The Witch of Portobello

As someone who returned to my church and faith after years of soul-searching, I felt strong enough in my personal beliefs to wade through this story about a controversial subject. I love books that take you on a journey, out from the armchair and out of your comfort zone. The Witch of Portobello does exactly that with a unique format of various characters narrating each chapter, creating a sort of soulful alchemy focused on the main character. Unlike the literal excursion in The Alchemist, this is the spiritual path of Athena, and perhaps the author’s own message about non-conformity. As in, there are basically those who obey and those who don’t; a somewhat black and white message illustrated from each of the character’s different perspectives. If you know anything about the 60’s you’ll know it was a time to question authority, a notion gaining in popularity again. Back then, it was revolution or peace and lots of physical love. This book takes place in the 90’s and Coelho explores different types of love, such as that of a mother’s hug, a man’s kiss, Athena holding the hand of her child and the expression of love through silence and dance.
Perhaps this fascinating novel is best summarized with this line spoken by Athena: “When hatred makes a person grow, it’s transformed into one of the many ways of loving.” And that-- in a nutshell-- is precisely what this book is about—taking a forgotten gypsy orphan and showing her through teachers and experience about real love, and how it is always part of our lives. But how, you ask? What is the recipe and how does Athena turn hatred into love? You’ll have to read The Witch of Portobello to find out.

This author crafts authentic characters so I feel as if I know them personally. There's something that evokes a sense of yearning in this novel. I wanted to feel the magic from her dance in real life. I wanted to jump into the story and dance with her and hear the mother speak to me. I couldn't stop reading this book because i so wanted it to have a happy ending even though the beginning leads you to believe it won't be. It was happy, though, if a bit unexpectedly. The author taps into a mix of both terrifying darkness and uplifting light, providing a story that kept me on my toes. When I was done I wanted more of that magical world to be available to me. When you read you will feel your soul touched at a deep level. You will tap into a place you haven't been since childhood, a place of dreams, magic and hope.

Paolo Coelho is the Alchemist! He is a mystic writer who can capture certain things like no one else. In this novel he speaks from the mouth of Athena, a young women who comes into contact with some ancient practically forgotten knowledge which causes quite a stir in her community. She becomes a Mistress of Mysteries, a Mother Goddess reincarnate.

The book is good and comes through several phases that open up like several stages of blooming of a flower. The reader is left wondering what will happen next and sometimes everything seems to be hanging as though time just seized to exist. Athena is not Athena anymore but a divine being who gives advice and even issues punishment. I think Paulo did a masterful job with that.

The only thing that I could change about the book is that I would have made the ending a bit stronger, but than what can be more affirmative than a continuation of life?

I advise these book to any lady or a young woman who looks to discover more about the Goddess and how a worship dedicated to her might have worked in more archaic times. Although generally discouraged to be chanellers and just "believe", we shouldn't forget that the religion as such at its dawn wasn't a "direct experience" only in theory but in practice, as the priestesses were a direct door to the deity to which the worship was directed.

This is a compelling work of fiction about a woman (Athena) born in Transylvania to a Romani mother who left her in an orphanage and was later adopted by a wealthy Lebanese couple and raised in London. It is one of those books that dig into the mysteries of the transcendental world and one that blends the mundane life with the esoteric. This tale is a sure recipe not to please everyone but without any doubts this story is thought-provoking and will appeal to those with an avid interest in transcendentalism and divinity.

" The Witch of Portobello" starts with the death of the main character, Athena, her life story is alternately told from the points of view of the people who knew her: her adoptive mother, her ex-husband, a journalist researching vampires, a priest, her landlord, a teacher of calligraphy, a historian and an actress. They each provide a different view of her, describing not only what they saw and experienced but adding their own impressions, interpreting her through their own beliefs and fears but we never learn what Athena really thinks herself.

This book is complex, challenging and pushes the boundaries of our imagination. The intriguing premise is heavily laced with references to religion, spirituality and mysticism. Was the purpose of this book to question our own spirituality? Well this is a thought to ponder over.... The plot started well, was captivating enough and definitely quite original but ....isn't there always a but.... midway the author's rambling lost me in the mumble jumble of all that New Age stuff and those gullible characters eventually got on my nerves. This story was way too creepy for my taste.

Like the other books I have read of Paulo Coelho, Once I started reading I couldn't put the book down!!! He manages to engage the reader's attention, is amazing!
This is the story about a young woman named Sherine, who used to go by the name Athena, who has a spiritual gift, she was born with it, and followed her intuition to developed it further!
Paulo Coelho is a genious!!! He wrote this book in the form of a series of interviews with the people who knew her and were close to her. You can see the theory of people projecting themselves in other people, in action here! For example a man who was in love with her, projecting his feelings into her, and assuming whatever he wanted to assume from her, and a women projecting her insecurities into her, and assuming what she wanted to assume to suport her theories about Athena, both of them wrong, and so on with most everybody else. Some of this people changed their view, once the surrender their expectations, and learned to just be and let others be, others in this case mainly Athena, which actually is a free spirit who learned to connect to her source, and live her life taping into this source, this flowing river of life, which has no limitations, which is pure love and no judgement. Athena seemed to me like a being with no agenda, except the propagation of the Love for the Universal Mother, and with no judgement. She seemed only concerned with fulfilling her mission in this world and taking care of her family, her consciousness was very high, as also her ability to manifest prosperity, she was also a very nurturing being.
You can also see from this novel, that the witch hunt does continue in other forms.
People should just respect others people beliefs without judging, and love unconditionaly. The comandment says love your neighbor like yourself, it doesn't say love your neighbor who goes to your church like yourself.

To Compare this to the Alchemist is unfair.
I enjoyed Athena more then I enjoyed any character in the Alchemist, that being said the symbolism and meaning in Alchemist outshine The Witch of Portobello.

But I must confess I enjoyed the Witch of Portobello more than The Alchemist.

This book had characters you could relate to. (Modern Day Times Western Hemisphere).

Athena was a woman in search of herself and her meaning of being.
The deeper she dug the closer to pure happiness and love she became.
The closer to Mother Earth she got, the more like herself she felt.
Some people looked at her as Witch some people saw her as godess who would lead them to become closer to God.

The book is told in first person narratives from people who were close to the main character Athena.
The reader does not see the story from her point of view but must piece together her view from all the other characters views.

The book is a quick enjoyable read that makes you think about love in you life and what you perceive as love.
Its easy to absorb this material and apply it to your life.

I would reccommend this book.

To Compare this to the Alchemist is unfair.
I enjoyed Athena more then I enjoyed any character in the Alchemist, that being said the symbolism and meaning in Alchemist outshine The Witch of Portobello.

But I must confess I enjoyed the Witch of Portobello more than The Alchemist.

This book had characters you could relate to. (Modern Day Times Western Hemisphere).

Athena was a woman in search of herself and her meaning of being.
The deeper she dug the closer to pure happiness and love she became.
The closer to Mother Earth she got, the more like herself she felt.
Some people looked at her as Witch some people saw her as godess who would lead them to become closer to God.

The book is told in first person narratives from people who were close to the main character Athena.
The reader does not see the story from her point of view but must piece together her view from all the other characters views.

The book is a quick enjoyable read that makes you think about love in you life and what you perceive as love.
Its easy to absorb this material and apply it to your life.

I would reccommend this book.

This is an interesting book because the main character is presented to us through the eyes of people in her life. We never hear from the main character directly. This is an interesting concept to me because I've always thought about the fact that we all see people from our own perspective, and by default, our impression of every person we come into contact with is actually a reflection on ourselves.

I frequently think about people I work with whom I don't particularly like. Maybe this guy talks to much, or that woman is always finding someone else to blame her underperformance on. But, I have thought on many occasions about the people that these coworkers are married to. I think about their parents, their children, and the people they go out to dinner with on Saturday nights. Any person in my life who I don't particularly like has multiple people in their lives who love them and want to spend time with them.

So, what does that say about the world we live in? I think it says that we each bring our own version of the truth to light when we understand that our version isn't the only one.

The Witch of Portobello is a woman who stays true to herself, even when it others don't understand her. She doesn't follow conventions of any sort, but holds steadfast to her path in life. In the end, the hardships of being a little different are outweighed by her knowledge that she has always been exactly who she is supposed to be.

Another thought-provoking work from Paulo Coelho. Like The Alchemist, this one has (I think) a great twist at the end. Actually 2, but 1 that I think was completely unexpected. The other could probably be predicted by anyone who was asked what they thought might happen in that particular storyline.

As with The Alchemist, a reader must be willing to suspend belief for a while and just go with Coelho's flow. As another reviewer here pointed out, the weakest character (in terms of believability) is the protagonist Athena, but I think that's why she's never given her own true voice. Instead Coelho tells "her" story through the voices of those who knew her. He focuses on the lives she has touched, and for me, they were so interesting and well-defined that Athena wasn't as important.

I still liked The Zahir better, because the characters were just so rich in that book, but I thought The Witch of Portobello brought up a lot of good points through an interesting, well-paced story that I could hardly put down. Coelho's direct style was effective as ever, and I think the genuineness of his personal beliefs shining through makes all his work truly special. Through his books, I do feel like I am looking into his soul, and it's rare for an author to accomplish that.

Told from the viewpoints of several different people, Athena's life is remembered and as the story progresses you begin to know her, her motivations, her flaws, her triumphs. I think it's very wonderful, because she is an incredibly flawed but powerful character, both confident as well as insecure, insightful and yet naive. She is very human, and it's interesting to read from the multiple viewpoint perspective, because of the interpretations that other characters place upon her. It's a story somewhat about religion/spirituality, but more about the struggles that life offers, and how one can persevere despite these struggles.

I had the opportunity to read another Paul Coehlo book not long after The Alchemist. This one is the tale of Athena’s brief journey through life told via snippets from those around her. Handily, at the end there was quite a lot of blurb about the author, enough in fact for me to answer the question which had puzzled me. Was this a satire of woolly minded, nonsensical paganism or something which the reader is actually supposed to take seriously? From what I read, it can only be the latter.

This is fine. Our prejudices need to be challenged and what harm is there in learning such profound truths as that writing and music only derive meaning from the spaces between the words or the notes? And would the world be worse off if we could all be completely self-indulgent and get in touch with some feminine deity by dancing out of time with music? Not at all is my answer, although he does go on about it…. Furthermore, I’m not sure that the cause of making the world a more feminine, peaceful, equal and co-operative place is served by the sort of hippy, ‘new-age’ pseudo-spirituality we get served up here. Still, it was different and that’s no bad thing.

Let me state this bluntly - I read Coelho's famous "The Alchemist" and absolutely hated it. I found it a stupid, simplistic waste of time. I picked this up because the title and cover photo looked interesting and I thought, "Hey, let's give him another chance."

Most second chances end in disappointment, but this ended in delight and surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed "The Witch of Portobello". The style is less stupidly watered down than "The Alchemist" and the story is actually readable. I was also significantly more impressed by Mr. Coelho's writing as well, as he managed to create a multi-perspective story well and I was able to keep track of the characters at all times.

And yet I give this novel a FOUR STAR rating. It's not, really. It's somewhere between a four and a five. It's enjoyable, well-written, and down-right fascinating. While in "The Alchemist", Mr. Coelho jams a bit too much down the reader's throat in so little time, here the religious and mystical theme is well-spaced and wide. And it's all very novel-like. One can view it as reality, or one can view it as fantasy. Whichever you want.

But some readers may not like that. Some may not like Mr. Coelho's style (though I assure you, this is nothing like "The Alchemist" - no foolish simplicities, dull characters, or silly non-plots), but here it flows elegantly. Athena is a curious character, and viewing her from all directions except her own is revealing and fascinating. Also, absolutely enjoyable. Dialogue is occasionally a bit long and speech-like, but on the whole it's relatively good.

I do recommend this book. I enjoyed it; others might not. It's a grand improvement over "The Alchemist" and a plain good book. Expect to think a bit about all sorts of things. And even if you don't like it, stick it out until the end - it's worth it.

Who is, or was, Athena? A troubled young woman? A seeker? A devotee of the Great Mother? A teacher? A charlatan? A failure at marriage? A cult founder? A dancer? The only way he could put her story together, the author says, is to interview people who knew her. And so he does, piecing together the wildly different accounts of her adoptive mother, her ex-husband, a newspaper reporter who fancied himself in love with her, a teacher, and many others.

It's a mystifying story. Athena was brilliant but unstable, and she had a remarkable effect on people. When she went to work in a large bank--hired as a favor to her parents--she transformed the workplace with unexplained good will and energy by teaching her fellow workers to dance. Later, and shortly before her death, she was drawing huge crowds to lecture- demonstrations in her Portobello neighborhood. But what was she teaching? And where did it come from? Or, was she making it up as she went along?

All these questions, and many more, are not answered by author Paulo Coelho. And I won't attempt to answer them, either. Still, the quest itself is intriguiing, even riveting. The book is beautifully written and engages so that you can't put it down. If you're interested in spiritual journeys and quests--of any kind--you're sure to find this book appealing. I recommend it highly. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.

All is written about the epic book,different angles and celebratory reviews with awe! One aspect I will add tough.
If we are not dancing by now-we missed the point and miss such each day of life without the dance with universe . That ACT OF dancing is above us ,below us and within us. Each cell dances on our behalf.

Young women who work in banks can relate to such book and women who work in robotic jobs, soulless corporations' workers would do well gathering and dancing to move in some life back to factories,some vibrance to any work places. Book takes you to deep understanding of human psyche.En mass those who are fearful would alienate the love ,art provider.

What is misunderstood -is feared often.
As we are entering 21st century,the transformational power of honoring dance that connects us all ,may just be the fiber that can wake us up and merge us with music that is life itself without words.

How wonderful that Athena, the title character of _The Witch of Portobello_, tries and tries and tries again to find the meaning of her life. She discovers many spiritual practices that are truly valuable, yet none that are obviously enough. She is hurt by some of her religious guides, and by her own powers -- or the powers of life into which she taps. Athena strives, and that is what makes her character recognizably human in a novel not always concerned with realism.

The questions asked in _The Witch of Portobello_ are vitally important, and important also is the lack of sure answers. Coelho's prose is very readable, but this is (like _Citizen Kane_) more a character study than a coherent story. Do not expect of _The Witch of Portobello_ a realistic or even always particularly interesting plot. Expect of it a feeling of hope and doubt together which you can take away with you.

My favorite books of Coelho are the `Alchemist', and `The Devil and Miss Prym. For some reason many of Coelho's other books did not appeal to me.

The book is about the quest of a woman, Athena, to find her identity and the reason for being so different from other people. Her story is pieced around other people's account of her, a quite interesting but at times confusing writing style. The book deals with love, relationships, religion, new age topics, and politics. Has religion failed us? Should we accept love unconditionally? Is the new age religion the religion of the future? Do not expect Coelho to give you sure answers.

I had a problem relating to and understanding the characters. Though an interesting book, I did not enjoy it as much as his other works. I found myself skimming through pages at times. If you are on a religious quest, you might actually enjoy this book. However, I would rather read non-fiction books for this purpose.

Be prepared for an unexpected twist at the end, if you do reach it. Some reviewers actually found the end disappointing.

I picked up this book because I like portobello mushrooms and witches. Turns out this book isn't about either one of these things. Despite this, I really enjoyed this book!

First thing is first, this isn't a fiction or fantasy book. It isn't trying to be a fiction or fantasy book. So, insulting it for not being these things isn't fair. There are a lot of bad reviews for this book on this website and I think that's why. This book isn't really a novel. It also isn't a Biology textbook or a historical account of the Civil War. It is pointless to be angry at it for not being these other things. I suggest entering this book with an open mind.

This book IS a discourse about returning to pagan routes.

This might be confusing because there are characters and there is a plot, however, these aspects are just aesthetics so the reader can be engaged in the discourse. Also, this book is "preachy" because elaborating on paganism is the entire point of the book. Religion and spirituality are mentioned in every scene not because the author is uncreative but because that's what this book is about! It is best to understand this book as a emotional and exciting essay instead of a fantasy book about witches.

I could easily rate this book three stars, but I'm ignoring the Epilogue and giving it a four. The story was building up the idea that human's spiritual intellect isn't sharp enough to really know what is going on out there. And that awful things happen even if you have a feeling everything will turn out alright. AND I love that dark cynical point of view that is sprinkled throughout this book. But when you get to the Epilogue and it turns that on its face, well, I think that as intentional, but for me it was extremely agitating. Look, from chapter one, you know something really awful is going to happen to the MC. You don't forget because it is repeated throughout the narrative. It is only a couple of sentences but it is the only clue to negativity in this entire book, the rest is VERY optimistic and positive.

When reading this book I thought, 'If there really is a Blessed Mother then why do such horrific things happen to her children?' But this question isn't even touched upon! If the author has a different philosophical perspective, then ok, but make your argument. Totally ignoring legitimate concerns really weakens the thesis.

Paganism is a big deep world but this elementary introduction was perfect for me because I'm really elementary with this kind of stuff. Paganism wasn't sold to me, but in a lot of ways that was just the vessel. The MC rejected Christianity and went to back to her routes and found Paganism. This reject and replace, this independence, that she has is powerful and resonated with me.

The Witch of Portobello was captivating reading. This audio book is rather haunting. On the surface it deals with the spiritual reconstruction of a life. But it it is that spirituality that spurns life's pursuits. We often go down different avenues. When we stop and take note of where we are and where we have been our quest for deeper spirituality and meaning keeps us from becoming just another static fixture of this world. A very thought provoking narrative.

The Witch of Portobello is captivating reading. On the surface it deals with the spiritual reconstruction of a life. But it it is that spirituality that spurns life's pursuits. We often go down different avenues. When we stop and take note of where we are and where we have been our quest for deeper spirituality and meaning keeps us from becoming just another static fixture of this world. A very thought provoking narrative. The Witch of Portobello is a journey, a rather haunting journey of the spirit.

I really enjoyed The Witch of Portobello book. I loved Athena's spiritual journey and her challenges. Coelho is able to, through the many characters that are entwined in the book to tell the story of Athena. But each of course is told from their own perspective and own projections. We all perceive through our own projections and build a picture of a person. But is this right, is this who the person really is? How do we percieve love, joy, sacrifices. Do we have the courage to be ourselves even when we are no too sure who that really is? The reader is challenged as always.
Dr Gunta Caldwell author of On Silver Wings

I have just begun reading Paulo Coelho's books. My favorite in this story was Athena leading a group of people to dance going against the rhythm of the music. She explained before the dance " Changes only happen when we go totally go against everything we're used to doing" and said "One of the most aggressive things a human being can do is to go against what he or she believes is nice or pretty and that's what we're going to do today. We're all going to dance badly."

It would be interesting to know if other readers have tried dancing to see the light.

(Pseudo-spoiler: information revealed in first few pages)

What makes Coelho's writing so engaging is his construction of simple truths into poetry. This latest effort blends the folksy witness of The Alchemist (Plus) and The Devil and Miss Prym: A Novel of Temptation, but with the novelistic ambition of The Zahir: A Novel of Obsession (P.S.). In The Witch of Portobello, Coelho molds his protagonist through the eyes of those who knew her. But rather than a distant retrospective, Athena's life is vividly and honestly portrayed in such a way that we forget her actual absence from the book.

This particular novel has a layer of complexity that I did not find in The Zahir, for example. While Coelho does unapologetically preach the gospel of a neo-pagan open spirituality, he does not martyr his main character. Instead, we learn that every passion must be tempered in order to reveal itself as love.

I purchased this book based on the "first pages" available to read here. I'd like to offer potential readers a more representative sampling. The excerpt below is from Athena's calligraphy lessons:

"The brush with which you are making these lines is just an instrument. It has no consciousness, it follows the desires of the person holding it. And in that it is very like what we call `life.' Many people in this world are merely playing a role, unaware that there is an Invisible Hand guiding them. At this moment, in your hands, in the brush tracing each letter, lie all the intentions of your soul. Try to understand the importance of this.

I do understand, and I see that it's important to maintain a certain elegance. You tell me to sit in a particular position, to venerate the materials I'm going to use, and only to begin when I have done so . . .

Elegance isn't a superficial thing, it's the way mankind has found to honor life and work. That's why, when you feel uncomfortable in that position, you mustn't think that it's false or artificial: it's real and true precisely because it's difficult. That position means that both the paper and the brush feel proud of the effort you're making. The paper ceases to be a flat, colorless surface and takes on the depth of the things placed on it. Elegance is the correct posture if the writing is to be perfect. It's the same with life: when all superfluous things have been discarded, we discover simplicity and concentration. The simpler and more sober the posture, the more beautiful it will be, even though, at first, it may seem uncomfortable."

Here's another quote, from Athena:

" . . . But that's all a way of avoiding those moments when nothing is happening, because those blank spaces give me a feeling of absolute emptiness, in which not a single crumb of love exists. My parents have always done everything they could for me, and I do nothing but disappoint them. But here, during the time we've spent together, celebrating nature and the Great Mother, I've realized that those empty spaces were starting to get filled up. They were transformed into pauses--the moment when the man lifts his hand from the drum before bringing it down again to strike it hard. I think I can leave now. I'm not saying that I'll go in peace, because my life needs to follow the rhythm I'm accustomed to. But I won't leave feeling bitter. Do all gypsies believe in the Great Mother?"

If this is your cup of tea, enjoy!

Sorry, I'm as interested in spirituality as the next person but I'll take Eckhart Tolle's writings any day over this. I found the wandering Alchemist tedious and I couldn't even finish this book - it was so painful I finally gave up on page 222. Life is too short...

The dialog was confusing - half the time I couldn't figure out who was talking. There was no plot to speak of. The characters were poorly defined (as evidenced by the dialog) and definitely less than compelling. The ultimate message (if there even was one), was couched in so much gobbledygook it was inaccessible. Gypsies, theater games, earth mothers, women peeling their clothes off in front of each other - all with no purpose that I could discern. Please! This is just plain bad writing.

This book will appeal to those who found enlightenment in the Celestine Prophecy. Pseudo-spiritual junk. Do yourself a favor: if you want some truly worthwhile spirituality read the Dalai Lama.

"The Witch of Portobello" reads like a fast-paced mystical thriller or murder mystery (along the lines of "The DaVinci Code"?) and would make a fantastic movie! The convoluted plot twists through multiple narrations - intricate stories from people who know the heroine, the idiosyncratic gypsy Athena, aka Sherine Khalil. This tour de force by award-winning spiritual adventurer and author Paulo Coelho is pure fiction but points to the desperate need in society right now for a full-blown invasion of goddess energy. Like the fictional Athena (the "Witch of Portobello") and her circle of theater folk, how wonderful it would be for a woman (or women) to explode from the Divine Feminine spiritual tradition into mainstream consciousness and make a huge splash in the media! Imagine the divinity of the goddess path making a difference in people's lives and being embraced by millions! Sacred dance, the path of the wise woman and holistic healer, portals opening to the intuitive voice (the voice of the right brain world, the voice of the oracle) - these are the forces that are active representations of the balancing feminine principle in the world. Perhaps the next evolutionary step requires that witches and seers everywhere step forward with the symbols of the goddess, expressions of unique gifts and fearless individuality, unconditional love and a spiritual practice free from dogma & internalized oppression. In "The Witch of Portobello", Athena plants the seeds that are carried on by her student Andrea McCain to give the much-needed gifts of pagan tradition freely to the world. This is a gripping work of fiction that might just happen to encapsulate the spirituality of the future. Brilliant work.

Those who think this book is "terrible" have not an OUNCE of spirituality flowing through their veins. This book screams a fiery passion, mixed with absolute divinity. This is the first Coelho book I have read, although I have most certainly heard of "The Alchemist" first (I just thought it would be boring - now I HAVE to read it!). I decided to give this book a chance instead, and to my surprise, it was so delicious. It seems short, and I was thrown off by how seemingly easy it is to read. But I couldn't put it down. I mean that literally - I was reading it at work, in the car, until I finished it. The book moved me to tears. You have to read this book. I fell in love with the main character, Athena. She seems so real, you will wish you could speak to her, and be one of her students.

The Witch of Portobello quietly but eloquently leads the reader along a journey into depth and discovery. With each new expose, written in the voices of Athena's family, friends, and acquaintences, she is gradually and seductively revealed.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect aspect of this novel lies in Coehlo's ability to gently expose the dramatic difference between how a person is understood by others and who that person really is. Yet, ironically, it is through the eyes of others, of those who love her, who resent her, and who try to emulate her, that the character's authentic ethereal nature emerges. Athena's story resonnates with anyone who has ever felt misunderstood, particularly on a spriritual level.

The novel is not without a broader political message, one that rejects fear-driven bigotry and embraces the idea that, despite deep ideological differences, people can learn not only to understand and accept one another, but to love one another as well.

Without sinking to gratuitous or manipulative sentimentality, Coehla leads the reader on a journey to Athena's heart that is, at times, painfully sad. None the less,the reader is left with the assurance that the possibility of redemption-through-community remains a distinct and shining possibility.

Paulo Coelho of international fame for his book The Alchemist has here in The Witch of Portobello has woven a very unique and compelling tale. Part of what draws the reader in is the story itself and part is the very unique way it is written. Rather than a straight forward narrative, or a dialogue or even a series of letters this is a unique narrative technique. It is written as a series of first person accounts of individuals interactions with our unusual heroine Athena aka the Witch of Portobello.

These stories, taped interviews and letters have been compiled by a narrator we do not know until the end of the story. He has decided to let Athena's story be told as other's tell it, through their own words, and with all of their emotions, anger, support, respect or disgust. What we learn from these accounts is not only is Athena a bit of an enigma, from these accounts we could almost assume that almost every person encountered a different Athena, an Athena of the making in their own mind. The way the 'biography' is written it allows us to draw our own conclusions, rather than a traditionally researched biography that is colored by the lenses that cloud the vision of the biographer. Much as each of us look at the world through a series of lenses of our experiences, and cultural biases.

Athena is a young woman who tries to fill the spaces, the silences in her life. The more she tries to fill them the more dissatisfied she becomes. Until she learns that it is the silences between the notes that make the music so powerful. When she learns to embrace the silence, the spaces, she finds a power an energy. She becomes a spiritual leader, some see her as a saint and some see her as a sinner. She is both revered and feared. A saint and a demon. The compiled documents help us to see Athena for who she was.

So join our unknown biographer as we trace the life of a murdered young woman and journey around the world and into an unseen spiritual world. This book is better than some of Coelho's more recent offerings, and the narrative tool will draw you in and keep you turning the pages.

A warning though the book deals with earth religions and has some new age ceremonies in it, therefore it will not be for all readers.

(First Published in Imprint 2007-05-18 in the 'Book Review Column.)

I read The Alchemist years ago and liked it. Paulo Coelho is a mystic and in The Alchemist, mysticism has a proper place in the story. In contrast, in The Witch of Portobello, the characters and plot are mere skeletons whose sole purpose is to preach a kind of pagan mysticism (Coelho favored the Christian variety earlier, he seems to have switched). The characters for the most part speak in cliched phrases about love, being true to oneself, and finding a deeper meaning in life. Sadly, here Coelho uses his otherwise considerable writer's gift to make these cliches sound profound and new, mostly by restating them over and over in different turns of phrase. If you are a "follower" by nature and into paganism or New-agey spiritualism, you might like this book. Otherwise, you will wonder what happened to the Coelho you once enjoyed reading.

I thought it was interesting the utilization of the themes of spirituality, self-discovery and women's rights in a modern way.

The main character is a metaphor for powerful biblical figures: Jesus Christ,Abraham and Moses. Like Abraham, Athena knows that there is something else out there that makes sense to her spiritually. She feels she can find this answer by leaving London. Just as Abraham knew that idol worshipping was not his true belief and he left for Israel. Her adopted mother's overall disapproval of her spritual followings is also similar to Abraham's father disapproval.

Similar to Moses, the leader of the exodus, Athena is adopted. Just as Moses was adopted by royalty, and then returns to the Jewish people, Athena is adopted by wealthy middle eastern parents and then returns to her original people: gypsies. Eventually, she realizes that she has a spiritual gift that she wants to "teach" those who will listen how to find their own path in life.

As a Jesus Christ figure Athena creates a huge following. She often hosts spiritual meetings in which her attendees dance. Eventually, the church gets involved and they do everything they can to give her negative press and crucify her with the title " witch." In the past, being called a " witch" meant death. Here the term " witch" is celebrated.

This is just an overview of the symbolism there is ALOT more in the story that I don't want to spoil. Overall, Coehlo's take on female divinity is interesting. The theme of spirituality is overt. Therefore, if you are not really into spiritual stuff you might not like the book.
In addition, I liked how the author talked about the importance of finding your true self and how to get there.

The Witch of Portobello first captured my attention by how it was written. Coelho's novels always contain a new way of writing, and this one did not fail to impress me. The novel begins with telling the reader small snippets from the various main characters about the witch of Portobello, a mysterious woman who died. The premise of the novel is that the author wants to discover more about this woman that he loves and he does this by interviewing various people who knew Athena, who eventually became the witch of Portobello. The book is not in an interview format, but rather consists of alternating perspectives of the different characters who knew Athena at monumental points in Athena's life.

Some of the highlights of this book for me included how each individual voice that was interviewed truly seemed to have its own characteristics. I really felt as if I could picture each character, and as if they were right in front of me telling the story. Another highlight of this book was the transformation of a young Catholic girl into a witch. Her life discoveries truly amazed me and made me consider dropping out of college and going on my own individual adventure to find my own spirit nestled deep inside me.

The ending also has a nice twist that lifted up my worry that this book was going to end up depressing. If you liked this book, read any other book by Coehlo. Eleven Minutes and the Alchemist especially.

I enjoyed this book overall, and thought that the story of Athena and her personal journey were wonderful. It gave me hope about being different than what society expects of you however, I found the conclusion of her story to be a little lacking of the depth that I am used to getting from Paulo Coelho.

I thought the addition of hearing from some unexpected characters at the end was very good and thought provoking.

I dove head first into this book and couldn't put it down but found I had to force myself to finish it when I felt the story begin to drag in what would normally be the climax.

Told through a series of interviews, THE WITCH OF PORTOBELLO is the story of Sherine Khalil. Sherine uses the moniker of Athena and is on a spiritual quest. Her search sends her on a journey, from finding her birth mother to her joy in dancing. Just how did Athena's journey lead to her death? Open the pages as her spiritual quest unfolds....

The interview format is well done as the various characters interviewed do come across as very distinct personalities. This format really helped develop Athena's character as she is seen through the various perspectives. In fact, it was this interesting twist that kept me reading long past when I knew the overall book was just not appealing to me at all.

I think the biggest obstacle for me connecting with this book centered on Athena herself. She didn't come across as very goddess like (which I think was the intention) but rather seemed just as fanatical as the church she ended up in battle with. I also never connected with the multiple names (she later uses the name Hafia Sofia). The dancing into a trance for a meditation aspect also seemed a bit bizarre to me as it was never explained; instead, it was assumed the reader should just comprehend this unusual ritual. THE WITCH OF PORTOBELLO was just a very odd book.

It's hard to capture just what THE WITCH OF PORTOBELLO is about as it is rather weak in plot. Those looking for some sort of mystical insight may find a benefit to this one, but clearly it was not something for me.

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

This book seemed like a sloppy drape for a sermon about mysticism. We spend the entirety of the book reading the impressions of the main character's acquaintences- yet these perspecitves are so alike that there is no transition in voice. It is a very crude way to move a story along that deals so heavily in character study; that all the ancillary characters be so painfully similar. It takes all the fun out of narrative in this perspecitve. The only coehlo- reminiscent writing comes in the form of short tutorials on spiritualism, and while the language is beautiful it reads like a primer and does not evoke the intended introspection. Boo.

This book was captivating from cover to cover. An interesting story brilliantly woven with wiccan spirituality.

For me it was a much better book than 'The Alchemist', the story had both
more depth and appeal, and the spirituality much less fanciful.

I look forward to reading more of Paulo's work.

Entertainment: 5 stars
Enlightenment: 5 stars

This is my first Paulo Coelho novel, although I always see The Alchemist and read about it on recommended reading lists. I have to admit I have found this one to be rather a snooze. I was certainly less than intrigued by the main character (The Witch, Athena, Hagia Sofia,etc ad nauseum). I understodd the author is trying to be esoteric here, and he seems very "deep" but I was bored! There was no real story, and I found his leaps and bounds from on setting to another confusing and unnecessary. I just didn't like this one, and I will often try to pick something up again later if I don't think I understood it the first time--but I just didn't like this one, at all. I'd say skip it. He seems to be trying very hard to be esoteric and spiritual, but he never really manages to make me believe one word...

This book was chosen by the appointed person in our book club--it was disappointing to me. I read 100 pages and set it down. It's not my kind of book because it's too "out there". I'm not likely to start trance dancing to find my inner self. If you're at all skiddish about New Age stuff, this book isn't for you.

I picked this up at an international airport. It was displayed at the front of the store, and included the comment: "sixty-five million readers can't be wrong" by Publishers Weekly. Tagged onto anything, this is a false but tempting statement.

It reads quickly and the subject matter is unique. The message is not new: the church is hypocritical and society enforces conformity at the expense of individuality. If a new fictional journey is more appealing to you than a new message, then this is a book that makes you curious about what happens in the end. And if you read it, there appears to be tens of millions of people you can discuss it with!

I got this book yesterday while looking for another book and I have just finished it. It has been one of the best books I have ever set my eyes on. I could not put it down!! I already miss the characters and now I regret not slowing down so the journey could have lasted a little longer. I also got The Alchemist, which I can barely wait to start on. The life of the author is also very interesting..coming from a middle class family in Rio and ending up in a mental hospital receiving Electroconvulsive Therapy before finally accepting his true passion for literature. I decided today to order two more of his books from the store ( Warrior of the Light: A Manual and The Zahir) I want to read every word this man has ever written!

THE WITCH OF PORTOBELLO is perhaps one of Paulo's most engrossing stories. While it conveys many of the same themes we're used to seeing from his work, here is a great novel-styled serving, vs the more self-helpy portions we may be used to.

I've never read this author before, he was recommended by a friend. The story had interesting pieces, but in the long run I found it difficult to care what happened to the main character. End was disappointing and seemed somewhat contradictory to the beginning.

Sometimes I need an escape, sometimes I need to be enlightened, and sometimes I need to find myself in a character. I got all three of these things in this book. As an adult woman, I can identify on so many levels. The organization of the story is original and provoking.

I just finished reading my first Coelho novel, The Witch of Portabello..and am on the store to purchase more of his stories. I found the book not only to be compelling and inspirational, but also, mysterious and confusing. The unknown is out there, and we must accept what we can never know, we aren't supposed to understand it all. By far one of my favorite stories...

If you believe, it will happen

I struggle to explain.. maybe the following would put this book into perspective
", but the fact is that, to a greater or lesser extent , all creative human beings have such experiences, which are known as 'possession by the sacred'. suddenly for a fraction of a second, we feel that our whole life is justified, our sins forgiven, and that love is still the strongest force, one that can transform us forever.
..."
i am anthea and she is me