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Dec 17, 2009

Lesley rated it:

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4 comments like (13 people liked it)

Dec 16, 2009

Elena rated it:

Eleven Minutes begins, as most children's books do, with "Once Upon a Time,' but by no means is this novel about sex and love a children's fairytale. It is the fairytale of a young woman in search for the answers to her desires.

Why is it that we all long for love, yet it is so elusive to so many? Is sex an expression of love or merely a physical act? What is worse, to keep love at bay in order to avoid pain, or give in to your passions? By virtue of her profession, the prota More...

1 comment like (25 people liked it)

May 13, 2010

Weni rated it:

Tokoh utama dalam buku ini adalah Maria, seorang gadis dari Brazil yang tumbuh dengan angan2 suatu saat nanti akan bertemu pria idaman, menikah, punya anak, bahagia. Angan2 standar :D Lalu Maria sampai pada titik tidak yakin akan menemukan cinta sejati, meninggalkan kampung halamannya, pergi ke Swiss dan akhirnya menjadi pelacur.

Lalu, apa itu sebelas menit?
Sebelas menit adalah rata2 waktu yang dibutuhkan untuk melakukan persetubuhan. Sebelas menit adalah bagian dari pekerjaan More...

2 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jul 22, 2008

Vivaldi rated it:

Membaca karya-karya Paulo Coelho selamanya selalu memerlukan perenungan. Dan penulis yang konsisten mendedah misteri kehidupan ini, ternyata juga berani menulis topik tabu yang biasanya dihindari penikmat buku genre ini: Persetubuhan. Penulis dalam kata pengantarnya juga mengakui, ini adalah karya yang sedikit berbeda. Karena dia tidak hanya ingin menulis apa yang pembaca ingin baca, tapi juga realitas yang ada di sekeliling kita.

11 menit, adalah judul buku yang ingin ditulis oleh sa More...

12 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jul 22, 2008

Ria rated it:

In comparison to my experiences with his other pieces. I can confidently say that this Paulo Cohelo work tests the reader in a unique and dangerous way.

Each of his novels teach valuable lessons for adults through the interesting happenings of his protagonists. This story does the same. However the lesson taught borders on relationship counseling and sexual education. It was just as compelling and effective as it was uncomfortable. Uncomfortable in the sense that the informatio More...

0 comments like (8 people liked it)

Dec 30, 2010

Odai rated it:

يؤمن باولوكويلو بالتقاء الارواح وان هناك ضوء يجذب انسان لآخر لا يراه آخر.....ان الابداع الروائي في احدى عشرة دقيقة لا يوصف وهذا الكم الهائل من عبر الحياة جدير بالاحترام.. ان إنها من أجمل ما كتب باولو بل من أروع ما كتب من روايات عامة..والترجمة جاءت معززة لانجاح النص..سرد عظيم يستحق الثناء وللاسف الشديد سحبت فجأة من مكتبات السعودية رغم انني لا ارى سببا لهذا المنع فالقصة وان كانت تتحدث عن الجنس فان ما تعود به على القارئ من عبر وفائدة يدعو للسخرية لأمر المنع ولكن الى من تتحدث فلا حياة لمن تنادي... More...

11 comments like (13 people liked it)

Jun 24, 2007

Audriane rated it:

Coelho Definately, knows about life!
This book is a story about Maria, a young girl who's really not settle for being just ordinary country girl. Her jouney begins when one day she went for vacation to Rio Da Janero (wow, she live in the same country as Coelho!!)and a stranger offered her fo working abroad as a dancer. Her life changed on the day she accept the offer. And from the very begining until the end of the book readers could see how life can turn out very unexpectedly. You th More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Dec 16, 2009

Felicia rated it:

I didn't find this nearly as good as The Alchemist. I do not know if Coelho was trying to really get in the mindset of a woman by over-analyzing sex, but I felt a real woman would be less philosophical and more emotional about her experiences. It seemed to me that she was detached from herself and no matter what shocking things would come her way, she would still never be phased by it and I just felt it was too dehumanized. Philosophical rampages on love and being the mother and friend to her More...

1 comment like (14 people liked it)

Nov 18, 2007

Sonia added it

اصلا خوشم نیومد . من خیلی از کتابهای پائولو را خوندم ولی معتقدم زدن حرفهای تکراری که تو کیمیاگر اومده بود نیازی به این نوشته نداشت . تو کیمیاگر پائولو میگه که دنبال آرزوهات و رویاهات برو و تو این کتاب میگه فکر نکن دنباله روی بی چون و چرا از رویاها تو رو به موفقیت می رسونه . استفاده از عنصر س.ک.س کتاب رو به نظرم زشت کرد . اصلا خوشم نیومد . More...

2 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 27, 2011

سمية عبد العزيز rated it:

تحديث:

ثغرات في الرواية نسي أن أذكرها:
- أولاً شخصية الفتاة البسيطة التي تتحول فجأة إلى شخصية عميقة تكتب كلاماً فلسفياً في مذكراتها - هذا التحول في الشخصية كان مفاجأ ً لي حيث كيف استطاعت هذه البنت البسيطة الخجولة أن تقود دفة الرواية بمذكراتها العميقة !
- ثانياً الرجل العربي الذي دفع المال الكثير مقابل ليلة واحدة, في البداية لم أركز عليه وقلت حسناً هذا يحدث, لكن الآن كلما فكرت فيه وجدته شخصية دخيلة تماماً على الرواية وكأن باولو يحاول أن يأكد على صورة العرب التي حاول المستشرقي More...

2 comments like (18 people liked it)

Nov 29, 2011

Mona rated it:

"الصدمة" هى كل ما اشعر به الآن تجاه تلك الرواية التى اعتمدت على الحقائق اكثر من اعتمادها على الخيال ... كثيرا ما خالجنى الشعور بالحياء مما أقرأ لكنى لن انكر انها تملك من الروعة اكثر مما توقعت ... لم أفكر يوما فى حياة العاهرات ولم اشعر تجاه اى منمن الا بالاشمئزاز لما يجعل امرأة وبكل بساطة تدفع جسدها مقابل القليل او حتى الكثير من المال... دفعنى باولو كويلو للتفكير وأثار الكثير من علامات الاستفهام فى رأسى ... واعتقد ان فى النهاية هذا هو الهدف الاساسى للأدب ان يخلق لديك تساؤلات وان ساعدك ع More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

May 06, 2011

Nabil rated it:

Normalement les livres de Paulo Coelho nous font rêver mais celui là est un peu spécial qui nous rappelle de la réalité.

Une jeune fille belle et ambitieuse débute une aventure à la plage de Copacabana où elle a signée un contrat, ce dernier lui déparque à Genève, un pays où elle ne connait personne. Maria en vient à se prostituer dans un bar nommé aussi Copacabana.

Une histoire plein d’émotions, d’aventures dont l’auteur a fait une très bonne recherche sur le More...

5 comments like (3 people liked it)

Apr 24, 2010

Nile daughter rated it:

I was uncomfortable with obscene parts of the book , but I admit I liked the way this book dealt with such instincts of human nature (which are more like Taboos) , specially in its darkest format – ( prostitution)-..It was always a wonder for me how can a woman accept transforming herself into a commodity ..just a sexual tool ! and worse get used to it & be Insensitive ! , and why some ask to buy sex by money ? or from anther side buy company - or someone to listen to - by money ? , why su More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Apr 11, 2011

Shaimaa rated it:

إن لقاء المرأة بذاتها لعبة تنطوي علي الكثير من المخاطر ، عندما ألتقي بذاتي نصير طاقتين ، عالمين يتصادمان ، أما إذا كان اللقاء يفتقر إلي الانسجام المتوازن ، فأنه يتحول إلي إنفجار مدمر للذات البشرية الواحدة . :)

عندما لم يعد لدي ما أفقده ، نلت كل شئ ، وعندما توقفت عن أن أكون ما كنته ، وجدت نفسي.

لا تعرف إذا كان سيعود مرة أخري ام لا..؟ لكنها للمرة الأولي في حياتها تشعر إن مجيئه لن يغير شيئا..!! يكفي أن تكون معه بالفكر ، وأن تضفي خطواته وكلماته وحنانه ، ألوانا من ال More...

1 comment like (6 people liked it)

Jan 11, 2012

Kim rated it:

I wouldn't recommend this book to just anyone because of it' explicit sexual content. It's about a young women who falls in love and then is heart broken over and over again every time she falls in love. So she decided not to fall in love. She becomes a prostitute and makes good money and never falls in love with any of her clients. She finally meets an artist that is drawn to her, he knows what she does and yet wants her to teach him to find love again. They discover it together. It has a More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 10, 2008

Chadijah rated it:

Some of my friends were raving about Coelho's "The Alchemist"; however, my first encounter with his writing is this book. I'm a little bit disappointed, though, because I expected more.

My friends said that Coelho writes simple topics but with philosophies that could give new meanings on the subject--and some enhancement to the readers. I do agree on the philosophical thingy, but for my point of view, it doesn't quite fit in this book.

Maria, the prostitute who More...

2 comments like (7 people liked it)

Mar 02, 2008

Mita rated it:

Gila sekaliii...!!!

Buku ini WOW & FUIHHHH...

Dalam beberapa hal, Paulo ternyata smacam menyampaikan dengan jelas apa yang aku pikirkan , yakini dan khawatirkan... Padahal aku tidak memiliki koneksi apa2 dengan orang ini (hehehehe yeah of course not,how come idiot?!)

Jelas sekali bagiku pesan mengenai seks dan cinta. Keduanya adalah bentuk kebebasan dan kemerdekaan... Semua sudah begitu banyak yang kehilangan makna hingga harus dimaterikan bahkan ditampikkan deng More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 02, 2008

Michelle rated it:

hasrat jiwa yang sejati dan terdalam adalah keinginan untuk selalu dekat dengan seseorang. bila saat itu tiba, segalanya akan berubah, lelaki dan perempuan akan berinteraksi dan saling memberi, namun hal-hal yang menyebabkannya-pesona dan ketertarikan yang menyatukan mereka- begitu sulit dijelaskan. karena itu tak lain adalah nafsu yang paling murni dan apa adanya.

jika nafsu it masih suci, lelaki dan perempuan akan jatuh cinta pada kehidupan dan menghargai setiap detik yang mereka la More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Jul 29, 2007

Bookshop rated it:

I was burnt by his book titled "Veronica decides to die". When I flipped through his bestseller, "The Alchemist", I was not too impressed either. I thought he was too "Celestine Prophecy". When I asked people what "The Alchemist' was all about, they always said it was about searching for something. But they could never be able to explain what that something was and they quickly moved on to rave about how inspirational the book was. How you can say searching for More...

1 comment like (7 people liked it)

May 23, 2007

Taylor rated it:

Though it takes a somewhat strange act to get her there, this is the story of Maria, who finds herself in Europe, in desperate need of money, so she turns to prostitution.

She ends up having intense relationships with two men: One, a special client of the cafe she works out of, who has an affinity for S&M and teaches her all about it. The other is man who she meets outside of work (I forget how she meets him...) and falls in love with. She doesn't really struggle with choosing betwee More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Mar 16, 2007

Amir rated it:

تعداد صفحات کتاب در حدود ۷۰ صفحه هست و موضوع کتاب به صورت خاص به روسپیگری پرداخته شده...مثل خیلی از کتابهای کوئلیو متن داستان ساده و قابل فهم نوشته شده...همراه با جمله های قشنگ و اتفاقات کوتاه ولی جالب...
هدف نویسنده از نوشتن داستان کاملا مشخص هست و حرفهایی هم که می خواسته بگه فهمشون کاملا ساده هست...
موضوع خودفروشی در نوشته های نویسنده های زیادی وجود داره و هرکدوم با یه زاویه ای به این قضیه نگاه کردن...کتاب ۱۱ دقیقه نمیشه گفت از یه دید خیلی متفاوت ولی دیدی که خیلی قابل درک هست به این More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Oct 25, 2008

Jackie rated it:

Paulo Coelho always writes very readable stories that propel you through them. However, the moral is always spoon fed, the complexity is usually minimal. This does not make his stories not worth reading, it is just something that a potential reader should keep in mind before cracking a book by him. This is not a blow-you-hair-back author, but his stories are always pleasant for me and I enjoy getting to know his characters. This is one of his darker novels, making it a good choice if you hav More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 21, 2011

Arch_angelic rated it:

I haven't read any of his works before, a friend told me that "Eleven Minutes" is very good, a story of finding true love and where sex should play part in the search for it but without a sense of vulgarism in the plot. Other friend told me that it is Paulo Coelho at his best. So I decided to borrow the book from the bookshop where I work and read it all the way till the last page. And I have to say both of my friend is right, this book is so good to read. It talks more than just findi More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 12, 2007

Kates rated it:

After reading the Alchemist this book was a let down! I could not help feeling like Coelho was trying too hard to be deep. I did however find several quotes that I really liked:

When we meet someone and fall in love, we have a sense that the whole universe is on our side.

...dreaming is very pleasant as long as you are not forced to put your dreams into practice.

...no one can know how to humiliate another person if they themselves have not experienced humili More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Nov 10, 2011

أحـمـد rated it:

للكبار فقط > 92 سنة !

قيمة القصة متدنية بسبب المشاهد الإباحية فيها - أو ربما أنا لا تستهويني الكتابات الجنسية - بالإضافة إلى موضوعها الذي يتمركز حول قصة حياة عاهرة. أعتبرها تدني لمستوى الكاتب الذي ألّف الخيميائي. أو ربما أكون متحاملاً على الكتاب لأنه ليس من نوعية كتبي المفضلة.

* النجمة الثانية للأسلوب القصصي الجذاب الذي يتمتع به كويلو في سرد قصصه أيا كان موضوعها و ليس لإعجابي بالرواية. More...

4 comments like (4 people liked it)

Apr 11, 2011

Mohammed added it

قصة فتاة هاجرت من البرازيل إلى أوروبا طمعاً في الشهرة، فإذا بها تقع ضحية للشارع الأوروبي والذي استغلها بالشكل الأمثل لتصبح تبيع الهوى،وبذلك تبدأ قصتها إلى أن تلتقي بذلك الرجل الذي جعل من الإحدى عشرة دقيقة بركانا يقذف الحمم على ربيع عمرهاـ لتكتشف بذلك أن الإحدى عشرة دقيقة هي ما يصبو إليه الجميع ولولا هذه الدقائق ما اجتمع البشر ليبدعوا الموضة والعطور والملبس والمشرب More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 25, 2009

Prasanna rated it:

A Coelho work purportedly based on interviews with a prostitute, this is a very sobering story of a woman´s quest for self discovery, that inadvertently leads to sexual self-discovery.

The ¨Eleven Minutes¨ in the title is a reference to the duration of a sexual encounter - at least as expressed by Maria, the prostitute-named-for-the-virgin who is the novel´s protagonist.

The book gets 3 stars because it never delivers the claim it makes - that of showing the spiritual sid More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Dec 21, 2011

محمود rated it:

احدى عشر دقيقة - باولو كويلو -
--------------
أتوق الى فهم الحب . أدرك شعورى بأننى كنت مفعمة بالحياة حين أحببت , واعرف ان كل ما أملكه الأن , مهما يبد مهما , لا يلهب فى قلبى الحماسة .

لكن الحب الرهيب : رأيت صديقاتى يتعذبن ولا اريد أن يحصل لى ذلك . كن يسخرن منى من قبل ومن براءتى . وها هن الآن يسألننى ماذا أفعل لكى اتمكن من الهيمنة على الرجال بهذا الشكل . أبتسم وأسكت , لاننى اعرف ان الدواء أسوا من الألم نفسه .

الجواب بسيط وهى اننى لا اقع فى الحب . فقد بت أدرك مع مر More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Aug 02, 2011

Scot added it

This was not my favorite Coelho book but it was a bold topic for him to cover and therefore gets bonus points. It delves into sexuality and materialism and the walls we have created between love and sexuality in modern culture. The story is told from the perspective of a 24 year old Brazilian prostitute in Europe which seemed at first like a stretch from a 60-something Brazilian male, but somehow he managed to pull it off in a very real way without getting overly hokey or sentimental. The ero More...

0 comments like

Aug 17, 2010

MisguidedAngel rated it:

I really love Maria, she was actually my first character lover even though that she was having a hard competition against Sabina in Kundera`s novel, no more comments: Boys, Men or Young Men you just have to read it... for the once you love and have to respect think of all of them as Marias. I am really enjoying Coelho`s master pieces and I am expecting it to happen too in Veronika Decides to Die, now that I finally understood through Maria´s eyes the way women want to be seen and treated by us. More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

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