"Explore the emotions of the human souls". Review on Zahir, The - Paulo Coelho

"Zahir" is a journey across countries, oceans, and nations of people brings one fact to the surface: People crave feelings to share with others. Whether the state of being alone but not lonely or infatuation while pining for another''s affection, The Zahir explores the emotions of human souls with great attention. Paulo Coelho, the novel''s author, discusses love as energy that must be shared with others, and yet may be misappropriating correlation and causation. The characters of The Zahir are people driven to do extraordinary things and question the perception of "ordinary." Is it strange to love a husband or wife but cheat constantly in mind and physical action? Is it possible to be moved by a religious belief when one is an atheist? Can miracles happen that defy our explanations?

Coelho''s answers to these questions are never definite. The Zahir presents possibilities instead of conclusions. No character acts predictably nor surprisingly at all times. Each of the novel''s personalities is a matter of incomplete details and subjective understandings. Much like the people we encounter on a daily basis, we lack an appreciation for their backgrounds. Instead, we are told by Coelho that personal histories must be forgotten in order to develop into a self-aware human being. This is an unusual divergence from the concept of learning from history to 1. Not repeat mistakes, and 2. To create a better future.

However, Coelho''s idea is also revolutionary. Not only is it important to be able to forget past grievances, but also the wishful thinking and shoulda, coulda, woulda ideas of the past. Instead, he connects the self-analysis to another well-established proverb: Seize the day. The characters take the advice to heart, and removing time as a determinate factor of their lives, crash through beginnings and endings without considering their appropriateness. The Zahir may not be the most intellectual book, but it is interesting, well-written and engaging enough to encourage a reconsideration of your ideas. The messages presented by the novel drive straight to the mind, and often take a shortcut through the heart.