The Valkyries audiobook

What i learned from this book? The reason why we always try to destroy the things/people we love. And what our angels really look like. And how to "broaden our horizons."They said this was the most "boring" book Coelho ever wrote. I say they're wrong.

I never pay too much attention to the plot of Coelho books because the plot is merely a means of this author to get his point across. The chapters of this book do culminate in to a satisfying climax, however the messages in the book are woven in to the detail of the text throughout rather than the end. I found the third person narrative quite annoying to begin with, it is very perplexing to me as to why someone would choose to write about themselves in the third person. However writing is a continuous process of experiment so I will cut Mr Coelho some slack. This must have been a difficult book to write, it was certainly a difficult book to read because it was so crammed with wisdom that I wanted to remember every sentence. I would suggest rereading many pages as you go along and taking your time with this piece, you will be rewarded with many great things to churn over in your mind. I read it in six days but I wish I spent ten or more days on it.I gave this book five stars because Paulo is a gifted thinker and the ideas he produces in his work amaze me at the genius one person can possess. I can understand that many people might be uncomfortable with the topic of angels and associate his work with the oddball wave of the ‘New age’ authors that have surfaced within the past two or three decades but I beg you to go with it nevertheless.

I was so taken by this book. I've had it for sometime but with most of Coelho's stories, I cannot get into them unless they seem relevant to my own life.THere is a page long passage in the epilogue. I believe, my reason for reading this book when I did was to come across this passage. It's starts off:"The day will come when the problem of hunger can be solved through the miracle of the multiplication of the bread[…]"Lovely story. And I'm sure Valhalla was the female placing the flowers at the site.

Este livro foi simplesmente lindo. Tocou-me de uma maneira bastante própria, tem uma beleza bastante única e a sua escrita adapta-se ao que cada um acredita sobre si mesmo e o universo.Honestamente não tenho uma maneira para falar sobre este livro, simplesmente que foi uma das leituras mais agradáveis e marcantes que já tive.

Initially, I had found the book easily-put-downable. However, there were two things that kept me thumbing through the pages. Firstly, this verse:And each man kills the thing he loves,By all let this be heard,Some do it with a bitter look,Some with a flattering word,The coward does it with a kiss,The brave man with a sword.My first impression to it was, "That's a total lie! It can't be true for everyone." But as I'd turned over the page, I found out that the master (J.) of the protagonist (Paulo) wanted this curse to be broken. And I, in turn, wanted to see how this would be done.Secondly, it was the character Chris (the wife of Paulo)who kept me riveted to the book. Somehow, in some aspects, I could see a reflection of myself in Chris and so I wanted to know how does she overcome her flaws. As in all his other books, Paulo invites the readers to love, be courageous, and dream!

Schirach und Wells müssen noch aufpassen, dass sie nicht von Coelho als Lieblingsautoren eingeholt werden :')Trotzdem gibt es ein paar Kritikpunkte: Coelho kanns wirklich besser. Es war verglichen mit seinen anderen Werken weniger packend und mir teilweise zu ✨funky✨. Die ganze Religionssache und Rituale sind einerseits super spannend, andererseits bin ich zu rational dafür. Außerdem musste ich bei dem Namen Vahalla jedes Mal zwei Mal drüber lesen, weil ich immer Vallah las hahahahEs ist ein sehr persönliches Buch von dem Autor, das spürt man. Trotzdem dreht sich der Leser etwas im Kreis bei der Handlung.Nichtsdestotrotz konnte ich wieder mal viel für mich lernen. Die ganze spirituelle Inspiration ist voll meins, gerade das Thema zweites Bewusstsein und die Achtsamkeit, nicht dauernd auf den Boden zu schauen, sondern nach vorne/oben/in den Himmel. Für mich persönlich sind es 4 Sterne, wenn man aber nicht absolut mega Lust drauf hat, würde ich es jetzt nicht empfehlen. Erneut: Coelho kanns wirklich besser!!Meine Lieblingszitate:"Alles, was einmal passiert, passiert möglicherweise nicht noch einmal. Falls es aber zweimal passiert, wird es bestimmt ein drittes Mal passieren." (S.7)"Doch jeder mordet, was er liebt,sei jeder dess belehrt,Mit schmeichelndem Wort, mit bittrem Blick,nach jeder Art und Wert;Der Feige mordet mit einem Kuss,der Tapfre mit einem Schwert!" (S.7; Gedicht v. Wilde)"Dir entgeht das Beste an der Wüste. Die Einsamkeit." (S.22)"Als sie aus der Snack-Bar traten, achtete sie auf Dinge in der Ferne. Sie sah die Berge, die wenigen Wolken, die erst auftauchten, wenn die Sonne unterging, und ihr war so - und es war ein merkwürdiges Gefühl -, als sähe sie die Luft um sich herum. (S.31)"'Ich habe bemerkt, dass es der Tod war', sagte sich Chris. Wenn sie irgendwann einmal vor der Wahl stünde, wie sie auf sanfte Art diese Welt verlassen könnte, würde sie wieder nackt durch die Wüste gehen." (S.47)"Es gibt keine Liebe im Frieden. Wer in der Liebe Frieden sucht, ist verloren." (S.52)"Wir geben vor, uns zu beklagen, doch die Tatsache, dass ein Tag wie der andere ist, gibt uns zugleich auch Sicherheit. Zumindest gibt es keine unverhofften Gefahren." (S.134)"Ich selber habe mich hierhergebracht, und ich selber habe mich verlassen." (S.162)"Jemand hat mal gesagt, dass die Erde genug hervorbringt, um die Bedürfnisse zu decken, nicht aber, um die Gier zu stillen." (S.162)

Paulo Coelho's 'The Valkyries' fell into my lap at the peak time of my admiration for its author. I think I rated it so highly was because I really loved the plot. Looking back at it now I believe that my lack of tolerance for Paulo's mystic ways would have most probably repulsed me, but at the time I was quite enthralled by it.All I can say is that you will be in a confused state as to whether this is a novel or an autobiography, or a concocted cocktail of cockery. In hindsight, it would seem that Paulo really wants to be the most admired, most mystic and mysterious. It just comes out as weird.I wish these stories or plots had come to other writers who would have done it more justice. But alas!

"And each man kills the thing he loves,By all let this be heard,Some do it with a bitter look,Some with a flattering word,The coward does it with a kiss,The brave man with a sword"Sublime and influential!

I like that Coelho’s books are relatively easy to read, yet often profound in its insight into why we must sometimes endure suffering. I think the author tries to use his characters to help us move past the victim (“why me???”) mentality. I also love that he draws up strong women, as well as emotionally open male characters. These archetypes help dispel stereotypes of standard gender norms. “You know about your strength now. Your horizon now extends to mountains, valleys, and deserts. Your soul has grown large, and will continue to grow. You’ve discovered your courage, and that’s enough.”“The day will come when love will be accepted by every heart, and the most terrible of human experiences— solitude, which is worse than hunger— will be banned from the face of the Earth.”“True seekers know that, regardless of our faults and defects, the spiritual path is stronger. God is love, generosity, and forgiveness; if we believe in this, we will never allow our weaknesses to paralyze us.”