Product Description

An extraordinary mixture of adventure story and guide to self-knowledge, this book recounts the spectacular trials of Paulo and his mentor, Petrus, as they journey across Spain in search of a miraculous sword. A compelling tale that delivers a powerful brew of magic and insight, The Pilgrimage recounts the amazing trials of Paulo Coelho and his mysterious mentor, Petrus, as they journey across Spain in search of a miraculous sword -- on a legendary road travelled by pilgrims of San Tiago since the Middle Ages. Paulo's visionary blend of mysticism, magical realism and folklore makes this an adventure story with a difference.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28653 in Books
• Published on: 1999-09-06
• Original language: Portuguese
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Review
'One of the few to deserve the term "publishing phenomenon"' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY 'His books have had a life-enhancing impact on millions of people.' THE TIMES 'His writing is like a path of energy that inadvertently leads readers to themselves, toward their mysterious and faraway souls.' LE FIGARO

About the Author
Paulo Coelho's books have won numerous awards and are permanent fixtures on bestseller lists in Brazil and around the world. Other books by Paulo Coelho include The Alchemist, The Valkyries and By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept. He and his wife Christina, live in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Customer Reviews

A Private Journey to Explore Self
Although "The Pilgrimage" is not Paulo Coelho's most exalted work, it is still a wonderful plunge into the mystical journey. In this book, he chronicles his own experiences on the road to Santiago de Compostela in the region of Galicia known as Celtic Spain. The journey is rich with allegory reflecting how we must face our own fears in order to engage in what he calls "the good fight". The Pilgrimage is reminiscent of Carlos Castañeda's apprenticeship with his mentor Don Juan. Paulo's guide is the enigmatic Petrus, who teaches him to face his own limitations and to break him from the "modernist" notion that our busy work is more important than exploring our inner world. There is a sweet discovery about the book that brings presence to a wisdom that includes mystical exercises worthy of our attention.

Profound!
Having discovered Paolo Coelho's writings by accident, I can never understand why "The Alchemist" is always in the Best Sellers list! I enjoyed The Alchemist as a good, thought provoking book, but for me The Pilgrimage reaches a far higher spiritual level. It has inspired me to walk El Camino one day when i get the chance - but inside I am already walking it! One of the few books I have read twice within the space of a year!

A sad disappointment
Having already read and greatly enjoyed "The Alchemsist" and "By the banks ..." I thought it likely that this book would also be worth reading. Unfortunately, thoughout the book, its themes were muddled and the whole story clouded in pseudo-religious nonsense. The narrator (supposed to be Coelho himself) comes across as being feeble-hearted and in desperate need of symbols of some mystical power. (Though we're neither told why he wants them, nor why they are important.) This is dull book by someone who is capable of so much more.