زهير

by Paulo Coelho (Goodreads author!), ترجمه آرش حجازي

زهير

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3625 ratings, 3.59 average rating, 442 reviews (more data...)

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1384 (first published 2005) by انتشارات کاروان

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Paulo Coelho Group	2	8	12/09/2007 07:37PM

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All ratings | 5 stars (775) | 4 stars (1063) | 3 stars (946) | 2 stars (397) | 1 star (173) | avg 3.59

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Jen

Jen rated it:

(review of isbn 0060832819)

12/28/07

Read in December, 2007

So far my least favorite of Coelho's books. Awoman leaves her husband with no explanation to find out how to be happy. She leaves no note, no messenger, takes nothing, just seems to disappear. He finds himseelf in the journey and learns he needs to look for her because he loves her, not because he is obsessed. Along the way other hearts get broken.

Quotes:

"When someone leaves, it's because someone else is about to arrive - I'll find love again."

"In order to be able ...more

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Sylvia

Sylvia rated it:

(review of isbn 0060832819)

06/27/08

bookshelves: fictiousaddict

recommends it for: People in the journey to their personal legend.

I believe the quotation below will be sufficient to show how brilliant Coelho is:

‘Marie, let’s suppose that two firemen go into a forest to put out a small fire. Afterwards, when they emerge and go over to a stream, the face of one is all smeared with black, while the other man’s face is completely clean. My question is this: which of the two will wash his face?

‘That’s a silly question. The one with the dirty face of course.’

‘No, the one with the dirty face will look...more

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nadia

nadia rated it:

(review of isbn 0060832819)

05/11/07

bookshelves: havereadcouldre-read

Read in January, 2006

wow. do you know how and when i discovered this author? at the airport bookstore- at la guardia, the american terminal-the one next to the dunkin donuts/baskin robbins that one must ignore... you know how difficult it is to find something worthwhile to read in the airport bookstore, and i was about to buy something else- this book was in the low corner pocket and i saw it. the cover, and the title, are enticing, but could have been just over the top. but i usually test drive books buy opening th...more

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Amal

Amal rated it:

(review of isbn 0060832819)

10/23/08

Read in October, 2008

A woman leaves her husband with no explanation. He finds himself in a journey of self discovery. So people look for other people because they love them or because they obsessed about them? Guess what, read the Zahir to find out. Dahdah of course he is looking for her because he loves her, A+ to my positivity. I guess I agree with the sous-jacent message "The most important thing in human relationships is conversation, Oh high spirit what happened to your people these days, they don't talk ...more

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Jonathan

Jonathan rated it:

(review of isbn 0060832819)

03/03/08

Read in March, 2008

Typical Coelho...lots of really good quotes. whether you agree with them or not does not really matter but he makes you think by hitting the extremes.

When i get time i will type my favorite two pages which I think summarize the whole book. here are some others.

"Although I know that I may have lost forever the woman I love, I must try to enjoy all the graces that God has given me today. Grace cannot be hoarded. There are no banks where it can be deposited to be used when I feel more...more

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1 comment

Toby

Toby rated it:

(review of isbn 0060832819)

02/03/08

Read in January, 2007

A great book for anyone struggling with attachment or ownership of something that you love.

"I heard other people speaking in the name of freedom and the more they defended this unique right, the more enslaved the seemed to be to the parent's wishes, to a marriage in which they had promised to stay with the other person "for the rest of their lives," to the bathroom scales, to their diet, to the half-finished projects, to lovers to whom they were incapable of saying "No"...more

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Falina

Falina rated it:

(review of isbn 0060832819)

07/09/08

Read in June, 2008

recommends it for: people with fidelity issues or relationship problems

OK, this book offers an extreme perspective on relationships more towards the stereotypical guy extreme. Granted, not all guys are like this and some guys are capable of monogamy, but I have never heard of a woman that follows that path. This woman is what most guys crave, one who doesn't mind if her guy cheats as long as he comes back and is passionate about their relationship. Anyways, this book offers a path to rediscover yourself and your expectations of relationships in your life. It's ...more

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Emily

Emily rated it:

(review of isbn 0060832819)

10/05/07

Read in October, 2007

i have only about 50 pages to go, so i am sure i will finish this book this evening on the metro ride home... so far i have enjoyed the book and i am glad that i am reading it. it reminds me a lot of the alchemist though, and they actually reference the main character's trip to santiago numerous times - the zahir focuses on love and it's power in our lives and how it can change our destiny. i don't necessarily agree with a lot the things coelho says in the book, and a lot of the lessons he sp...more

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Clare

Clare rated it:

(review of isbn 0060832819)

11/26/07

Read in November, 2007

I was diasspointed with this and I would consider myself a fan of Paolo Coelho. I just don't think this lived up to his usual work. The plot was weak and there was a lot of annoying, sentimental stream-of-consciousness drivel about the meaning of love and the meaning of life. It's true that these are Coelho's usual themes but I think he's gotten a bit carried away with all the sentiment in this novel and forgotten the story in the process. The only thing that kept me reading until the end was my...more

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Mahdi

Mahdi rated it:

(review of isbn 0060832819)

10/19/07

bookshelves: literature

اینکه همه ما از روی عادت زندگی می کنیم یک چیز مسلمی است. اصلا اینکه بدون فکر هر کاری را می کنیم یک معضل هست ولی دلیل نمی شود که تمامی کارهایمان غلط باشد و یا اینکه لزومی داشته باشد فرقه ای جدید یا آیین جدیدی ایجاد کنیم.
نویسنده در پایان به همان مطلبی دچار می شود که چند صفحه قبل از...more

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Reinhold

Reinhold rated it:

(review of isbn 3257064640)

12/10/08

bookshelves: belletristik, own

Read in April, 2005

Der Icherzähler des Romans, ist ein äußerst erfolgreicher Schriftsteller, der plötzlich von der Situation steht, dass ihm seine Ehefrau abhanden gekommen ist. Er wird verhaftet, bald wieder freigelassen, sucht sie wie verrückt und wird doch nicht fündig. Ihre Ehe war immer eine sehr offene Beziehung, wo beide immer wieder Affären hatten; und so scheint es diesmal so zu sein, dass Esther ihn wegen eines jüngeren Mannes dauerhaft verlassen hat. Dies zu verarbeiten scheint zunächst nicht u...more Der Icherzähler des Romans, ist ein äußerst erfolgreicher Schriftsteller, der plötzlich von der Situation steht, dass ihm seine Ehefrau abhanden gekommen ist. Er wird verhaftet, bald wieder freigelassen, sucht sie wie verrückt und wird doch nicht fündig. Ihre Ehe war immer eine sehr offene Beziehung, wo beide immer wieder Affären hatten; und so scheint es diesmal so zu sein, dass Esther ihn wegen eines jüngeren Mannes dauerhaft verlassen hat. Dies zu verarbeiten scheint zunächst nicht unmöglich und so stürzt er sich ebenfalls in eine neu Beziehung. Aber es gelingt ihm nicht sich von Esther zu befreien, sie wird zu seinem Zahir (jenem Objekt, das so sehr begehrt wird, dass es den Betroffenen in den Wahnsinn zu stürzen droht). Seine neue Freundin ermutigt ihn ein neues Buch zu schreiben - und tatsächlich es hilft. Er kann sich befreien. Das Buch 'Zerreißen hat seine Zeit, zunähen hat seine Zeit', arbeitet die Geschichte seiner Ehe auf und wird zu einem Riesenerfolg. Bald jedoch kommt seine Obsession wieder, diesmal in Gestalt, des vermeintlichen Liebhabers seiner Frau. Er beschließt sich auf diesen Menschen einzulassen und hier beginnt nun die wirklich Veränderung in ihm Vorzugehen. Er hinterfragt alles und vor allem die Beziehung und Liebe zu seiner Frau. Schließlich wird er ein anderer Mensch sein.

Das Buch trägt ganz eindeutig viele autobiographische Züge von Paulo Coelho, aber wie schreibt er in eben diesem Buch? "Wovon soll ich sonst schreiben, wenn nicht davon was ich erfahren habe?" Die sprachlichen Fähigkeiten von Paulo Coelho zu loben ist eigentlich unnötig, denn diese sind weithin bekannt. Stilistisch jedoch hat sich eine beachtliche Entwicklung getan - die Geradlinigkeit seiner Bücher hat er über Bord geworfen und sich um stilistische Vervollkommnung bemüht - dieses Ziel hat er mit Bravour erreicht.

Die Personen der Handlung sind in ausreichender Tiefe wiedergegeben - der Icherzähler natürlich am besten von allen, aber auch jene Menschen die zur Weiterentwicklung des Erzählers beitragen sind gut gezeichnet und haben interessante Geschichten.

Insgesamt kann ich das Buch wirklich empfehlen. Es kann zwar nicht an 'Veronika beschließt zu sterben' heranreichen, aber ein zweites Buch dieser Qualität vom selben Autor zu erwarten wäre auch vermessen. Der Roman schließt aber sehr gut an 'Der Alchimist' an und überflügelt das doch deutlich schwächere Werk 'Elf Minuten'. ...less

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Rika

Rika marked it as to-read (review of isbn 0060832819)

08/27/08

bookshelves: to-read

Sebelum plastik buku ini sempat gue buka (belinya udah lebih setahun yang lalu), gue merelakan buku ini buat Bos gue yang selama ini udah baeeeek banget. Ya... itung2 kenang2an deh.

Kenapa dari setumpuk buku2 gue yang masih terbungkus plastik rapi itu gue milih buku ini? simply karena last name Bos gue tuh, sama dengan judul buku ini. Iya deh Pak, enjoy ya..!

Btw ceritanya bagus gak sih? ada yang udah baca?

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Odai

Odai rated it:

(review of isbn )

11/22/08

هذه الرواية الثانية لي مع باولو كويليو ولا ادري ان كانت الترجمة هي المشكلة في هذا السرذ الممل ام هو اسلوب الراوي .الرواية فيها تطويل ممل ووصف رتيب لدرجة انك تفقد القدرة على اكمال القراءة .احداث الرواية تدور في محور ضيق فيها بعض المشوقات والعبر الجميلة .ولكن اعتقد ان هناك ما يس...more

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Mathew

Mathew rated it:

(review of isbn 0060832819)

09/28/08

Read in December, 2007

recommends it for: perhaps another Coelho fan, but nobody else

Like so unfortunately many of Coelho's books after The Alchemist, this novel's quality is rocky at best. Coelho has great ideas, but the greatest idea is only as good as the writing, and the writing here - the plot, the characters, the diction, the dialog, and almost anything else you'd care to name - is downright amateurish. Coelho has written that all of his novels were written more or less in the same way: in great bursts of creati...more

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Heather

Heather rated it:

(review of isbn 0060832819)

09/23/08

bookshelves: europe, own, paolo-coelho

Read in September, 2008

I struggled with whether or not to give this a 3 or 4 star = it was somewhere between for me. This is the first fiction book I've "devoured" in quite some time; took only two days. The premise of the book (wife disappears from what has become loveless marriage, and two years later husband learns she is alive and goes to find her) reminded me quite a bit of the movie "The Constant Gardener." Not sure if one influenced the other. In any event, the topic itself was interestin...more

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Emon

Emon rated it:

(review of isbn 0060832819)

09/04/08

My friend and I have ever discussed about this book a few times ago. He said that he likes this book very much. So do I. It's an awesome book. Superb! Although took a long while to really understand the meaning.

Compares with others Paulo Coelho works such as Pilgrimage, Valkyries,The Alchemist, By the Piedra River I Sat Down and Wept, etc, this book really describes about his own feeling. It might his own experience in his marriage with his wife, Christina. As well as his book Valkyries th...more My friend and I have ever discussed about this book a few times ago. He said that he likes this book very much. So do I. It's an awesome book. Superb! Although took a long while to really understand the meaning.

Compares with others Paulo Coelho works such as Pilgrimage, Valkyries,The Alchemist, By the Piedra River I Sat Down and Wept, etc, this book really describes about his own feeling. It might his own experience in his marriage with his wife, Christina. As well as his book Valkyries that consists of his religious experience to meet "angel" in the desert.

In the book, when suddenly his wife disappeared, the character "I" began to find out why. His wife left him without any messages. Or there had not been any logic reasons why she had been doing this. He also did not know, where his wife might go. His wife was a war journalist. She had been sent to many conflict areas over the world to make war reports. They both lived in Paris.

During his loss and searching, lead him to a conclusion. That their marriage was not the same as before. His wife, had not been as happy as before (in the beginning of their marriage). They both had been so famous. He, with his book, and the wife with her war reports. He went to many books sign, and she went to many conflict areas, while both of them tried to maintain and keep their relationship warm. They always met in a such awesome restaurant, in a hotel lobby, to drink hot chocolate.

He realized then, that his wife had been changed, and he did not recognized it. His wife had done so many activities that he did not know, and his wife turned to be very mysterious to him. They did not know each other well anymore. The had been in the crisis of marriage, without he had known it. In his desperation, he wrote a book.

He also asked himself, What he had done something wrong that his wife left him? This question became the voice of his heart. In answering this question, he also met some people, who helped him to answer the question and lead him to a place where his wife was. ...less

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Faizah Roslaini

Faizah Roslaini rated it:

(review of isbn 0061253081)

08/26/08

Read in August, 2008

recommends it for: Those who wants to learn about love

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

A few things that I learnt from the Zahir:

1 - Love is an untamed force. When we try to control it, it destroys us. When we try to imprison it, it enslaves us. When we try to understand it, it leaves us feeling lost and confused.

2 - The concept of Favor Bank. How it could be used to realize your dream.

It was exciting at the beginning. There was a normal couple, love each other, love their work, rich and famous. But the wife then just dissapeared unexpectedly. It affected him tr...more

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Elliot

Elliot rated it:

(review of isbn 0060832819)

02/22/08

bookshelves: in-translation

Read in March, 2008

While reading "The Zahir" I was constantly wishing that I had read other works by Coelho first. His books are often inspired by his actual life, or at least are filled with references to his experiences, indeed he even wrote in this book that this is the only way to write. This book is no exception, it makes frequent references to his previous books and his life, and I was left feeling like I should have read his other books before reading "The Zahir." Nevertheless, it was wo...more

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Darby

Darby rated it:

(review of isbn 0060832819)

02/13/08

bookshelves: own

Read in December, 2004

As I have said in other reviews of Coelho's books...I am a big fan of Paulo Coelho's work. I can say that he is my favorite author. And I believe eventually time will show him to be an important writer of this time.

I remember reading The Valkyries and I bought it for friends to share with everyone. Many of his titles are a part of my permanent library.

Okay so all that say I was a little disappointed by The Zahir. I read somewhere that Coelho puts himself into many of his books....more

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Ime'...

Ime'... rated it:

(review of isbn 0060832819)

09/17/08

bookshelves: paulo-coelho-s

Read in September, 2008

The Zahir for me is a story about finding the real meaning of ‘love’; meaning that love needs to be tested anyway, to prove whether it is the truth or not. It is a story about a couple, married, but in the same time open relationship. Esther doesn’t really engaging the man (whom I realized now that I don’t know his name) as her husband; neither the man. Until one particular day, Esther told him that she would like to be a war correspondent. Afterwards, the test began.

I do agree on a...more The Zahir for me is a story about finding the real meaning of ‘love’; meaning that love needs to be tested anyway, to prove whether it is the truth or not. It is a story about a couple, married, but in the same time open relationship. Esther doesn’t really engaging the man (whom I realized now that I don’t know his name) as her husband; neither the man. Until one particular day, Esther told him that she would like to be a war correspondent. Afterwards, the test began.

I do agree on a statement called ‘You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone’; and it is just what The Zahir tells me all about. True love will seek what you’ve lost; true love will make you a grown up and true love will definitely accept you just the way you are.

I had some difficulties in putting this book down at some sessions. To be honest, I love the ending. But I’m a little bit upset in some of its sessions too; especially that ‘mystical’ session in an Armenian restaurant, which reminding me a bit about ‘The Witch of Portobello’. I found this book quite acceptable; as I’ve said before, the ending was perfect (at least for me).

Just like other Paulo Coelho’s masterpiece, I found quite a lot of inspiring quotes and of course, his book has made me think along. Of course, the way it is written is beautiful; easy to read for sure.

One ending that I would like to quote from The Zahir (the best part I think) is the line that Esther read to the people in one little village in Kazakhstan.

God knows that we are all artists of life.
One day, He gives us a hammer with which to make sculptures, another day He gives us brushes and paints with which to make a picture, or a paper and a pencil to write with. But you cannot make a painting with a hammer, or a sculpture with a paintbrush. Therefore, however difficult it may be, I must accept today’s small blessings, even if they seem like curses because I am suffering and it’s a beautiful day, the sun is shining, and the children are singing in the street.
This is the only way I will manage to leave my pain behind and rebuild my life.

And that passage above is so beautiful as it goes closer to the end of the book.

Four stars for The Zahir.
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