
LibraryThing member pathogenik
I read it a long time ago, when it first came out. I find it one of the best that he'd ever written. It was realistic, speaking of the individuality of a couple. Some were disappointed by the ending, they wanted a fairy tale, but no, Coelho was daring enough to speak truth and reality instead.
LibraryThing member CarinaRodrigues
To say that “The Zahir” is my least favorite Paulo Coelho book is an understatement. In fact, I only finished this book because I am very stubborn and because I was waiting for that signature Coelho payoff at the end. The payoff never came.
“The Zahir” is the story of a world famous author
This book is the reason I sometimes need a break from Paulo Coelho.
“The Zahir” is the story of a world famous author
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who is abandoned by his wife because their marriage has turned monotonous, their love has changed, and they have become different people. After writing and selling millions of copies of a book about his experience as the abandoned husband, the author is contacted by a young man who claims to know where the author’s wife is hiding. The author and the young man become friends…followed by literary allusions, historical asides, and philosophical musings. The author and the young man embark on a trip to find the Zahir (that which is external and surface-level in Islam, as well as the name the author uses to describe his wife). Like in many of his other books (The Alchemist, The Pilgrimage), the reader embarks on a pilgrimage with the author. This time, however, I didn’t much enjoy the trip. In truth, my favorite part of the book was the part told from the point-of-view of Mikhail, the young man from Kazakhstan who leads the author on a journey through Paris, through his own life, and eventually to the enigmatic wife. This book is the reason I sometimes need a break from Paulo Coelho.
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LibraryThing member Smits
Not a fan. This is my second Paulo Coelho novel I have read and I guess I do not enjoy his prose. Novel filled with observations of love, relationships, wealth, lifestyle but mostly he waxes poetic on love. Just can't get into it.
LibraryThing member nancynova
A spiritual mood book. The narrator's third wife, a war correspondent disappears, he suspects with a friend Mikhail. But Mikhail finds the narrator and promises to reunite him with his wife, when the time is right. After spending time in Paris, Mikhail reveals that Esther is in the steppes of
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Khakhstan. Interestingly, a non-fiction book I read last year also explored the steppes of Khakhstan. In the end, the narrator and his wife meet again. Show Less
LibraryThing member PilgrimJess
“Love is a disease no one wants to get rid of. Those who catch it never try to get better, and those who suffer do not wish to be cured.”
The identity of the central character and narrator is never revealed to the reader. He is a best-selling author whose wife, Esther, a war correspondent,
One day Mikhail, his wife's presumed Russian “boyfriend”, turns up at one of his book signings. Mihhail, informs him that his wife is alive and that he knows where she is. Mikhail apparently gets visions and premonitions and believes that he has been given a mission to teach the world about love so before he will reveal Esther's whereabouts he informs the narrator that he must lead him on a journey in search of self discovery.
I found the main character selfish and arrogant. He talks of his love for Esther and his constant feelings of loss yet when they were actually together theirs was an openly unfaithful and casual marriage, meaning that I struggled to grasp quite why he should miss her so much other than it being a case of hurt pride. Nor were any of the other characters totally convincing either. Equally after a long and convoluted journey which eventually leads to the steppes of Kazakhstan we are left with a rather disappointing ending. The reader is none the wiser into what motivated her to leave.
Throughout Coelho makes some pretty sweeping generalizations. In particular that no one really knows how to be happy even going as far as suggesting that a group of drunk hippie beggars know the answer to happiness whilst more conventional, up-right citizens do not. Equally he implies that it is fear that stops us from reaching our full potential.
“…there is always an event in our lives that is responsible for us failing to progress: a trauma, a particularly bitter defeat, a disappointment in love, even a victory that we did not quite understand, can make cowards of us and prevent us from moving on."
This second part I will admit to finding an interesting notion but surely it must be rather dependant on what you regard as success. Similarly whilst it is probably no bad thing for us all to reflect back on our own lives, choices, motivations and in particular quite what it is that we love about that one person in our lives and whether or not we could/should show them that love more often, those two elements alone doesn't necessarily make this into a great read.
This is largely because it is difficult to decide whether or not this was supposed to be a stand alone, moralistic tale or a piece of semi-autobiographical work based on real events in the author's own life, (a fact not really helped when The Alchemist is referred to on more than occasion). Whatever the case I found this was to be a generally lazy piece of wring that stands poorly in comparison with some of the author's other novels that I've read.
The identity of the central character and narrator is never revealed to the reader. He is a best-selling author whose wife, Esther, a war correspondent,
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disappeared without a trace. Initially he is a suspect in her disappearance but when no evidence of foul play is found he is released. Two years later he has a new girlfriend but despite living a successful,easy and wealthy life in Paris he is in despair because he is unable to pinpoint the exact reason for Esther’s disappearance: Did she leave him for another man and why did she vanish without telling him first? She becomes a Zahir, an obsession, and he won't rest until he finds her.One day Mikhail, his wife's presumed Russian “boyfriend”, turns up at one of his book signings. Mihhail, informs him that his wife is alive and that he knows where she is. Mikhail apparently gets visions and premonitions and believes that he has been given a mission to teach the world about love so before he will reveal Esther's whereabouts he informs the narrator that he must lead him on a journey in search of self discovery.
I found the main character selfish and arrogant. He talks of his love for Esther and his constant feelings of loss yet when they were actually together theirs was an openly unfaithful and casual marriage, meaning that I struggled to grasp quite why he should miss her so much other than it being a case of hurt pride. Nor were any of the other characters totally convincing either. Equally after a long and convoluted journey which eventually leads to the steppes of Kazakhstan we are left with a rather disappointing ending. The reader is none the wiser into what motivated her to leave.
Throughout Coelho makes some pretty sweeping generalizations. In particular that no one really knows how to be happy even going as far as suggesting that a group of drunk hippie beggars know the answer to happiness whilst more conventional, up-right citizens do not. Equally he implies that it is fear that stops us from reaching our full potential.
“…there is always an event in our lives that is responsible for us failing to progress: a trauma, a particularly bitter defeat, a disappointment in love, even a victory that we did not quite understand, can make cowards of us and prevent us from moving on."
This second part I will admit to finding an interesting notion but surely it must be rather dependant on what you regard as success. Similarly whilst it is probably no bad thing for us all to reflect back on our own lives, choices, motivations and in particular quite what it is that we love about that one person in our lives and whether or not we could/should show them that love more often, those two elements alone doesn't necessarily make this into a great read.
This is largely because it is difficult to decide whether or not this was supposed to be a stand alone, moralistic tale or a piece of semi-autobiographical work based on real events in the author's own life, (a fact not really helped when The Alchemist is referred to on more than occasion). Whatever the case I found this was to be a generally lazy piece of wring that stands poorly in comparison with some of the author's other novels that I've read.
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LibraryThing member StevenJohnTait
Id have given it 3 stars, but the novel was just a little too 'out there' for me.
LibraryThing member Tohno
Possibly my favorite Coelho work. The idea of the Zahir has stayed with me in the years since.
LibraryThing member amaryann21
I've read a few Coelho books and generally, I really like them. This one fell short of the mark for me. This book is much heavier on the philosophy/"lesson" than on the story and one of the things I've enjoyed so much about Coelho is the balance between these things. Teh story focuses on love and
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what that really means. I don't know if I agree with the story, that one needs to empty oneself of the past to be open to the energy of love. It feels a little too... hippie? New Age-y? Nebulous? I think he sincerely tries to move past that, but I don't know if he ever achieves it. Show Less
LibraryThing member kristicw
An excellent story about one man's search for his life's love and finding himself along the way.
LibraryThing member JudyGibson
Not at all the sort of thing I usually read, mystical quests, life changes. Good reading for the final book of the year.
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — 2006)
Dayton Literary Peace Prize (Longlist — Fiction — 2006)
Language
Original language
Portuguese
Original publication date
2005
Physical description
192 p.; 7.8 x 5.08 inches
ISBN
9780722532935