59. The Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage. Paulo Coelho. 1987.

The Pilgrimage. This is the companion book to The Alchemist, which I read six years ago and have fond memories of because following my 40th birthday, I was really down for a variety of reasons of which many of my close friends were aware. Someone, I still do not know who although I have some suspicions, sent me a series of anonymous gifts and encouraging notes every day for like 10 days. It was one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me and I remain awed by the thoughtfulness of these gestures at a time when I really needed the extra support. In any event, I read The Alchemist because it came with a pile of books on one of these days, along with The Spellman Files and Operating Instructions (all of which I highly recommend and just loved). I know many people who loved The Alchemist, but I just didn't. These masculine quest stories don't resonate with me, even while I appreciate that the writing in good and that there are many layers to the stories. The Pilgrimage is in this same vein for me. What I did like, though, was that I was listening to it while I was walking the Camino de Santiago and the quester in the story also is walking this route in search of a sword hidden by his teacher in a secret society as part of a personal quest for meaning. I loved when he was walking the part of the camino where I was walking, but I find Goelho's style of writing to be forced a lot of the time, the story too contrived, and the lesson the protagonist is supposed to be learning too obvious for my taste. Not recommended unless you loved The Alchemist or are walking the Camino de Santiago.

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