false 0 2009-06-03T00:54:56-07:00 836906 278 2009-06-03T00:54:56-07:00 0 2009-06-02T07:18:49-07:00 833356 244 2009-06-02T07:18:49-07:00 0 2009-05-31T15:34:08-07:00 826186 199 2009-05-31T15:34:08-07:00 0 2009-05-30T01:23:25-07:00 820590 178 2009-05-30T01:23:25-07:00 This is a book about obsession... I think I'm becoming obsessed with this book... it's great! 0 2009-05-29T08:28:38-07:00 817658 125 2009-05-29T08:28:38-07:00 0 2009-05-28T15:21:46-07:00 814967 85 2009-05-28T15:21:46-07:00 0 2009-05-28T09:24:02-07:00 813512 33 2009-05-28T09:24:02-07:00 4 0 false false Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed May 27 08:29:57 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 08 08:33:09 -0700 2009 The book is about an internationally acclaimed author whose wife has disappeared. She is a War correspondent and, therefore, the husband does not know whether she left him, or whether she was kidnapped or something far worse. One day a man appears at one of the author's book signings with a message from the wife to say that she is okay. The husband then becomes increasingly obsessed with idea of finding her. She becomes his 'Zahir' which is defined as something which, once seen or touched, can not be forgotten. We follow the husband in his journey to find his wife, and also in his own personal spiritual journey along the way.
It is described as a novel of 'obsession' and, in my view, Paulo has done a great job in writing the book in such a way that the reader has almost a compulsion to read on to find out what happens - almost as if the book becomes an obsession.
The book isn't perfect, so I can't give it five stars. I did find it a bit confusing in places, as there are often long conversations in the book between characters (sometimes multiple characters) without reference as to who is the speaker. Also, the lack of quotation marks at the beginning of new paragraphs when a character was making a speech or talking over a few paragraphs, was a bit annoying and also confusing.
Finally, I was quite disappointed with the ending; for me it was too predictable and a bit contrived.
But on the whole I enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend it.
]]>