Paulo Coelho's The Zahir: A Review
A Story of Dark Obsession and Re-birth
Brazilian Author Paulo Coelho takes us on a voyage through the historic streets of Paris and the dunes of Kazakhstan in his novel The Zahir. The story begins with a famous journalist’s narrating perspective about his wife’s disappearance, making him the prime suspect. The mystery behind her disappearance becomes an instant obsession that leads him into an inward spiral. Unable to go on as he had before, he begins to examine where he went wrong in his marriage. In between trying to find answers and dealing with his constant affairs both extra-marital and professional, his life and career begin to make less and less sense. With traces of obsession, fame and the rigid possibility of forgiving oneself, the story presents concrete options on how to lose oneself in order to find oneself.
The Zahir’s Plot and Design
From the opening chapter, Paulo Coelho introduces the reader to three important characters. There is Esther his wife, Mikhail an unidentified male and himself as the narrator. As the husband to the missing war correspondent Esther, he becomes the main suspect. After identifying his whereabouts, he is set free. Now a free man, he wanders the streets of Paris reminiscing and questioning his wife’s disappearance. He quickly becomes obsessed with what he calls The Zahir , which is derived from an Islamic tradition, Zahir in Arabic, means unable to go unnoticed, someone or something, once in contact, occupies our every thought. This state of mind could be considered holy or maddening.
He continues to try to keep the same life as when his wife was still around. But becomes preoccupied with finding out why she left. The insanity continues and becomes an obsession making even the most lighthearted tasks unfathomable. He reminds himself, of her support, which he at the time took for granted. She became the reason why he was now, a famous writer. In time he finds himself a girlfriend, whom loves him and hopes that perhaps one day, he will love her too. They become partners, supporting each other’s careers, but his fixation with The Zahir, becomes ever more intolerable.
He believes that in order to let The Zahir fade, he will have to write a book, or long love poem, dedicated to it, to perhaps quite down its beckoning voice. The book is written, but the voice remains, leading him to Mikhail, the last man that saw Esther before her disappearance. He appears at the book signing; hoping to enlighten the author by re-assuring him his wife is safe. From there, the journey begins.
He is introduced to Mikhail, whom leads him through what his wife was a part of. From dealing with beggars in Paris, young kids dressed in uniforms of piercings and colorful clothes, to his nightly gatherings at an Armenian restaurant, where discussions are random and welcomed. Mikhail penetrates and invokes questions and feelings that the narrator had forgotten and or lost within his marriage. A supposed seer, Mikhail invites him to find himself and wait until what he calls, the voice, to speak to him. Until then, Esther’s whereabouts will remain a secret.
The journey of self discovery and forgiveness comes to a halt by a motorcycle accident in which the narrator finds time to reflect and reach a point of where his marriage went sour. He begins by taking pleasure in his present relationship, leaving The Zahir as a backdrop in his life. He searches himself and waits for the supposed voice to lead him to her.
The Journey and Voyage of The Zahir
This book ties in obsession and self-discovery, making them the novels key points. The delivery of perspectives and the voyage into oneself sets the stage for the novel. Paulo Coelho indulges us with a story that captivates a feeling that is universal, the sensation of vanished outlooks, dark obsessions and the real meaning of letting go. In his crossing in finding his wife, we learn to look within ourselves and ask the hard questions. We learn to re-evaluate what it means to be a celebrity and the element of that lifestyle that gets lost in its false advertisement. The story teaches us to appreciate what we inadvertently take for granted.
Book Stats
The Zahir by Paulo Coelho
Hardback 296 pages
Harper Collins Publishers, 2004
ISBN# 0060825219
The Zahir
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