Feline Musings

The two most appealing factors in Paulo Coelho’s writings are:

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  • Varied writing styles and approach in each of his publications
  • Reference to Esoteric philosophy and the writer’s interpretation of the same, through the prime players in his books

The Witch of Portobello is a book that scores on both accounts. Written in a first person narrative style, the book encompasses a great variety of characters. These characters analyze the protagonist, Athena, and the circumstances in her life, from their perspective. It makes interesting reading to delve into the mindset of people from various walks of life, who talk about Athena, as they knew her, and as she influenced some aspect(s) in their life. It’s almost like reading pages from the personal diaries of these people, and it goes a long way in holding your attention.

Browse Inside this book While the writing style is engaging, the story of Athena is equally engrossing. The story of a young woman, who adorns the role of wife, mother, daughter, adopted-daughter, and even a working woman, is ultimately driven towards a quest involving the deeper mysteries of life and Nature. Paulo’s fascination with the Laws of Nature as the prime Forces affecting human life and thoughts is evident in this book. He has also picked up interesting references to the “dance in trance” as dominant in Sufism.

The use of the word “Witch” is not to be misinterpreted in the context of the darker forces of Black Magic, or Occult, but more in the perspective of a woman who dares to believe that there is more to life than love, family and social commitments. In the words of Paulo Coelho, “To me, a witch is a woman who is capable of letting her intuition guide her actions, one who communes with her environment, who isn’t afraid of facing challenges. I wanted to talk about the prejudice that modern witches face in modern society.”

For the Witch, the quest is not for a magic potion or a black spell, but for an answer to the greatest mysteries of human existence - the mysteries involving the purpose of our lives, the curbing of the inner restlessness, the filling up of the blank spaces, the communion with the Forces of Nature, the satiation of the vagabond spirit, and the search for the feminine face of God, beyond the confines of organized religion. Athena is seen moving away from the Church when the Church fails to accept her in totality with all her follies and flaws - it is then the quest for the all-consuming, all-accepting Great Mother begins.

The Witch of Portobello is a quick read, as the language is simple and the narrative free-flowing, with a slight hint of mystery that unveils in the beginning of the novel, and unravels later. I have seen that Paulo’s books are liked or disliked by people based on their current state of mind. For instance, even I didn’t buy this book when it hit the stands, but much later when I intuitively felt that I should read it.

This book, if appeals to the mind of the reader, can be read again and again, as a whole or as personally marked excerpts, because the book is full of thoughts, perspectives, ideas and even lessons on history and culture. For example, I have been encouraged to learn more about the Gypsies from Transylvania, and I was quite surprised, when Witch of Portobello, on one account voices poetic lines by Robert Frost, that have been my signature for years - “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference.”

When your mind questions and your soul seeks, pick up the Witch of Portobello, and be rest assured that as human beings we are destined to ask and search. As unique individuals we should strive to mould our lives differently, irrespective of the witch hunt dominated by engraved rules of life and existence.

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