Review: Brida

Author: Paulo Coelho

Genre: Fiction

From HarperCollins:

This is the story of Brida, a young Irish girl, and her quest for knowledge. She has long been interested in various aspects of magic but is searching for something more. Her search leads her to people of great wisdom, who begin to teach Brida about the spiritual world. She meets a wise man who dwells in a forest, who teaches her about overcoming her fears and trusting in the goodness of the world; and a woman who teaches her how to dance to the music of the world, and how to pray to the moon. As Brida seeks her destiny, she struggles to find a balance between her relationships and her desire to become a witch. This enthralling novel incorporates themes that fans of Paulo Coelho will recognize and treasure—it is a tale of love, passion, mystery, and spirituality from the master storyteller.

My Thoughts:

As you can glean from the description, the story is about a woman who would like to become a witch and her journey to that end. Along the way story lines concerning her soul mate and past lives are injected into the story as they are a part of her journey into witch hood.

I enjoyed Brida's inquisitiveness and yearn for answers. I also liked all of the supporting characters in the story. The magical and spiritual elements of the book...not so much. I was confused. It felt over my head, and I was just not getting it. The book left me questioning what happened. Huh? What did I just read? I read and analyze government regulations and medical information at my day job, so maybe books that require in-depth analysis and possible soul searching are not for me.

Coelho is a very successful author. He has published many books and has achieved worldwide success. His book, The Alchemist, has received critical acclaim and I've been told by many this book is a must read. Maybe I should have picked up The Alchemist instead. And I will. I'll give Coelho another shot.

My Rating: 2/5