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The Witch Of Portobello

by Paulo Coelho (Goodreads Author)

3.48 of 5 stars 3.48 · rating details · 30,056 ratings · 2,114 reviews

How do we find the courage to always be true to ourselves—even if we are unsure of whom we are?

That is the central question of international bestselling author Paulo Coelho's profound new work, The Witch of Portobello. It is the story of a mysterious woman named Athena, told by the many who knew her well—or hardly at all.

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published 2007 (first published 2002)

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Mar 10, 2008 Raych rated it 2 of 5 stars

I always wished that Paulo Coehlo was my uncle so that I could call him ‘Papa Coelho’ and sit at his knee while he smoked his pipe. I think that he would be delightfully eccentric, and given to saying things like ‘Suffering, if confronted without fear, is the great passport to freedom.’ So, true, Papa Coelho. So true.
If he was my uncle, though, I might not tell him that I thought The Alchemist was tripe, and that most of his books carry too much philosophizing and not enough narrative. But in...more I always wished that Paulo Coehlo was my uncle so that I could call him ‘Papa Coelho’ and sit at his knee while he smoked his pipe. I think that he would be delightfully eccentric, and given to saying things like ‘Suffering, if confronted without fear, is the great passport to freedom.’ So, true, Papa Coelho. So true.
If he was my uncle, though, I might not tell him that I thought The Alchemist was tripe, and that most of his books carry too much philosophizing and not enough narrative. But in The Witch of Portobello, he achieves what others have tried so hard to do and failed so miserably at (I’m looking at you, Marilynne Robinson). There was such a fine balance between story and lesson that I was never bored by the one nor overwhelmed by the other.
The narrator of the story tells us right off that he’s not going to try to write a straight-up biography, but that in the interests of objectivity (of a sort), he’s just going to put down verbatim the interviews he conducted on the subject of the alleged ‘witch.’ From the journalist who fell in love with her to the woman who felt betrayed by her, from birth mother to adoptive mother, from teacher to student, are all given a chance to tell how Athena, born Sherine and sometimes called Hagia Sofia, messed them over. Each one recounts how she waltzed into their lives with that restless spirit and those grey eyes, and began throwing around the carefully-arranged furniture (metaphorically speaking). And then she died.
Even though I kind of rolled my eyes for the first few pages and though, ‘Damn, another one of these,’ and even though nothing really happened in the way of a plot (Athena travelled here, learned this lesson in this way, travelled there, learned that lesson), I found myself sucked in. I would be on the Stairmaster, book in hand, and look down to realize that I’d climbed twenty floors without noticing. There was something strangely compelling about Athena, and being told her story from everyone’s perspective but hers made her into this mysterious goddess figure, a myth that she simultaneously upheld and debunked at every turn.
I’m usually very much not in to books that try to refine my soul (it has been suggested that this is because I lack said soul), particularly because the message usually gets in the way of the medium. But somehow with this book I found myself yelling, ‘Yes! Yes! I will dance against the rhythm, dammit!’ and casting off the shackles of this dark world (ok, really I just tapped my finger against my lip, murmured, ‘Interesting,’ and promised myself I’d think more deeply about it later, but you get the gist).
In short, though the dialogue stumbled at times and each of the narrators spoke with pretty much the same voice, this book was a pleasure to read…which means I didn’t suffer…which means I don’t have my passport to freedom! Oh, Papa Coelho, if only you were here now. I’m so confused.
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Aug 09, 2012 Mykle rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Mega-church enthusiasts.

Recommended to Mykle by: Portland International Airport

Shelves: feeding-to-a-giant-squid

Trapped for hours in an airport with nothing to read, my wife was further victimized by this remarkably bad book, one of five books available for sale in Portland International Airport at 2am.

You can turn to any page and find a really hackneyed phrase. Kahil Gibrain's psuedo-religious drivel was at least poetic and brief by comparison. The story is supposed to be the voices of different people, but the Catholic priest, the Lebanese mother, the 65-year old restaurant owner, are all utterly indis...more

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Jan 04, 2008 Julia rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book *really* made me think about who I am and where I am going, and who I want to be as a woman, a wife, a soon-to-be-mother, a daughter, and a human.

I didn't always like Paulo Coehlo's work. I tried to read The Alchemist in college and the novel just didn't do it for me. But a friend recommended Veronika Decides to Die to me while a loved one was in the hospital for depression and I was struggling to understand what might be happening in there, and ever since, Coehlo has been one of my ob...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Abby rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really, really wanted to like this book. I've heard wonderful things about Coelho and was excited to try him out, I love topics that deal with witchcraft and things fantastical, and I'm a sucker for redheaded heroines.

But ...

I found this novel and its ideas on the nature of spirituality really preachy, pedantic and overblown. I was so annoyed by the middle of the book that I nearly put it down, but the cover art convinced me to keep trying. Surely the artist must have been inspired to create...more

9 likes · like · see review

May 04, 2011 indri rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sastra-dunia

#2011-13#

Perempuan mandiri dan anak lelaki, apa yang di pikiranmu? Seorang perempuan yang mudah ditaklukan? Bukan. Ia lebih tegar, lebih berani untuk menantang kehidupan. Dan ia berkata, ini bukan untuk dirinya, ini untuk anakku.

Perempuan yang menari untuk memberikan jiwa pada kehidupan yang kosong. Karena di dalam dirinya sendiri ada yang hilang, dan ia butuh pengisi di dalamnya. Maka ia berkelana, mengeluarkan energinya, berbagi pada yang lain, memberikan kebahagiaan yang ia juga tak punya. K...more

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Jan 03, 2009 jill rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: found-on-a-plane

Preachy new age-y bullshit, with a distinct undertone of "I'm idealizing feminine qualities, so I can't possibly be sexist" sexism. Seriously, one of his characters lists four female archetypes that women supposedly follow, and although he calls them the witch, the virgin, the martyr and the saint, it's just that quote about how all roles for actresses are hookers, victims or doormats, with "bitch" thrown in for variety. The use of various narrators is one of my favorite narrative devices, but i...more

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Dec 15, 2008 Brandon rated it 2 of 5 stars

I bought this book in Cabo for a few pesos and later found it was being given away FREE, so my expectations were somewhat tempered and let me just say Coelho does not disappoint. Ahem.

On a positive note, Paulo Coelho has one of the great names in contemporary fiction, one that exudes a sort of exotic erudition, so one might say that only an author as magnificent as Coelho can draw the reader in and convince that reader he is purposefully fooling the reader into believing that this book was writt...more

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Aug 26, 2008 Lamski Kikita rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people willing to be spiritually penetrated

spiritual, mystical, and will absolutely take over your soul!
while reading this book, i felt inhibited by every feeling and gesture, and was possessed by Athena, the woman who is everything each and everyone of us want to be, but is afraid of becoming. The book certainly questions organized religions and brings back the idea of mother earth as the ultimate goddess. I have to, no, i MUST, type up this quote:

" We women, when we are searching for a meaning to our lives or for the path of knowledge,...more

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Mar 30, 2008 Matt rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: no one.

This is not a novel -- it's a treatise. There is a character, Athena, that I never come to care about, and there is no plot. What IS there, you ask? Well, there's an explication of a belief system. That's it. That's what this is.

Most of the book is taken up in various people talking to each other in the kind of philosophical conversations that normal people almost never have. Whenever you see a chat starting, buckle up.

I couldn't have been more disappointed, as I like Coelho most of the time. I...more

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Mar 29, 2008 Stephanie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Not what I thought it was going to be at all. To be honest, I thought the book was borderline creepy. Just that so many people could pledge themselves to a charismatic stranger, I find unnerving. I guess this work just addresses the quest that every human being makes during his or her lifetime to come in contact with spirituality; just in a weird, non-relatable way for me. All the characters just seemed so gullible. It's as though they were just all so spiritually lost, that they were grasping f...more

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May 20, 2013 miaaa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to miaaa by: Spamiola

Shelves: ophelia-s-library, fictions-others

This review is republished in my personal blog here: http://opheliamorada.tumblr.com/post/...

thanks

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Jan 16, 2009 Lynn Wilson rated it 5 of 5 stars

I literally could not put this book down. While I'm a book lover and devour many books, I consider this one to be a very special treat.

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Jun 15, 2009 Harun Harahap rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pinjem, fiksi, terjemahan

ni bukunya Paulo Coelho yang kedua yang gw baca..setelah The Alchemist..n menurut gw sih..gw lebih suka buku yang ini..lebih gampang dicerna n pada dasarnya menurut gw ceritanya juga lebih bagus..

bukunya bercerita tentang Sherine Khalil..atau dikenal dengan nama Athena..anak yang diadopsi orang tuanya dari Rumania ni mengalami kehidupan masa kecilnya di Lebanon..namun, karena terjadi perang, mereka sekeluarga pindah ke London..

Athena menikah muda pada usia 19 tahun dan memiliki anak bernama Vior...more

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May 25, 2009 Izlinda rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-fiction-literature, religion-spirituality-paganism-astr, unfinished

I didn't finish this book... I feel kind of bad about that, especially as this was a gift, but the writing style and topic got on my nerves. It's about Athena and...well, it goes through people's interviews/written memoirs about her after her death. So we never know anything from the "primary source," if you will. The "voices" of a variety of characters sound all the same - a father, her ex-husband, her teacher, a journalist, her student, a man who taught her calligraphy, her mother, her biologi...more

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Oct 13, 2008 Andrea rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Those who are looking for the inner flower

Recommended to Andrea by: No one

This book was a little "much." I was first introduced to Paulo Coelho with his acclaimed novel The Alchemist. I loved The Alchemist. It's clear the author is a "spiritualist" and takes pleasure in teaching lessons through simplicity and beauty. I found the Alchemist inspiring and well-written. The Witch of Portobello I found cultish and flowery. There was nothing natural about it - rather - almost something "forced" in trying to convey the story of a young woman finding her "center" through "the...more

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May 17, 2009 ratna rated it 3 of 5 stars

--update after finish--
My problem when reading Coelho's is, except for The Pilgrimage (the first Coelho's I read) and The Alchemist, I always got a strong impression that the author was trying hard to convey some wisdom. As if the author knew - too much - that the readers had expected to learn something from his books, and that he tried to fulfill this expectation.
Even in this book, although I like very much the way different people told their perspectives about Athena. But how come that in the...more

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Oct 09, 2009 Abdyka Wirmon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: someone-and-somewhere, sophie’s-world, shocking, fiction

pada awalnya aku pikir ini buku tentang penyihir sebagaimana judul buku ini sendiri "Sang Penyihir dari Portobello" namun aku salah.

pada bab-bab awal aku pikir ini buku tentang perjalanan Athena mencari kebenaran dengan jalan yang tidak biasa dan sulit, namun aku salah.

pada pertengahan cerita aku pikir ini buku tentang perjuangan akan kehausan manusia mencari jati dirinya, namun aku salah.

pada ujung kisah aku pikir ini buku tentang Sang Ibu yang tengah menjalankan misinya dan memandang dunia de...more

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Mar 22, 2008 Caroline rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: few

Major disappointment. I've enjoyed Paulo Coelho's work before, but this is a very weak novel. I admit that I am easily creeped out by the kind of leaky spirituality that this book revolves around, but beyond that, the writing for female characters is god-awful and the mystic quest that the protagonist is on is laughable. The mystery of the compiler of all the separate accounts, once revealed, escaped being predictable by being stupid. A phoned-in, whimper of a book.

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Apr 22, 2013 Theresa Flores rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, with-review

The Witch of Portobello is about a woman named Athena and how her life was changed by the knowledge that she sought, and how she changed the lives of others, who sought the knowledge that was within her, as well. Athena was a student, and also, a teacher. Athena fulfilled and changed lives through dance, hers included. She also filled the spaces in her life through calligraphy, among other things. She proclaimed and professed her belief to other people, eventually leading to the battle she face...more The Witch of Portobello is about a woman named Athena and how her life was changed by the knowledge that she sought, and how she changed the lives of others, who sought the knowledge that was within her, as well. Athena was a student, and also, a teacher. Athena fulfilled and changed lives through dance, hers included. She also filled the spaces in her life through calligraphy, among other things. She proclaimed and professed her belief to other people, eventually leading to the battle she faced before her supposed death. The Witch of Portobello is a great book that ventures on feminism, religion, self-exploration, and a lot more.

What I loved was how the novel contained knowledge in its pages that are not easily understood or are not already known to readers. The novel requires readers to reflect on what is being said in every dialogue, just like what most Coelho novels typically do. I enjoyed how the novel used 'dance' as an instrument for Athena's character. I also enjoyed the latter parts in the novel dealing with Athena's unusual premonition-like intuitions, since it was bizarre and quite peculiar.

What I didn't love about the novel was how sometimes it got too vague. The plot of the novel was also not solid enough, for me--but at the same time, I liked how it went in different directions. I'm also not always particularly fond of epistolary and epistolary-like novels. Although it's quite refreshing every once in a while to read a novel that doesn't do a direct narration of the story since it allows readers to hear different voices. The Witch of Portobello definitely had its share of boring parts for me, although it's definitely a worthwhile read.

A great read!

"The day is made up of 24 hours and an infinite number of moments. We need to be aware of those moments and make the most of them regardless of whether we're busy doing something or contemplating life."

"What do you want? You can't want to be happy, because that's too easy and too boring. You can't want only to love, because that's impossible. What do you want? You want to justify your life, to live it as intensely as possible. That is at once a trap and a source of ecstasy. Try to be alert to that danger and experience the joy and the adventure of being that woman who is beyond the image reflected in the mirror."

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Aug 19, 2012 Carlos Emmanuel Quiapo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned

He did it again. Another amazing story has been introduced to me by Paulo Coelho. Like his other novels, The Witch of Portobello has been successful in sending a striking message to the readers and not only a bunch-ful of wonderful stories.

The Witch of Portobello centers on Feminism and Religion altogether. There are some aspects of courage and love and you’ll find it strong and striking how he wrote the whole novel.

It focuses on this girl named Athena. At an early age, she changed her name to A...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Dina Nabil rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pdf

تقدر تقول كده ان روايه "ساحره بورتوبللو" من الروايات الخطر تحس انها محشيه مفرقعات ممكن تنفجر فيك فى اى لحظه لما تجى تتكلم عليها مع حد لعده اسباب اولهم خطوره موضوعها و حساسيته لينا كمسلمين عموما

و تانى سبب انك مهما كنت بتحب باولو كويليو و متابعه لكن غالبا مش هتقتنع بمحتوى و مغزى الروايه و بالتالى مش هتعرف تناقش وتدافع عن مؤلفك المفضل

عارفين بتفكرنى بايه عرفين كتاب يوسف زيدان "ظل الافعى" هو زيه كده تقريبا فى نفس الاتجاه

لكن بغض النظر عن ايحاءات النص لكن البناء الدرامى للروايه محبوك بقوه فهو بيحكى ا...more

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May 13, 2010 Reemawi rated it 1 of 5 stars

I decided to read this as part of a string of Paolo Coelho novels in a sort of marathon. This is the fourth in a row, and I must say the worst, by far.

Not only is it absolutely pointless and riddled with repeated themes and preachy tones, but it is also extremely boring. I'm amazed that I made it to page 192 before I decided to just skip pages to get to a more tangible part of what resembles a plot, which this book lacks in the worst possible way.

Never once did I sympathize or care what happen...more

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Nov 21, 2009 Melancholythron rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Segala sesuatu bergerak dan semuanya bergerak mengikuti sebuah irama. Setiap orang mempunyai kebiasaan atau kecenderungan dalam melakukan sesuatu, dan ketika satu saat tubuh kita dipaksa untuk melawan kebiasaan dan kecenderungan tersebut, maka tubuh akan bergerak melawannya sementara jiwa kita tetap melaksanakan kebiasaan itu, dan yang terjadi kemudian adalah pemisahan antara jiwa dan tubuh atau "ekstasi" atau "berdiri di luar tubuh". Pada saat itu kita kehilangan identitas dan pertalian dengan...more

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Jan 10, 2010 Diah Ayu rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, foreign, terjemahan, life-lesson

sorry to say, tp Paulo Coelho bagiku tidak terlalu berkesan.

beberapa bagian dari buku ini aku cukup paham dan sepakat, beberapa bagian yg lain terlalu rumit untuk otak sederhanaku, dan beberapa bagian sisanya i totally disagree. pada intinya buku ini bercerita tentang seorang perempuan bernama Athena dan segala kegelisahannya dalam proses pencarian makna hidup. awalnya pemikiran itu cukup bisa dipahami, pertanyaan2 filosofis mendasar yg mungkin juga dialami oleh setiap manusia meskipun tidak sem...more

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Feb 25, 2009 Joje rated it 3 of 5 stars

I will put this into a category of fictionalized essay, if asked, where things are demonstrated through characters. The characters are all right, because deepened by the narrative method. If it had only been the journalist or Athena then I'd agree with those who place it in the preaching or treatise zone. I think I will again agree with the average of all the comments I skimmed on Goodreads. That it had me thinking about several things I had touched on in my thinking and considering them in new...more

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Jul 17, 2008 Jamie rated it 5 of 5 stars

So different, and yet the same: this book appealed to me in the way of The Secret History, A Shadow of the Wind and a handful of others. Which is to say, I stayed up late reading it, I woke up early. I took actual lunch breaks and ate while reading while scribbling in my book, dog-earing pages and thinking of all the people I needed to give my copy to once I finished. Of course, I can't--it might make me blush for anyone to see the underlined passages in a fiction book, even if it is touching on...more So different, and yet the same: this book appealed to me in the way of The Secret History, A Shadow of the Wind and a handful of others. Which is to say, I stayed up late reading it, I woke up early. I took actual lunch breaks and ate while reading while scribbling in my book, dog-earing pages and thinking of all the people I needed to give my copy to once I finished. Of course, I can't--it might make me blush for anyone to see the underlined passages in a fiction book, even if it is touching on religion, spirituality and self-awareness...
I read The Alchemist a few years ago, right before a move. Encouraging and well-timed, I remember walking about on a parking garage roof in the Soma talking to my Dad on the telephone, rehashing the plots and spoils of this novel. I loved it, the simplicity, the way it read with the disciplined, carefully spaced austerity of the Bible—it was a very satisfying, uplifting read. And, because it was a work of fiction, I could take it seriously. It provided, like a really complex wine or something akin, time to simply THINK it over.
Here was a book of fiction, yet with profound thoughts and complicated ideas BROCHING spirituality, a topic I certainly dwell on consistently, yet, despite my ability to talk rather incessantly, is rarely an issue I bring to the fore ground of any conversations. It’s too important and differently interpreted by too many people. And, it’s nice to know that even I can be discreet about something…
However, while the Alchemist was as uplifting and an ultimately helpful tool for me, giving strength and courage to be optimistic, personally spiritualized, etc.: it was, always, a book I liked and little more. I remembered it in a few job interviews, or when moving became particularly stressful, underlined a handful of passages for my boyfriend and suggested he read it (he didn’t). The way to succeed personally is to keep getting up. Good advice.
But The Witch of Portobello…was something different. Not since Wally Lamb’s She’s Come Undone, for one, have I been so impressed with a male ablity to write for the female brain. Paulo Coelho is fifty-nine years old, but I have to say, I have a bit of a crush. He marvels at women, their built-in-intuition and self-awareness. In fact, his adoration and respect for women, completely evident throughout this novel, truly made me proud to be one. I can’t remember ever feeling that way before—proud due to the interpretations of man. All to frequently it’s questions like, “are you on your period?” that nearly drive me to commit mass murder—the simple implication that my opinions are null and void to a serge in hormones? On the contarary, Coelho suggests what I’ve often thought: it’s precisely those differences that make women important, “witch-like” (used in the positive sense), intuitive, thoughtful. Coelho suggests this is the gift of The Mother, whatever God there is, etc.
Fiction or not, in a world bombarded with body image, terrible role models (for the love of god, is it THAT strange Angelina has so many kids? Didn’t Mia Farrow do it twenty years ago? How quickly we forget)—and, in lieu of this novel, I began to think, because it was implied—in a world full of so many distractions, perhaps this is directly accountable as a reason for our (women’s) confusion and lack of self-awareness?
This novel also plays mightily on the relationships of women (and women and men, women and mothers, women and children…etc.). One mentor relationship spawns between two women who “love one another” but do not like each other personally. The idea is incredible to me, one, because to admit I do not value someone is particularly difficult for me personally, and two, because it is so very “final.”
These testaments to not “liking” each other come from two very enlightened women—both are in a place to respect their opinions, rather than drag them around to the point of rot. They’ve already taken the time to contemplate everything about themselves; therefore, they can make personal choices much more quickly than the average.
And, through it all, Coelho manages to thread the historical sinews that keep me coming back for more, much like The Secret History. Athena, Gaia, Dionysus, ritual, dance, Saint Sarah de Kahli, Gypsies and Transylvania. He even manages to squeeze the Ukraine and radiation. Honestly, I can only speak from my personal interests, but I’m a huge sucker for historical accounts of…not even powerful women, but really admirable women. This novel really provided an alternative reality, because, I find that if you’re not overtly religious, we fall back on religions “fanaticism.” Joan of Arc can’t be blessed by God if I’m not totally sure there is a god, so she must just be nuts, Sylvia Plath’s life and work are over-shadowed by her death and the love “triangle” surrounding it…and so on and so forth. I didn’t really like the character of Athena that much—truth be told. Unable to completely remove me from me, I knew that she would grate on me, that if I knew her personally I would try to out speak her, shine her, charisma her—but God, wasn’t it nice to just, sit back and read about the hardships of someone else’s path to personal discover? Even if it is some one so…intense I might not want to pal around with them, but can just…use their example, even if fictional, as an opportunity to trust my instincts?
In short, this book was more than a book for me, even though I know that’s all it was—a work of fiction. But, for me, it meant something and provided example and structure, sort of a bit of a “teacher” and “protector” in the pages of a book.
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Jun 27, 2008 Amy McHugh rated it 5 of 5 stars

Picked up this book at SFO before boarding my plane to Hawaii. Seemed like a total accident, given I had never heard of it and wasn't planning to buy it. But having read it, I acknowledge this as an example of the belief "there are no accidents."

From early childhood, I have been keenly aware of an accessible spiritual world, but lacked the encourgement or guidance to foster my ability to contact that world.

While the underlying message of this book is exploring the answer to the question "What is...more Picked up this book at SFO before boarding my plane to Hawaii. Seemed like a total accident, given I had never heard of it and wasn't planning to buy it. But having read it, I acknowledge this as an example of the belief "there are no accidents."

From early childhood, I have been keenly aware of an accessible spiritual world, but lacked the encourgement or guidance to foster my ability to contact that world.

While the underlying message of this book is exploring the answer to the question "What is Love?" (answer: Love IS.), I found the exploration of the feminine side of divinity, of God to be refreshing and timely in my own life. We have all heard stories of women in particular who possess "abilities." I call it intuition. But why can't we accept these things as natural and beautiful? And why can't we encourage girls and women to strenghten their abilities to serve mankind? And why does dogma seek to destroy the credibility of these gifts?

I have always had a very strong spiritual sense, rooted in the Catholic teachings, as this is how I was raised. I genuinely find comfort in the rituals of the religion, but find myself very at odds with the "Church" and it's doctrine as defined by mortal men over the centuries.

These rigid and exclusionary "rules" were written by men, many of whom were imperfect, fearful, vengeful, ruthless, dishonest, power-hungry, etc. I find so many of the "rules" to be in direct conflict with Jesus' teachings, with passages from the Bible (which we also must remember was a) written by mortal men to the best of their recollection and b) was assembled by a group of men later on who cherry-picked gospels to support the doctrine they personally crafted.)

But in general, we know Jesus was an amazing man who lived his life to include all people, not to exclude them. He generally traveled in the lowest of circles, reaching out to the poorest, sickest, most deranged souls in need of a lift up. Most of all, he never judged others. And I have found the Catholic Church and it's devoted followers to be some of the most judgemental people. Sad.

The Catholic Church has let me down, really let me down on several important ocassions. The last straw being when several Catholic churches/priests refused to marry me and my fiancee at my Mother's (devoted Catholic) bedside a few days before she passed away, their reason being that we had not completed the six-month marriage instruction (which by the way, was something constructed by the local arch diocese recently and is not something that was dictated by God)--the priests admitted a fear of backlash within their own hierarchy should our marriage ever be dissolved. Basically, they were afraid for their own personal position within the Church.

Here was a chance for the Church to do something really beautiful for my whole family, most especially my Mother, and they shut us out. Just like the people at the Inn who shut the door on Mary & Joseph when they needed a place to stay for Christ's birth. This is not a Church of love or compassion. It is a Church of fear, judgement, and exclusion.

We chose to marry in a Unitarian Church, one with a strong Gay following. Our priest was a memeber of the White Robed Monks of St. Benedict, a wonderful group of priests, many former Roman Catholic priests, who have decided to continue their ministry of the Old Dutch Cathlolic practices, while being able to marry and have families. Theirs is a ministry of inclusion. They do not discrimiate against anyone. They include everyone, as Jesus would. They offer Communion to all people, regardless of religion or status (e.g. have you had confession this week?). Our wedding could not have been truer to who we are. We crafted a ceremony with traditional Cathlolic rituals and prayers, but were also sure to include all of our friends of varying religions, backgrounds, and lifestyles. And I was thankful we didn't go down the typical path of lying about who we are(e.g. pre-marital sex, living with my fiancee, etc) to get married in a Church that believes these things to be sinful and unacceptable. Why would I want to be part of a Church who would judge me like that? Seems pretty hypocrtical to me. And while I am the first to admit I am a flawed and imperfect person, I have always been honest. About everything, and perhaps to a fault. But I don't lie. Ever.

I struggle with the disappointment and hurt I have felt at the hands of the Church. I don't know if I will ever be able to understand it and fully embrace the Church again. Yet I want my children baptized Catholic. I suppose I feel that eventually the Church will see the error of their ways.

I digress. Paulo Coelho has a similar perspective and that perspective is woven throughout his writing. I can't wait to read his other books. There is a lot of room for growth thinking about these things. I look forward to my evolution.

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Mar 18, 2008 Kartix rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kartix by: Goodreads

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is a story of a woman named Sherine Kali, an adopted daughter of Shamira Kali, who eventually known as, Athena. She was born from a gypsy woman in Transylvania, broght up by a Lebanese family which then, due to the country malaise fled to London. She was educated in a modern way but nevertheless she was very religious and always seek spiritual enlightment.

Married in the age of 19 and has a son named Viorel, Athena’s journey was told by others who came in contact with her, her adoptive mothe...more This is a story of a woman named Sherine Kali, an adopted daughter of Shamira Kali, who eventually known as, Athena. She was born from a gypsy woman in Transylvania, broght up by a Lebanese family which then, due to the country malaise fled to London. She was educated in a modern way but nevertheless she was very religious and always seek spiritual enlightment.

Married in the age of 19 and has a son named Viorel, Athena’s journey was told by others who came in contact with her, her adoptive mother, Shamira; her spiritual guru, Edda; her ex-husband, Lukas; her prodigy, Andrea; a reporter who is in love with her, Hernon, and those who is related to these characters.

What I love about this book is the way Cuelho told the story. We always see Athena from different naration, thus we know that we cannot be sure of who Athena is really like since these description is really depends on how each narrator perceive Athena. Therefore, as you read the book, you will also develop your own opinion about Athena.

She was never physically descibed in this book, except that she has gray eyes and beautiful breasts. We are allowed to build our own Athena throughout the story. I see Athena as a modern woman. She was in fact worked in a bank, then in real estate business (She actually handed her business card to the person who offered her the real estate job, it is very modern, is it? I know I did that in daily basis), she moves from various big cities around the world, she actually wealthy enough to have a bank account to support her and her son for 3 years, and as in my imagination, will have that sophisticated look of an exotic business woman.

I personally do not like the character Heron, since I believe that Athena deserves that Scotland Yard dude (which in the end proved to be existed in spite of Heron’s doubt, haha!). I find my self jeaolous of Athena’s adventure, her quest towards spiritual enlightment, and also the fact that she can have a month off from her work. I mean, who in these days have the luxuty of doing so?
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Mar 10, 2008 Matt rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: magical/spiritual readers

Themes of supernatural witches have circulated since humans developed the ability of story telling. Paulo Coehlo’s recent novel ‘The Witch of Portobello’ carries on the tradition of a female entity in a modern story revolving around the character Sherine or Athena Khalil.
This Athena, the name she chose for herself after a saint, comes from mysterious origins, and traveled widely. One wealthy Lebanese married couple, who are unable to produce their own children, went to Transylvania in order to...more Themes of supernatural witches have circulated since humans developed the ability of story telling. Paulo Coehlo’s recent novel ‘The Witch of Portobello’ carries on the tradition of a female entity in a modern story revolving around the character Sherine or Athena Khalil.
This Athena, the name she chose for herself after a saint, comes from mysterious origins, and traveled widely. One wealthy Lebanese married couple, who are unable to produce their own children, went to Transylvania in order to adopt a child. The woman, Samira Khalil, chooses a girl, and the adoptive agency tries to persuade her against her choice, stating the baby is illegitimate gypsy off spring, and therefore not to be trusted. Mrs. Khalil persists and they take the child back to Lebanon. As Athena grows the wars of Lebanon start, and the family moved to London. As a twenty year old single mother Athena, successful at her work, travels to Dubai, and then to Romania to seek her birth mother. She returns to London with her power.
This power of Athena was noticed as a child with her religious fever. Throughout the novel Athena’s spirituality grows. As a single mother she moves into an apartment, and notices the landlord’s loud music. At first complaining she goes to the landlord, and gets introduced to a dance ritual that connects the participants to their inner self. The landlord, who fled Poland during World War II, carried on this folklore, and became a teacher to a few. Athena took this knowledge and showed it to her co-workers at a bank. As a result productivity at her work increases immensely and she gets promoted. Her promotion takes her to Dubai. There she meets another teacher, this one of calligraphy and Islamic philosophy. This man shows Athena his art with the message of the blank spaces between words, and if you fill those spaces you know your personal meaning. Athena’s last teacher was her ‘protector’ that lived in Scotland, who showed her how to connect to ‘The Great Mother.’ Then about two thirds of the way through the novel, Athena goes from being taught to being the teacher.
Multiple narrations are the vehicle Coelho used for this novel. Athena had a huge effect on the journalist, Heron Ryan, and years after her apparent death he decides to compile her story. For this, he finds Athena’s adoptive mother, the landlord with his dance, Athena’s boss at the bank, the calligraphy teacher in Dubai, Athena’s mother in Romania, Athena’s protector, Athena’s pupil, and others. This journalist compiled statements from these characters about Athena. Another contemporary author, Louise Erdrich, uses multiple narratives in some of her novels as well. The effect can be gratifying for the reader. Imagine a popular sporting event watched nationwide, and ten separate viewers see the same thing but because of personal qualities experience it differently.
Through these multiple narratives the story climaxes to where Athena holds group heeling events that change everything. From a trance driven state that connects Athena to ‘The Great Mother’ she points to people in a crowd and tells of their ailments. One became aware of his cancer in time, and others became aware of their problems. This unorthodox approach enraged organized religion. Up to this point Athena continued to search to fill her blank spaces or void, and she does fill them which results in her being too powerful. Controversy ensues, death threats get made, and near the end her murder becomes news. Then in the final segment a new narrator states how she is alive and the murder staged which seems far fetched but clever enough because of the one making the statement.
As for my opinion on this novel, I enjoyed most of the ride. The writing is clear, early on a narrator makes a statement of the archetypes of supernatural women which are The Virgin, The Martyr, the Saint, and the Witch. Each type gets explained in one clear sentence or two, and the idea is conveyed acutely to the reader. All of the philosophy and religious references are stated in laymen terms, instead of convoluted. On the negative side, I hoped that Athena would be more evil, early it states of her murder, and this made me want to read some demonic content, but her intentions are too good.
Overall, I felt this was a strong novel and utterly different from ‘The Alchemist’ enticing me to read more of Coelho’s novels.
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Jul 03, 2008 Kirsty (Blatant Biblioholic) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: spirituality

I'm not really sure how to review this book. It's so completely different to anything I've ever read. I'm therefore not going to try to analyse it, because there are some fantastic reviews for this book, and I know mine will not be of the same standard. So I'm basically just going to write down my thoughts, and how the book made me feel.

The main character, Athena, discovers that there could be more to life after going to her neighbour's flat to complain about the loud music. What she sees when s...more I'm not really sure how to review this book. It's so completely different to anything I've ever read. I'm therefore not going to try to analyse it, because there are some fantastic reviews for this book, and I know mine will not be of the same standard. So I'm basically just going to write down my thoughts, and how the book made me feel.

The main character, Athena, discovers that there could be more to life after going to her neighbour's flat to complain about the loud music. What she sees when she arrives is a group of people dancing around to music - eyes closed, unaware of anything around them. She questions this with her neighbour who advises that he'd found some writing from his father, that spoke about dancing being a way to connect the participants to their inner self, and in turn to the light and The Mother. Athena then embarks on her own spiritual journey. This book is more of a spiritual life lesson than a real novel. There is no real plotline - Athena travels around and learns lessons, but thats the extent of the storyline. This doesn't matter though, as it's the meaning behind the plot that makes this book so wonderful.

I think that the fact that it is told from multiple narrators really enhances the story. It is interesting to hear the different opinions on Athena and her teachings. I've encountered multiple narration in other books and hated it, but in this book it works very well. My only criticism is that because the characters are never really explored in depth, sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between the different narrators, however this is a minimal issue.

I found this book very empowering. It has definitely opened up my eyes to spirituality as a whole. I think I am generally a spiritual person, but I haven't really read too much around this particular subject. I have always been interested in the paranormal and mediums and such like, however I've never been very religious. I like the notion put forward by the book that there is a female divinity, and this is something that I would like to investigate further.

The book addresses the issues of religion, and the church's attitude to anything other than its own views. Whilst I appreciate that the church is (generally) more relaxed now than it was them, it still throws forward the argument that unless you agree with their teachings and ways of life, you are seen as the enemy.

After reading the book, somehow I felt more in touch with myself, although I haven't attempted to practice any of the methods Athena uses. I think it's because the book teaches us that we each carve our own way in the world. We can be guided by people, but ultimately it is the individual that possesses the power to really make a difference in their own lives. It teaches us that whilst we may think we're happy, if we take a step back and really look, there is so much more left to discover.

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About Paulo Coelho

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 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 initial sales convinced his first publisher to drop the novel, but it went on to become one of the best selling Brazilian books of all time. Other titles include Brida (1990), The Valkyries (1992), By the river Piedra I sat Down and Wept (1994), the collection of his best columns published in the Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo entitle Maktub (1994), the compilation of texts Phrases (1995), The Fifth Mountain (1996), Manual of a Warrior of Light (1997), Veronika decides to die (1998), The Devil and Miss Prym (2000), the compilation of traditional tales in Stories for parents, children and grandchildren (2001), Eleven Minutes (2003), The Zahir (2005), The Witch of Portobello (2006) and Winner Stands Alone (to be released in 2009). During the months of March, April, May and June 2006, Paulo Coelho traveled to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostella in 1986. He also held surprise book signings - announced one day in advance - in some cities along the way, to have a chance to meet his readers. In ninety days of pilgrimage the author traveled around the globe and took the famous Transiberrian train that took him to Vladivostok. During this experience Paulo Coelho launched his blog Walking the Path - The Pilgrimage in order to share with his readers his impressions. Since this first blog Paulo Coelho has expanded his presence in the internet with his daily blogs in Wordpress, Myspace & Facebook. He is equally present in media sharing sites such as Youtube and Flickr, offering on a regular basis not only texts but also videos and pictures to his readers. From this intensive interest and use of the Internet sprang his bold new project: The Experimental Witch where he invites his readers to adapt to the screen his book The Witch of Portobello. Indeed Paulo Coelho is a firm believer of Internet as a new media and is the first Best-selling author to actively support online free distribution of his work. (less)

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Quotes from The Witch Of Portobello

“What is a teacher? I'll tell you: it isn't someone who teaches something, but someone who inspires the student to give of her best in order to discover what she already knows.” — 796 people liked it

“After all, what is happiness? Love, they tell me. But love doesn't bring and never has brought happiness. On the contrary, it's a constant state of anxiety, a battlefield; it's sleepless nights, asking ourselves all the time if we're doing the right thing. Real love is composed of ecstasy and agony.” — 577 people liked it

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