Aleph
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Aleph

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3.46 of 5 stars 3.46  ·  rating details  ·  9,931 ratings  ·  1,120 reviews
Transform your life. Rewrite your destiny.

In his most personal novel to date, internationally best-selling author Paulo Coelho returns with a remarkable journey of self-discovery. Like the main character in his much-beloved The Alchemist, Paulo is facing a grave crisis of faith. As he seeks a path of spiritual renewal and growth, he decides to begin again: to travel, to ex...more
Paperback, Open Market Edition, 269 pages
Published March 2012 by Vintage Books (first published 2010)
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lita
I moved this review to my blog
Nilesh Kashyap
With what intention did Paulo Coelho wrote this book. Any moral or source of inspiration and worst of all, any story if present in this book were probably beyond my grasp or there were none to be found.

Why do I say no story?
In very general, a story has three parts - the beginning, the middle and the end. This book seemed to me just one of those three part and which one, I don’t have the slightest idea!

The Book
This is an autobiography and in the entire story the author travels on trans-Siberian...more
K.D. Oliveros
Sep 21, 2011 K.D. Oliveros rated it 1 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: Jzhunagev
Shelves: memoirs, trashy, religion
When already-famous novelists approach their twilight years, do you notice that some of them become strange? Last week, I read about Haruki Murakami (born 1949; now 62) trying to train himself as a triathlon participant at the age of 55 while writing his memoir What I Talk About When I Talk About Running (2007). Currently, I am reading a book by John Steinbeck (1902-1968) who at the age of 59 toured along several states living in a trailer together with his poodle dog Charley and wrote his adven...more
Farah
Hari ini gue menghadiri diskusi buku ini di Times book store Kemang. Dan itu adalah diskusi buku pertama yang pernah gue hadiri selama ini.
It was nice, actually.
Berada di dalam satu ruangan dengan orang-orang yang penasaran, "Buku apa sih ini? Apa sih yang mau dibahas? Ada pengarangnya bakal dateng ya? (hehehe, ada nih satu pengunjung yang ternyata diam-diam berharap ini..)" dan lain-lain.

Anyways, gue adalah orang kedua di event tadi yang sharing mengenai pengalaman membaca buku ini.
Dan gue ak...more
Elagabal
for the last 4 books and i'm giving Paolo Coelho opportunities to change my bad impression about him,,i think this was the last chance.. his books are either so good or so bad that i barely finished many of them. this book talks about his journey crossing Russia on train. the events are so slow and even nothing happens,, i was finishing chapter after chapter waiting to reach the crucial point of the story,,but nothing happened..i know nothing about other lives if they do exist or not,, but the w...more
Claire Capul
The book made me realize that one can really love two different person at a time. You can love another one even if you're committed with someone without being called a womanizer or anything that you can relate to that.

Paulo Coelho's Aleph is about Paulo having met a woman he loved 500 years ago, in the current time wherein he is 59 years old and the girl is 21 years old. He met the girl, Hilal, again in a different time, the now, where in Paulo is already stabled with his wife.

Paulo admitted tha...more
ايمان
100 صفحة الأولى خرجت بقناعة أن من يحب كتب تنمية الذات سيحب كويهلو بالنسبة لي أجد ان هذ ا الرجل بيستهبل على رأي اخوانا المصريين بيستكردنا
كتاب عبي و لا أنصح به و ربما أكون أنا الغبية و أرعب ان اكون لو كان ما يخبرنا به هذا المشعود صحيحا
Kholsu
I would sum up this book in two words; “delectable revelation” of Paulo’s creativity returning on the shelves once more; it is the perfect example why this man is adored and continues to inspire many across the globe touching all ethnicities.

It was far from predictable as read in “Winner Stands Alone” and better than his other autobiography-expeditions; written in the past, such as “The Valkyries”

A Journey from A to B is one thing! But a journey made by Paulo is another experience; as it will be...more
Dave B.
This was a wonderful and amazing book. Without realizing it the author took me on journey of self-discovery that opened my eyes to the newness of the world. I feel that this book is on par with the Alchemist. In its own unique way it continues the story. I read the Alchemist just after graduating from college. I was new to adult independent living and looking to command the world. I discover Mr. Coelho’s book the Alchemist and learn of spiritual transformations and growth. Now I am in my late 30...more
Silvana
- I regret that I invested time in reading Coelho´s "Aleph".
There are some books written by Coelho that I like, and with Borges in mind the title Aleph appealed to me.
With his opening prayer Coelho send nod of assent to the Argentinian genius Borges short story 'Aleph'.
In Borges' story, the Aleph is a point in space that contains all other points. Anyone who gazes into it can see everything in the universe from every angle simultaneously, without distortion, overlapping or confusion.
But Borges...more
Ena'am
Feb 19, 2013 Ena'am marked it as unfinished  ·  review of another edition
حسناً، كنت أود إكماله ولكني ببساطة لم أستطع، كنت أحسه ثقيلاً
بالرغم من أني أعجبت بأسلوب باولو في الخيميائي، إلا أن هذا الكتاب لم أفهم حقيقةً ما المغزى منه
ولا ماذا يريد أن يخبرنا
ولم أستطع العودة إليه وإكماله
Raji Lukkoor
I would've liked this book a lot better had it been a novel. Although I believe in spiritual journeys, I'm neither comfortable nor convinced about entering a "past life" to detect and remedy a fix for the present life.
Hilal is such a bizarre character, and frankly, it's what makes her interesting. She's emotionally immature and insecure--perhaps quite normal for a 21-yr old, but she's also aggressive, insensitive, rude, and refuses to accept no for an answer. In a strange way though, I admire he...more
Suby
This is the second book by the author I have had an opportunity to read. The first was 'The Alchemist' which I would like to read a second time.
The author while being a Portuguese speaking person from Brazil has been able to digest the Hindu principles of re-incarnations and principles of multi-universes, has also managed to bring to life the spiritual principles guiding these phenomena which our scientists can't or won't analyse!
The trance Siberian journey of over 9000 Kms is supposed to be a p...more
Becca Chopra
I listened to an interview with Paulo Coelho and it elucidated that this is an autobiographical journey into the mystery of his past lives, as he travels the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Like his fiction, Coelho's new book offers so much wisdom, not by telling others how to find the answers, but in retelling how he finds his answers about life purpose and our place in the cosmos. I greatly enjoyed Coelho's magical experience as he lets the universe guide him on his journey, presenting Hilal, a young...more
Ali
این متن نامه ای است که برای مترجم کتاب "آرش حجازی" نوشتم.خود گویا است و نیازی به توضیح
بیشتر نمی بینم
سلام جناب حجازی بسیار عزیز
امروز از زیارت خودم برگشتم. با خواندن کتاب "الف" که زحمت ترجمه آنرا کشیده بودید و چقدر هم زیبا و روان ترجمه کردید،امروز روشن شدم. در طی این دو روز خواندن آن چه لحظاتی که هیجان زده و یا گریان میشدم و از شدت معارفی که با آنها مواجه میشدم سر از پا نمیشناختم .بهترین توصیفم را شاعر به زیبایی اینطور بیان کرده است:"از هجوم حقیقت بر خاک افتادم."این احساس را به شما مدیونم که اگر...more
Ray
It takes you on a journey with the author. Like his other works, it’s all about following the language/signs of life and the symbolism presented to us on our path of personal discovery and growth etc. However, unlike his other works this is more personal and less abstract. It shows a human side to the man. We see his failures and flaws as well as his greatness. It's very personal, kind of like having a talk with the man himself and being on the journey with him. Which is quite unlike most of his...more
Noora511
At first I found the book confusing and complicated and then as I read through I started to understand the authors intention and found the novel interesting. The lead character Paulo who coincidently is the author, embarks on a journey throughout Russia. Paulo is stuck in his life and seeks spiritual enlightenment in order to be “king of his kingdom”.

I found the book very interesting because it spoke about reincarnation and past lives, which is contrary to the beliefs of Islam. I defiantly recom...more
Lktrigueros
Sr. Coelho writes about his quest to find himself (he uses the beautiful phrase “reconquer [his] kingdom”) by train through Russia. To begin with, I had a hard time identifying with his desperate boredom with success. At this point in my life, I could totally go for some boredom.

The plot seemed like a thin excuse for Paulo to write about how he’s still got it. All that kingdom-conquering and the abstraction of the eternities and reincarnation was to distract the reader from his excitement that...more
طارق أحمد
لأن روايات باولو تشبه كثيراً كتب التنمية البشرية . . تتكلم بحس الواعظ وتنتهى بالنهاية السعيدة . . لذلك فإنها ستعجب نفس القارئ الذى يقبل على كتب التنمية البشرية . . وهو القارئ الذى يرى العالم مكان مثالى وكامل وقابل للإصلاح وعلينا فقط أن نكتشف كيف . . أما القارئ الناقم المعتقد فى عبثية هذا العالم والذى ينظر له نظرة سلبية ويحاول أن يجد فى الأدب تبريراً لإحباطاته وسوداويته فغالباً سيكره باولو كويلو وكتبه.

أربكنا باولو كويلو لأنه بدا فى البداية وكأنه يكتب مذكراته الشخصية . . فهو ذاته البطل ومعه ناشرية...more
Tor Jensen
This book was deeply disappointing and left me feeling very uneasy about the author.

It it the first book I've read by Coelho, and I my expectations were high. The premise was interesting - a sense of spiritual dissatisfaction propelling the author to undertake a series of journeys to unexplored places, meeting his readers. Unfortunately, there were no deep spiritual insights on display, only yet another banal late middle-age crisis involving a young woman.

The book centers around Coelho's journe...more
Sue
interesting
In his most personal novel to date, internationally bestseller author Paulo Coelho returns with a remarkable journey of self-discovery. Like the main character in the Alchemist, Paulo is facing a grave crisis of faith. As he seeks a path of spiritual renewal and growth, he decides to begin again: to travel, to experiment, to reconnect with people and the landscapes around him.
Starting in Africa and then crossing Europe and Asia via the Trans-Siberian Railway, he undertakes a journey t...more
Kristen Lemaster
I love spiritual books with a different take on religion - Eat, Pray, Love and Life of Pi come to mind - and not coincidentally both of those involve traveling, a journey, just like this book does. The difference is that here, Paulo Coelho doesn't have a story. He has characters, all of whom are weird somehow which makes them distant and hard to like, and he has an idea of a story, but the actual plot, the significant sequence of events, the climax all don't exist. I haven't yet read The Alchemi...more
Guilherme Martins
A colectânea dos livros de auto-ajuda aparecem numa época do desemprego estrutural está em crescente, em que uma quantidade significativa de desempregados não terão mais acesso ao trabalho porque tornaram-se supérfluos a serem substituídos pelas máquinas da revolução micro-electrónica. Estes livros são focados nos supérfluos do século XXI para que a esperança exista no fundo destas páginas, e o leitor consiga a alimentar a sua neurose de se voltar a uma vida saudável e realizável dentro do capit...more
Samerron
I have read a couple of Coelho's books, and know the style and level of his writing. This book is not that powerful, and I believe the whole journey can be summarized in one or two chapters. In most of it, the logic and flow of ideas & thoughts is completely out of pace. The author incoherently jumps from one idea to another with no logical connection.

In other instances, you don't get what is the author trying to reach. He is just presenting different thoughts and experiences, which are not...more
Matthew Trinetti
How This Resonates With Me (with quotes from Aleph):

1. Just when you think you have things figured out, the universe challenges you (again).

"I have learned and unlearned how to live hundreds of times…I go through a period of euphoria, which gradually dissipates."
My journey through Europe has seen a lot of ups and downs. There are times I feel like I understand life, the world, and myself. I’m on top of the world and everything seems to fall into place. And then the universe seems to wave its fin...more
Anavie Alegre
After reading Paulo Coehlo’s works I always reflect on certain things. For some reason, he makes me think about life, about the things that I’ve never really thought of before, and also he educates me of certain things in life. The Aleph made me think of how I’m running my life, and that no matter how superficial things may seem, it is there for a reason. Aleph is the term that is used for something or a point in time when everything happens at the same time. It’s weird I know but, when Paulo pu...more
Marlize-minerva
INFLUENCE THAT ALEPH, by Coelho, HAD ON ME:
I have just read "Aleph" by Coelho and it confirmed so many things I believed, guessed at and needed to believe. In all his books you will find the one constant thing: Love. Not romantic love as such, no, a deeper need where love completes the puzzle every time. TO him the meaning of life is the meaning YOU give to life. And it is wonderful to find an author that speaks so directly to my inner being.

I too want to live my dream - don't we all? I too want...more
Israa Hojerat
مقاطع :

كلّ ما أحتاج إليه في هذهِ اللحظة هو أن تعانقيني ، فالعناق حركة قديمة بقِدَم الإنسانية ذاتها ، ومعناها أبعد بكثير من لقاء جسدين . العناق يعني أنّني لا أشعر بأنّكِ تهددينني ولا أخشى من قربي منك إلى هذه الدرجة ، أستطيع أن أسترخي وأن أشعر بالارتياح وأن أشعر بالحماية وبحضرة من يمكن له أن يفهمني . يُقال إنّه في كلّ مرّة نعانق فيها أحداً بحرارة ، نكسب يومًا إضافيًّا في الحياة . لذا رجاءً ، عانقيني الآن .


؛


لا أزال أصلّي بلا انقطاع ، متوسّلاً رحمة الله . متى عُبرت عتبة الألم ، تصبح الروح أقوى . تفق...more
Andrea
First of all I have to point out that this is indeed a very difficult book to read if you are not familiarized with many of the concepts written there. I found myself lost after reading some passages that didn't make sense at all, but after some struggle I finally could understand what Paulo was trying to convey. This book is obviously directed to anyone who is interested in Coelho's books, but to understand and grasp its meaning, one has to have a higher level of intelligence that not everyone...more
Bie
Only someone who can say "I love you" is capable of saying "I forgive you" ... My favorite quotation in this book. :)

I honestly don't get the entire story of this book. I just knew that it is the story of Paulo's travel with his publisher to promote his book and to discover more of himself in Trans-Siberian train. In his journey, he met Yao, his translator who suffered a great loss and was later found acceptance with the help of Paulo. He also met Hilal, who he found one of his girl in his past...more
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Ask Paulo Coelho ...: question on Aleph 1 37 Mar 28, 2013 08:33pm  
More chapters Please! :) 5 113 Oct 22, 2012 01:28am  
Aleph (Hardcover)
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Aleph

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The Brazilian author PAULO COELHO was born in 1947 in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Before dedicating his life completely to literature, he worked as theatre director and actor, lyricist and journalist. In 1986, PAULO COELHO did the pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostella, an experience later to be documented in his book The Pilgrimage. In the following year, COELHO published The Alchemist. Slow in...more
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