Life can seem either very long or very short, according to how you live it.
-Paulo Coelho
Reading Coelho is like immersing yourself in mythology and morals. His novels appear like a spiritual journey where the protagonist is in search of a better future. His novel is characterised by the experiments he undertakes to understand life and people. Also, let me tell you an interesting fact. He originally writes in Portuguese and has earned a reputation for being the most translated author.
Title: The Devil and Miss Prym
Author: Paulo Coelho
Originally Written: Portuguese and translated by Amanda Hopkinson and Nick Caistor
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 201
Genre: Fantasy fiction
Price: 299/- (amazon)
The Devil & Miss Prym follows my reading of Coelho’s famous The Alchemist. It first takes you to the other world and then puts you at a juncture where you navigate and negotiate the consequences of your actions at length. The idea is to reflect the devil inside you first before turning to society. But you prefer to see society the way you turn out to be. The unique aspect of this novel is that the characters are conscious of their journey toward evil.
The novel dwells on the questions of good, evil, greed and morality. They have the power to change the character of the individual and society. The incident in the beginning sets the tone of the novel, which binds you till the end. The novel also delineates how the intervention of an outsider in the peaceful life of the villagers of Viscos can disturb the equilibrium. Coelho puts plenty of philosophically relatable thoughts and legends (Ahab) that shape the actions of the villagers. Time and again, they fall back on it to draw inspiration or justify their actions. Moreover, the ability of Berta to talk to her dead husband gives the idea that even after death, you aren’t free from their thoughts, and they keep shaping your lives. Also, the fact that a weak person is usually sacrificed is very pertinent to contemporary, Berta, in the case of the novel. The corruption of the Church/Father is also highlighted here, which, on the pretext of salvation, was keen on killing the innocent.
There is a plethora of questions one can dwell on after completing the novel. One was put by my friend who gifted me this book. Let me put one for you. “Even if villagers were prevented from committing a murder, why was Miss Prym rewarded with Gold? And when she herself warned the villagers that they can’t use it or cash it, why did she accept it?” Let me know when you find out. Altogether, it is an interesting read, and I would recommend you keep a copy of it with you.
©Shashank
P.S. Thanks, Shivangi, for gifting me this beautiful piece. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Your answer to the question is on the way.
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