Written by Brie
January 20th, 2010

The Fifth Mountain by Paulo Coelho

Okay, I’ll be honest with you. I don’t really know the biblical story of Elijah. Like, at all. But, I had read and appreciatedThe Alchemist, biblical fiction is right up my alley, even if I don’t know the basis, and I had picked this book up twice now (once on the $2 clearance shelf, and once at Book Bums - a coffee shop/lending library in Olde West Chester), so I figured it was time to read it.

And, wow.

Maybe once a year, I find a book that hits all the right chords of prose. Once every couple of years, I finish a book, close it, and hold it to my chest, hoping a bit more of the seamless goodness will make its way to my heart through osmosis.

No, this is not a book for all audiences, but it is one that I would have trouble NOT recommending to someone. Even if you are not a believer in one higher power (be it a trinity or a solo figure), this is a book that helps to define what it is that makes a human being a great one: the ability to challenge himself and the powers acting in his life; the ability to learn to love and to lose; the ability to set your own goals, even when no success has come your way in quite sometime.

So many have deemed The Alchemist a life-changing novel. This is Coelho’s masterpiece for me… at least of the ones I’ve read so far, and I will certainly be looking to complete my collection.

Posted in Books, Personal
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