Brida, a young Irish girl, has long been interested in various aspects of magic but is searching for something more. Her search leads her to people...
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Jan 23, 2012
Ebrahim
rated it: 
حكمة الشمس , حكمة القمر , ليل الظلمة , الأسطورة الشخصية .. الكثير من المفردات التي لم تسمع فيها من قبل , ولا أعلم حقيقة وجودها .. لكن بشكل لا يمكن إنكاره ؛ قد تلامس هذه الكلمات حياتك !
تحكي الرواية قصة بريدا الباحثة عن أسرار الكون التي تتعلم من قبل اثنان من معلمي حكمة الشمس و القمر .
بعض المشاهد قد تشعرك بالملل , والبعض الآخر قد يلهمك , والبعض الآخر لا يمكن سوى أن ترفع القبعة تقديراً لخيال باولو ( مشهد لوني و تالبو , مشهد من الصعب نسيانه .. رائع ! )
رغم تشبع الرواية ب More...
تحكي الرواية قصة بريدا الباحثة عن أسرار الكون التي تتعلم من قبل اثنان من معلمي حكمة الشمس و القمر .
بعض المشاهد قد تشعرك بالملل , والبعض الآخر قد يلهمك , والبعض الآخر لا يمكن سوى أن ترفع القبعة تقديراً لخيال باولو ( مشهد لوني و تالبو , مشهد من الصعب نسيانه .. رائع ! )
رغم تشبع الرواية ب More...
May 28, 2008
Dusty
rated it: 
Coelho's Alchemist is one of my favorite books. I've read it twice, and both times its simple story and straightforward Universal Truths have stirred me. Brida tells a similar story about a youth who feels herself tugged onto a unique path toward greatness. But lightning has not struck twice.
This is a book of only 200 pages, yet it took me almost a month to read, and not only because I was grading hundreds of research papers at the same time. It discusses a 21-year-old Irish girl (B More...
This is a book of only 200 pages, yet it took me almost a month to read, and not only because I was grading hundreds of research papers at the same time. It discusses a 21-year-old Irish girl (B More...
2 comments
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(24 people liked it)
Aug 05, 2008
Chelsea
rated it:
Ok, so this book came recommended to me by a freind, so I was pretty excited to read it. Once I got started, however, I was a bit disappointed (soory M.C.)
First off, the main charachter was niave and a bit juvenille. Everything that she thought of and said was almost infintile.
Secondly, She was supposed to be searching for a "Gift" and there was never really a solid confirmation as to what this gift was, even when she found it.
Thirdly, who ever he More...
First off, the main charachter was niave and a bit juvenille. Everything that she thought of and said was almost infintile.
Secondly, She was supposed to be searching for a "Gift" and there was never really a solid confirmation as to what this gift was, even when she found it.
Thirdly, who ever he More...
Jul 28, 2008
Namratha
rated it: 
The only quotes that I liked and made sense in an otherwise rambling narrative:
"Nothing in the world is ever completely wrong. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day"
~ Brida's father (Pg.99)
"What is now proved was once only imagin'd"
~ William Blake (Pg.174)
"I learned that the search for God is a Dark Night, that Faith is a Dark Night. And that's hardly a More...
"Nothing in the world is ever completely wrong. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day"
~ Brida's father (Pg.99)
"What is now proved was once only imagin'd"
~ William Blake (Pg.174)
"I learned that the search for God is a Dark Night, that Faith is a Dark Night. And that's hardly a More...
2 comments
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(21 people liked it)
Jan 24, 2011
Venus
rated it:
معناى حقيقى عشق در گلها نهفته است
كسى كه سعى كند صاحب گلى شود ، پژمردن زيبايى اش را هم می بيند . اما اگر به همين بسنده كند كه گلى را در دشتى بنگرد ، همواره با او مى ماند
كسى كه سعى كند صاحب گلى شود ، پژمردن زيبايى اش را هم می بيند . اما اگر به همين بسنده كند كه گلى را در دشتى بنگرد ، همواره با او مى ماند
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(5 people liked it)
Mar 23, 2009
Karen
rated it:
I liked this little story, but I enjoyed "The Witch of Portobello" (my first Coelho read) more. However, I think people are looking for a bit too much out of this book. It's a good little tale, and I enjoyed a few of the lines from it/quotes. I think Señor Coelho is simply asking us to reflect. Not every book is a wirlwind, instead a book can be a bit like looking out over a still lake with time to think. As a goodreads friend Harley pointed out, in the prologue Señor Coelho gives the
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2 comments
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(10 people liked it)
Jul 14, 2008
Aparna
rated it: 
"How will I know who my Soulmate is?" Indeed, we are all looking for something. Someone to love, someone who loves us, something that adds meaning to our life, our existence. Some sign, to know we are not alone. Some indication to know that our thoughts, feelings, memories, will not die with us when our physical body perishes.
Brida addresses all this and much more. The story is presented as a young woman's quest to find answers - to questions that mean the world to her. Qu More...
Brida addresses all this and much more. The story is presented as a young woman's quest to find answers - to questions that mean the world to her. Qu More...
2 comments
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(15 people liked it)
Jun 07, 2009
Malcolm
rated it: 
This is a sweet little story. In some ways, it reminds me of the kinds of stories one finds in the Bible and the Zohar. Such stories aren't stories in terms of the classic ideas of plots, but serve to illustrate spiritual points. I see Brida in that way. The plot is a very thin scaffold on which to hang a series of philosophical and spiritual ideas. From the point of view of fiction, this is less than satisfactory. From the point of view of philosophy, the style is certainly one that's tried and
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2 comments
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(6 people liked it)
Jun 20, 2008
Jackie
rated it:
I've never read anything by Paulo Coelho before, so I was rather surprised by the pagan spirituality of this little novel. It's the story of Brida, an Irish girl in training to become a witch. It is full of beautifully worded prose--I found myself making little tics and stars beside many paragraphs to go back and examine again (my apologies to those who get the ARC from me, lol). There is some seriously high minded spirituality folded into this simple book about a woman's quest to learn to us
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(3 people liked it)
Oct 15, 2011
Angelica Watson (psst! amrutha)
rated it:
My first Paulo - "The Alchemist" was very inspiring and motivating, but this book is very different.
First off, the story-line is brilliant - searching for a Soul-mate.
But, as the books progresses, it tends to go off track in certain places.
When Brida falls into her first trance, somehow she stops caring about finding her soulmate and for a time, The Magus is forgotten and then again the story goes back to him. It all seems very vaguely connected.
As More...
First off, the story-line is brilliant - searching for a Soul-mate.
But, as the books progresses, it tends to go off track in certain places.
When Brida falls into her first trance, somehow she stops caring about finding her soulmate and for a time, The Magus is forgotten and then again the story goes back to him. It all seems very vaguely connected.
As More...
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(2 people liked it)
Jun 03, 2008
Aart
rated it:
Brida is a tale of love, passion, mystery, and spirituality from a master storyteller. Coelho wrote Brida right after The Alchemist, and it launched his career as an international novelist. It has never been published in English—until now. Brida will be in stores June 24th, but you can read a Sneak Peek excerpt by clicking here now:
http://browseinside.harpercollins.com/in...
http://browseinside.harpercollins.com/in...
Oct 29, 2011
Mira
rated it:
The only expression that could describe my impression after reading this book is “complete disappointment”. From the very first pages, Magic is presented to the reader as the book’s main theme. However, I didn’t feel the least bit of magic in the story. Many issues are dealt with in Brida all at once, that the point was muffled and the novel lost its sparkle. Surprisingly, Coelho here seems confused, struggling to find a particular message to convey. It’s true that I enjoy Coelho’s writings, a
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(1 person liked it)
Dec 13, 2011
Kristin
rated it:
It broke my heart into a jillion pieces. I feel like crying. Love is when you'll be able to understand that at some point, you were never meant to be together. That, sometimes, even if you're just in time, it isn't still sufficient. It isn'r selfish. It allows you to grow and to go in search of your path, in search of your soul. It does not hinder you to become the person you wanted to be. It doesn't require you to give up all the important things you have just because...
Of all the Paulo Coelho More...
Of all the Paulo Coelho More...
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(2 people liked it)
Feb 06, 2011
Joyzi
rated it:
My friends love Brida and obviously they are Coelho fans so when I've heard that Brida was so good I was really excited to read it. My friend really like it because of the witchcraft and my friends who've read it they talked about the soulmates and how would you find your soulmate and if they believe in the "light in the shoulder sign" or the "love at first sight" and actually two of them were saying that Paulo Coelho was right in that matter because they actually seen it in
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Sep 15, 2009
Will
rated it:
My first exposure to Coelho was many years ago. I read The Alchemist at a time in my life when I was experiencing some major changes and I found very real comfort and guidance there. I enjoyed several more of his novels but after a time there seemed to be a repetitiveness to them that left me unsatisfied.
Brida is yet another enlightenment quest story from Coelho. I enjoyed it for a while, but well before reaching the end, I found that I was getting bored. It seemed like I was readin More...
Brida is yet another enlightenment quest story from Coelho. I enjoyed it for a while, but well before reaching the end, I found that I was getting bored. It seemed like I was readin More...
3 comments
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(3 people liked it)
Aug 26, 2008
Jamie
rated it:
Apparently there are lots of other covers for this book, all of them more fun than the hard cover I purchased. This, despite being in another language, is the cover I have. I like the other two English versions I see better. Oh well.
I love how simplistic and concise Coehlo's books are. The word choice is always even, and, though they are "spiritual" and therefore, it suprises me that I allow myself to not only LOVE them, but really...use them out of context, in life and More...
I love how simplistic and concise Coehlo's books are. The word choice is always even, and, though they are "spiritual" and therefore, it suprises me that I allow myself to not only LOVE them, but really...use them out of context, in life and More...
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(2 people liked it)
Sep 10, 2008
Chanelle
rated it:
Can somebody please tell me what this book was about?! I consider myself a pretty savvy reader, but I didn't get this at all. I loved the Alchemist and this has much of the same philosophical insights and phrases you want to savor . . . ("Nothing is wrong all the time, even a stopped clock is right twice a day"). But I couldn't tell you what the meaning of this book was. Girl is on spiritual path to find her Gift. Meets the Magus in the forest who is her soul mate but they don't e
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7 comments
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(8 people liked it)
Apr 20, 2011
Rob Jeremiah
rated it:
Brida is a rambling narrative with a few rhetorical and sensible dialogues - a genuine trademark of Paulo Coelho's books. It is rather lengthy and boring, especially in the initial pages. Any undetermined reader is likely to close the book for good on the grounds that the general ennui caused by this material is enough to put their time into oblivion. Needless to say, it is a bad book for first-time readers. However, hardcore philosophers (or even the pseudo-ones) may have the "resources"
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12 comments
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(1 person liked it)
Oct 20, 2008
Yaya
rated it:
You just know that you've found your soulmate when you look into their eyes..you just know.
Brida actually is a typical girl who wanted to find her true love..
Brida is just like the rest of us who thought that the person claims to love us isn't the one meant for us...
Brida is maybe acted out of love when she found her soulmate but chose not to be with him..
Who wouldn't go that far to search for the one they love? That far..as in plunging herself int More...
Brida actually is a typical girl who wanted to find her true love..
Brida is just like the rest of us who thought that the person claims to love us isn't the one meant for us...
Brida is maybe acted out of love when she found her soulmate but chose not to be with him..
Who wouldn't go that far to search for the one they love? That far..as in plunging herself int More...
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(3 people liked it)
Apr 03, 2009
Cait
rated it:
Paulo Coelho came highly recommended, so I'm going to give him another chance, but this book really didn't live up to my expectations. It's supposed to be spiritually enlightening, but I just found it annoying. For starters, the main character is too much of a Mary-Sue. She's beautiful, we're she's presented as critical (though we don't notice much of this), she has a gift, everyone thinks she's oh-so special. Although this book often states that a spiritual search is for everyone, at the same t
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Nov 17, 2008
Monica
rated it:
Kok aku susah banget ya bikin review untuk buku ini?
Mungkin karena temanya tentang soulmate.
Aku masih kurang sreg & paham tentang soulmate ini.
Menurutku, soulmate ga bisa ditemukan dalam pandangan pertama.
Menurutku itu adalah first love.
Soulmate itu bisa kita katakan kalau sudah teruji oleh waktu-senang-sedih.
Tapi karena itulah tokohnya adalah seorang witch, jadi wajar aja buatnya kalau bisa menemukan soulmate pada pandangan pertama.
Tumben ni More...
Mungkin karena temanya tentang soulmate.
Aku masih kurang sreg & paham tentang soulmate ini.
Menurutku, soulmate ga bisa ditemukan dalam pandangan pertama.
Menurutku itu adalah first love.
Soulmate itu bisa kita katakan kalau sudah teruji oleh waktu-senang-sedih.
Tapi karena itulah tokohnya adalah seorang witch, jadi wajar aja buatnya kalau bisa menemukan soulmate pada pandangan pertama.
Tumben ni More...
17 comments
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(1 person liked it)
Jan 29, 2012
Moudi
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Nov 11, 2011
hanan al-herbish
rated it:
جمالية الرواية تكمن في الافكار الفريدة ... فالكاتب العبقري باولو يمزج الاحداث بوقائع تاريخية مهمة
خصوصاً
تحدث عن احد الطوائف المسيحية " الكاثارية " والمعتقدات الدينية التي يؤمن بها أفراد هذه الجماعة
وكما جرت عليه العادة...قدم الكثير من الأفكار والمعاني الفلسفية الرائقة
لأهم ماقد يواجهه الانسان في حياته من مشكلات ...
لعل ابرز مالفت انتباهي من هذه الأفكار هو مسألة " الاختيار " واليقين المطلق ,
المتمثل في " More...
خصوصاً
تحدث عن احد الطوائف المسيحية " الكاثارية " والمعتقدات الدينية التي يؤمن بها أفراد هذه الجماعة
وكما جرت عليه العادة...قدم الكثير من الأفكار والمعاني الفلسفية الرائقة
لأهم ماقد يواجهه الانسان في حياته من مشكلات ...
لعل ابرز مالفت انتباهي من هذه الأفكار هو مسألة " الاختيار " واليقين المطلق ,
المتمثل في " More...
Nov 04, 2011
Ladygorekitten
rated it:
Büyü ve enerji mevzusu ne zaman bu kadar ayaklara düştü?
Coelho, gençlikte sevilen yazardır ve maalesef gençlikte kalmaya mahkumdur. İnsan okumaya başladığında bir heves, bir güç, bir sebepsiz özgüven hisseder ki zaten buna ergenlik diyoruz. Coelho'nun insana aşıladığı ve maksimum aşılayabileceği şey de ergenliktir. Üzgünüm.
Brida'yla bu ergenlik ve popülerlikten pay alma mottosunun zirvesine oynamış. Büyüler, karanlık güçler denemiş ama etkileyici bile olamamış. Etkileyic More...
Coelho, gençlikte sevilen yazardır ve maalesef gençlikte kalmaya mahkumdur. İnsan okumaya başladığında bir heves, bir güç, bir sebepsiz özgüven hisseder ki zaten buna ergenlik diyoruz. Coelho'nun insana aşıladığı ve maksimum aşılayabileceği şey de ergenliktir. Üzgünüm.
Brida'yla bu ergenlik ve popülerlikten pay alma mottosunun zirvesine oynamış. Büyüler, karanlık güçler denemiş ama etkileyici bile olamamış. Etkileyic More...
Jun 08, 2011
Abdurrahman
rated it:
تتحدث الرواية عن فتاة آيرلندية ..تحلم بتعلم السحر
فتذهب إلى رجل يعيش فالغابة -يسمى المجوسي- ومن أول لقاء له بها
يعرف أنها "توأم روحه" نظرا لمعرفته بــ"حكمة الشمس" والتي تجعله يرى بريقا
خاصا يشع من عيني "توأم روحه" إذا ما التقى به
تلتقي بــ"ويكا" -والتي ستصبح معلمتها- معلمة "حكمة القمر" والتي كانت تربطها بالمجوسي علاقة غريبة حيث أنهما وقعا في الحب رغم معرفتهما بأنهما لم يُخلقا لبعض أي ليسوا "توائم"
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فتذهب إلى رجل يعيش فالغابة -يسمى المجوسي- ومن أول لقاء له بها
يعرف أنها "توأم روحه" نظرا لمعرفته بــ"حكمة الشمس" والتي تجعله يرى بريقا
خاصا يشع من عيني "توأم روحه" إذا ما التقى به
تلتقي بــ"ويكا" -والتي ستصبح معلمتها- معلمة "حكمة القمر" والتي كانت تربطها بالمجوسي علاقة غريبة حيث أنهما وقعا في الحب رغم معرفتهما بأنهما لم يُخلقا لبعض أي ليسوا "توائم"
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(3 people liked it)
Jun 07, 2011
Stephanie
rated it:
I love Paulo Coelho, I really do...but this, I wanted to throw against the wall. Not necessarily because it was a bad story, but because it - ugh, let me start over with this. There is a disclaimer in this edition that states something to the effect of "do not try this at home." While I appreciate the concern, it gives me some doubts as to how fictional he THINKS it is. Let me tell you that there is ZERO evidence of any kind of Goddess cult surviving for centuries blah blah. It's balon
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(1 person liked it)
Apr 19, 2010
Sabrina
rated it:
So I have just finished reading my first novel by Paulo Coelho. I guess for an avid reader I should probably have read Coelho before and am unsure why I have never been attracted to his books. I guess one of the best things of being part of a local library is introducing yourself to books of 'old' i.e not the recent international best sellers put on show in your average bookshop. Yes these are available in your local library by the way but there is usually a long line of people that you have to
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Dec 28, 2009
Deepak
rated it:
A beautiful young woman looking for her soulmate - that's what Paulo Coelho's 'Brida' talks about. The former looking to discover herself through two different traditions - the Tradition of the Sun and the Tradition of the Moon.
As expected, Coelho presents his readers with his extraordinary manner of giving form to ideas. He manages to include names from the world we know, for instance, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and several poets as well. The book is divided roughly into two pa More...
As expected, Coelho presents his readers with his extraordinary manner of giving form to ideas. He manages to include names from the world we know, for instance, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and several poets as well. The book is divided roughly into two pa More...
Jan 19, 2011
Angee
rated it:
Paulo Coelho never ceases to put down on paper every little thing I've ever needed to read about life. Every time I read his writing, I always take a sense of peace and better understanding with me.
I was given Brida this Christmas by my best friend, the person over whose shoulder I never fail to see a light, and needless to say, I was thrilled to find a Coelho book that I had not read. I rushed home the next day, picked a quiet corner of the house, and prepared myself to devour the More...
I was given Brida this Christmas by my best friend, the person over whose shoulder I never fail to see a light, and needless to say, I was thrilled to find a Coelho book that I had not read. I rushed home the next day, picked a quiet corner of the house, and prepared myself to devour the More...
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(2 people liked it)
Dec 21, 2010
Aleksandra
rated it:
I find the book interesting and inspiring in so many ways. The topic was unknown to me and I love it how Coelho puts history in almost all of his work. Here you can also see flashbacks of history, Bible quotations and much more. It's a spiritualistic and a romance book at the same time. And it doesn't have a definite end, you can still wonder what will happen to Brida and what will happen to the Wizard (i'm not sure though if that's how they named it in English translations). I was reading the t
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