Product Description

The new bestselling novel, now in paperback, from international literary phenomenon Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist. A chance meeting in Rio takes Maria to Geneva, where she dreams of finding fame and fortune, yet ends up working the streets as a prostitute. In Geneva, Maria drifts further and further away from love while at the same time developing a fascination with sex. Eventually, Maria's despairing view of love is put to the test when she meets a handsome young painter. In this odyssey of self-discovery, Maria has to choose between pursuing a path of darkness, 'sexual pleasure for its own sake', or risking everything to find her own 'inner light' and the possibility of sacred sex, sex in the context of love. A daring modern fable about the nature of love and sex.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14522 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Paulo Coelho's astonishingly beautiful writing in Eleven Minutes virtually guarantees it the cult status that The Alchemist already enjoys. But what is the Paulo Coelho phenomenon? How can an author who (only a short time ago) was virtually unknown to most readers have taken the world of books by storm--and without the benefit of glitzy advertising? The answer is simple: quality. Such books as The Fifth Mountain andThe Devil and Miss Prym are enough to explain a considerable following for the author, with their atmospheric prose and involving characters.

Eleven Minutes tells the story of young Maria living an innocent life in a Brazilian village and is played out in a measured fashion, but with all the author's brilliant scene-setting (very lush here) fully in place. But then Maria experiences love and suffers great pain. From this point, Coelho has us inexorably in his grip. Maria's disillusionment with love leads her to Geneva where she finally ends up selling her body (Coelho may offer us the beauty of life, but never at the expense of its harshness). Maria's approach to sex is complex--this is no mere revulsion arising from what she is now doing with her life. And then she meets a seductive young painter, who may or may not offer her a new path in life. But does she prefer to continue on the dark sexual odyssey she has embarked on, at the expense of real love?

There are echoes of DH Lawrence in Coelho's exploration of the sacred and spiritual aspects of sex and it's a brave author who tackles a subject that can so easily slip into strained seriousness. That never happens here, and Maria's journey is one that the reader willingly undertakes; the lesson she learns are lessons for the reader. --Barry Forshaw

Review
PRAISE FOR ELEVEN MINUTES "Has a strange and potent chemistry of its own." The Observer "Coelho has a deceptively simple but elegant writing style which sits well with this strange but gripping tale." Glasgow Evening Times "Refreshing and insightful!an uplifting read." What's On In London "A simply-told fable for our times, highlighting the quest for personal spiritual enlightenment." Belfast Telegraph Awarded 4 stars in New Woman magazine review

Glasgow Evening Times
'Coelho has a deceptively simple but elegant writing style which sits well with this strange but gripping tale.'

Customer Reviews

"... one foot in a fairy tale and the other in the abyss..."
The latest novel from Paulo Coelho considers if sex and spirituality can go together. While Coelho has included sex and love in other novels, in this novel he writes more explicitly. Because the main character is a prostitute, the obvious focus fro the book is sex in its various forms. Despite being about a young girl who feels that prostitution is her only hope, the book is not sordid, nor does Coelho preach about her profession.
As her dreams of becoming a dancer start to dwindle, as she realises that the man who promised her everything really has nothing that special to offer, Maria turns to prostitution.
Maria later decides that to be the best in her profession, she should learn as much as she can about sex. Due to this, she gains one of the 'special' clients, a man who is into sadomasochism. It is also with him that she finally meets someone who she is able to love.

As with any of Coelho's novels, the writing is sensitive and very thought provoking. Having read this novel, it is easy to see how sex can easily be a weapon as well as a way of expressing love. The brief exploration of sadomasochism serves to illustrate how sex is precious, and while two lovers may want to experiment, they should always keep in mind that they should not risk their soul.

The quote I have used for the title of this review appears at the beginning of the novel. Coelho states that it could easily be applied to anybody's life, and almost at any time within their life. I quoted it because I think it sums up the whole theme of the novel brilliantly.

Please read this book, I cannot reommend it highly enough. Just perhaps, it'll make you look at sex differently...

Sexual, spiritual, engaging, uplifting.Thank God for Coelho.
In a recently released French film, the central character, a feisty female director, tells her assistant, “When an actor doesn’t show his inner light, you film dead flesh”. It struck me that the sentiment behind this statement resonates throughout Paulo Coelho’s book.

Eleven Minutes tells the story of Maria, a young Brazilian who has sworn herself off love. Maria, after a series of chance events leads her to Geneva, develops a fascination with sex, and when she realises the market value of sex (and herself), takes to working as a prostitute from a ‘reputable’ club. This was not a frivolous move for Maria, indeed she took it very seriously, intrigued by why her clients were prepared to pay for sex, becoming intellectually the best equipped woman at the club at addressing her client’s needs, all the while of course ignoring her own.

Eleven Minutes sees Maria confronted by two paths. The darker path takes her to a place in which pain is pleasure, where sadomasochism is ironically a source of total sexual liberation derived from submission. The other, to a place where sex is sacred, sex in the context of love, a place in which Maria can exude her ‘inner light’. Coelho’s book is essentially Maria’s exploration of both.

Eleven Minutes is more a return to Veronika Decides to Die than The Alchemist. Though still full of the themes that have touched many millions, fate and love, loss and redemption, this book is more daring, more explicit, more real than others in its exploration of sex and its effect, its importance. In his latest book Coelho also reminds us that every day a miracle can happen. Every day a small, apparently insignificant moment may present itself that could change the course of our lives forever.

One of the best novels of 2004
This was my introduction to Paulo Coelho, and what a start - this is a beautifully written story despite the debatable subject matter and is tasteful at all times. The author manages to cover such topics as sexual abuse and sado-masochism yet retain an aura of eloquence at all times. Now, that's style.

I read some great books in 2004, titles that stand out a year later include The Alchemist (also by Coelho), Vernon God Little, Retribution, The Da Vinci Code (sorry), The Vanished Man and The Life of Pi, but if I were to compile a personal top ten list, Eleven Minutes would be at the top. It's one of those stories that I keep thinking about and remembering, many months after I turned the final page, and few books have left impressions like that on me. Come to think about it, Eleven Minutes is one of the most memorable books I have read throughout my not-so-young life.

I have noticed quite a few negative comments here, it's disappointing but one thing I must say in the writer's defence is that he is one of the most successful living authors anywhere, I believe he has sold more than 25 million worldwide. Coelho is an artist and an inspiration not only to his readers, but to other writers as well. Add it to your library, and if you don't like it I'll buy it off you and read it again!