Once upon a time ... Review on Eleven Minutes - Paulo Coelho

?Eleven Minutes?; that?s how far the ?s e x? lasts. The book revolves around the life of a village girl who seeks to find her true love and in search, ends up in a brothel were she experiences and administers the one thing most done in the world, but yet one of the most hushed talked about things; ?S E X?. In the start eleven minutes is what according to her everybody seeks at the end of every relationship, but as she journeys through life and we as a bystander, would notice that there much to learn and much to be said for this three letter word.

This is the book I read after Alchemist and is quite an anti in theme to the previous offerings, which she herself acquiesces at the beginning of the novel and leaves a dedication to the person who read her first novel and which gave him hope (But now she has something else to reveal). I seriously won?t recommend it to the younger lot, neither as a birthday gift except a new couple; but sure for a leisure reading, go ahead, dip in. This one is quite down to earth, bearing and grinning the teeth?s of realism and life as it is, and what we live through each day.

No makeup and no fantasy involved, on the down side it tends to demystify the very concept that what we call fantasy and dream period (as in Alchemist). Although she does ironically start her story and I quote ?Once upon a time ? But since, at every moment of our lives, we all have one foot in a fairy tale and other in the abyss, let?s keep that beginning.? And as you read you would realize that hope has not altogether gone, but stands just round the corner waiting for those who can see and embrace it.

The one thing I find different from others, is the author?s unique style of having make her earlier novel being part of the story as if it was part of a fairy tale so inexorably interwoven to every bodies life. She even makes the antagonist write a novel about herself (the one we read) as if a mirror image; self-reflecting back at you, till it fades off but what remains is your reflection.

The novel takes the reader out to question his aspects of life as he/she lives through. It never reflects a pessimistic approach or a positive one; but by involving the reader and its interpretation as to the person; the interpretation comes out differently for each person, like a glass half filled or half empty. It shows human frailty in not following your own thoughts for their idiosyncrasy halts them in the steps through. There?s enough masala (?spice?) for the mature audience as it does tries to demystify ?s e x? itself, by taking various potshots at the same.

I must confess that moving ahead, the subject does become quite out of grasp for a audience like me as they dwell into subjects like sadomasochism and mind games, which sure bounces off and may even seem vulgar to many a few (especially in Indian context), maybe a few grey strings up my scalp and I would have done full justice as a critic. Paulo tries to tread along the lone shores of human facets few wish to explore; with an always poignant ending.

But then don?t take my word for it, savor it yourself and find out what?s Paulo done or undone!