The unnamed narrator of this story is a wildly successful novelist and celebrity who lives in Paris with his wife Esther, a war correspondent who speaks four languages. Their marriage has hit a dry spot and she is restless, wanting to move on in search of her own happiness. When Esther disappears, he is tormented and traumatized by the mystery of what has happened to her. Has she been kidnapped, killed, or has she left him for another lover? The narrator has had has plenty of success in his life: well attended book signings ...
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The unnamed narrator of this story is a wildly successful novelist and celebrity who lives in Paris with his wife Esther, a war correspondent who speaks four languages. Their marriage has hit a dry spot and she is restless, wanting to move on in search of her own happiness. When Esther disappears, he is tormented and traumatized by the mystery of what has happened to her. Has she been kidnapped, killed, or has she left him for another lover? The narrator has had has plenty of success in his life: well attended book signings, power lunches with film industry people, and interviews with journalists. But it all leaves him with a sour taste in his mouth. He remembers a story by Jorge Luis Borges about a mystical coin: "A year later, I wake thinking about the story by Borges, about something which, once touched or seen, can never be forgotten, and which gradually so fills our thoughts that we are driven to madness. My Zahir is not a romantic metaphor - a blind man, a compass, a tiger, or a coin. It has a name, and her name is Esther." The narrator's struggle is that of a man as trying to come to terms with something he cannot understand or control: the mystery of Esther's absence. It is very hard for him to let go of his feeling that she is the only one who fills his life with meaning. The inner journey he takes opens him up to new possibilities. Then Mikhail, the last person Esther was seen with, contacts the narrator and promises to take him to her. Mikhail, a young man who works with unhappily married couples, has his own spiritual perspective on love. Coelho has not created a masterwork on the level of The Alchemist, but for those who are willing to travel lightly, there are some interesting insights here on obsessive love, the emptiness of celebrity-status success, and the courage needed to square off against the mysteries and rewards of letting go of ego and stepping into the dark unknown.
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Add this copy of Zahir-a Novel of Obsession to cart. $11.21, very good condition, Sold by Ye Old Bookworm rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Odessa, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2016 by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good with No dust jacket as issued. Small 4to 9"-11" tall; 117 pages; Trade size paperback little wear to note. One paragraph with brackets at each side otherwise text block clean and pages tight.
That's the first book that i read from Paulo Coelho. I can't believe it. It's awsome! Great! I loved! The history takes the person and transport to the history and it's like one was the protagonist. I recommended to everyone who likes the deep histories.
Katia
Sep 1, 2007
Zahir
This was the first book by Paulo Coelho that I read. Big mistake. I hated it, read it on the beach and I struggled to read the whole thing because I thought it was so boring. Since then I read several other Paulo Coelho books. He is a remarkable writer. I recommend that you start by other books by him such as The Alchemist, Veronika decides to die. Then you?ll be ready to fully embrace The Zahir and its message as well as Paulo Coelhos' wonderful writing.
mallerj
Apr 18, 2007
Great book,quite different from other Coelho books
Ha! This book was wonderful! This is a story all about finding your own path and meaning in life and settling for nothing less! Even though the main character (written about as if HE was actually writing a biography of sorts) is at times quite abrupt and opinionated in a less-than-agreeable manner, I found myself hoping that things would work out for him...that he would find his Zahir! Wonderful journeys he takes before the book ends...and quite unusual! Also...finding comfort and some semblance of solace through his supposed nemesis was an unusual twist!
