Review
Coelho's latest parable (The Zahir, 2005, etc.) has vague Kafkaesque overtones as a town is challenged to murder an innocent in exchange for prosperity. The small village of Viscos has a proud past, but at present is dying. All the young have moved to the city, leaving middle-aged shepherds and farmers and a tavern owner dependent on the occasional tourist in search of a mountain idyll. Its demise is only a matter of time as the world is in short supply of civic miracles. When a stranger comes to town, only old Berta sees what no one else can-that his invisible traveling companion is the Devil. The stranger invites Chantal Prym for a walk in the woods and there shows her two burial spots-one contains a single bar of gold, the other ten bars. It is a test for the town, and as the tavern's barmaid, Chantal is the chosen mouthpiece. The village can have the gold if in three days they commit a murder. Seeking an answer to the question of evil, the stranger is betting that humanity is immoral, even in the quaint village of Viscos. An arms manufacturer, the stranger's wife and daughters were killed by terrorists (using guns that he made), and ever since, he has had the Devil at his back and the eternal struggle between good and evil on his mind. Initially, Chantal refuses to speak, afraid of becoming complicit in the crime, but the stranger forces her hand, and soon the whole village knows of the proposed bargain. To Chantal's horror, the town accepts his offer (thanks in large part to the priest, who, eager for the deal to go through, offers a sermon on how the sacrifice of one saved humanity). Now Viscos has only to decide the victim, unless Berta and Chantal, the top choices, can change their minds. Filled with Coelho's trademark mysticism and philosophical anecdotes to illustrate a point, the brief tale is made finer by the Kafka- Shirley Jackson-derived motifs-the creepiness of a town eager for a murder offsets the author's tendencies to spiritual pontificating. A bit more playful than some of Coelho's other efforts, and all the better for it. (Kirkus Reviews)
Product Description
A comprehensive approach to understanding life, so that we can discover that life really can work for us. An armchair therapy book, it does not promise miracles but it does provide a way forward for people who want to make a difference to their lives. Many of us arrive at a point in life where we feel as though we cannot go on the same way any more - we may be in a state of crisis, or we may simply feel at the end of our tether. Amanda Ferguson, psychotherapist, counsellor, clinical hypnotherapist and corporate trainer, takes us through an experience of self-discovery and recovery. It is designed to follow many of the usual processes of therapy. The work includes a reference section, checklists, anecdotes from the author's work with clients and a workbook component.
