I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7
This book details the journey of the author from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago De Compostela. But more than the journey, the author regales his readers with wisdom he acquired from the pilgrimage. This wisdom is encountered by common people in their everyday lives if they only allow themselves to fight the good fight; they need not go on a pilgrimage to obtain this same wisdom. It is quite difficult for me to be writing an abstract or review about this phenomenal worl of Paulo Coelho because as I progressed, I learned that it is not pure and simple fiction. The book is an eye-opener, with profound lessons one can apply as he goes through his boring and mundane life. For that alone, it becomes a sort of self-help book; more so because it encourages the reader to live and let live. It is invigorating, and the exchange between the pilgrim and his master becomes a balm for the desperate soul. It offers growth to a person whose life has remained stagnant. It gives life to a person whose death, in any form, lurks around the corner. It doles out wisdom so lavishly to a person who hungers for it. Everything about the book is symbolic, or maybe, just like the author, I fantasize too much. I share with you a packet of wisdom I found helpful and may it help you too in your quest for your sword...
And when I think about it, I guess it is true that people always arrive at the right moment at the place where someone awaits them.