false 4004 0722534876 9780722534878 1891 156 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4004.The_Pilgrimage 566 Paulo Coelho 181573 17331 4 0 false Thu Nov 27 02:40:39 -0800 2008 Thu Nov 27 02:41:35 -0800 2008
What struck me as I gobbled up this book in a mere afternoon was the easygoing cadence and accessibility of language that Coelho employs throughout his book; he doesn't try to dazzle you with vernacular or prose, it's simply inherent in the story itself. And to me, that's the message the book is trying to impart upon us; that an ordinary person can achieve extraordinary things. It reminds me of a quote by Margaret Mead (Look this up) “Never underestimate the power of a small group of dedicated individuals to change the world, it's how it always happens.”

There is a little something in The Pilgrimage for everyone, and it doesn't take a philosopher or scientist to piece together the puzzles that Coelho lays out for us. I left this book with a feeling of empowerment, in a way that was spiritual, yet non-denominational. Even though the book invokes Christianity as its main base of argument, a so called “fighting the good fight,” in the words of Saint Paul, I felt empowered to do something to enrich and embolden myself on my own pilgrimage of life, and although I might not be fighting demons and climbing mountains, I am not so different from Coelho as I'd like to think; and I think therein lies the message.]]>