The Zahir, Paulo Coelho''s new novel, is a perfect follow-on to The Alchemist. Paulo picks up the theme of a
pilgrimage to
Santiago but tell a very different, gripping story of love, loss and passionate obession.
The protagonist of this novel is a renowned
author who writes about spirituality. He and his wife go on a
pilgrimage along the road to Santiago and on his return, he is suddenly abandoned by his wife, who leaves no trace of herself behind. As the story unfolds, the author becomes obessed with understanding the reason for his desertion.
The title comes from a tale by Jorge Luis Borges, published in his book The Aleph. In Arabic Zahir means ''visible, present and unable to go unnoticed.'' it refers to something or someone that ends up being the only thing we can think of. This state of ''possession'' can be understood as saintliness or insanity, with a fine line between the two.
The novel is also full of comments on what it is to be rich and famous, on the meaning of money, on what motivates a writer and on the nature of marriage.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR : Paulo Coelho''s books have won numerous awards and are permanent fixtures on bestseller list around the world. Other books by Paulo Coelho include The Alchemist, The Pilgrimage, The Valkyries, By The River Peidra I Sat Down & Wept, Th Fifth Mountain, Veronika Decides To Die and Eleven Minutes. He and his wife Christina live in Rio de Janerio.