By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept

This might be the last book from Coelho which was still in my to-be-read pile. I have expected it to be good, as I have read many good reviews about it, and even my father recommended it to me. But it turned out to be a bit flat. It is the story of a Spanish young woman, Pilar, an independent woman who was searching for a greater life than hers at present, as a college student. One day a letter came from her childhood friend—on whom she had had a crush when they were at school—asking her to meet him. Eager to add sparks to her dull life, she decided to accept the invitation.

Pilar then learned that he has become a famous spiritual teacher who could perform curing miracles. He told her that he never stopped loving her; in fact he has entered a seminary, and now was in the middle of making an important decision, of to whom he should give his life for: the Church, or the woman he loved most. Pilar at first trusted her logical sense that he was just a childhood crush; that falling in love with him would ruin her perfectly-organized life. But this time her heart betrayed her sense, and she was soon falling in love with him. One only problem: he was going to be a priest; what must she do to keep him for herself?

While accompanying him for several days, Pilar—who had been cold towards God and her Catholic faith—started to learn his spiritual ideas about the feminine side of God. This part was where this book twisted to an unexpected theme, theology; and suddenly the atmosphere became slightly thicker. I am a conservative Catholic, and I am not sympathizing with Charismatic movement. Of course it is just my principle, and I can’t blame the author—any author—to have different branch of faith from mine; but in course of reading a book, this difference would make me uncomfortable, and it affects my whole view of the book. It cannot be justified, perhaps, but I just can’t help it.

On the last chapters, I just could not wait to finish this book. I just wanted to know, will he continue to become a priest or will he marry Pilar. After reading this, I feel that my taste is no longer with Coelho’s works, and I don’t think I would ever read his next books. His prose is still beautiful, but I believe it is me who has changed. Now I prefer books which are more down to earth; reflecting real life, and not just idea. With this book, I cannot relate my emotion or thoughts with the characters; they are too surreal and too far for me.

For all that, I granted three stars for By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept.

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I read Indonesian translation, published by Gramedia Pustaka Utama

This book is counted as:

12^th book for 2014 TBR Pile Challenge

Veronika Decides To Die

Veronika is an ordinary girl in Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia. She lives a quiet life at her rented room in a convent, has a job in a library, has a mother who loves her, has friends to hang out on weekends. Is she happy? No. Is she unhappy? No. Well, how is she, then? She isn’t feeling anything, and that is why she decides to die, by swallowing dozens of sleeping pills one night before going to bed. The problem is, the pills didn’t work as she’d expected. Instead of going either to heaven or hell, she ends up at Villete, an asylum which was just opened in Slovenia.

According to thefreediroctorydotcom, asylum is “an institution for the care of people, especially those with physical or mental impairments, who require organized supervision or assistance”. We used to call it a place for mad or insane people. But in the case of Veronika, do you think she’s insane? Before the suicide attempt, I bet her friends would have said that Veronika looked like a normal person; she wasn’t depressed or sad about anything. But all the same, she ends up in Villete, marked as an insane.

As soon as she awakes (the book doesn’t tell us how or who has helped Veronika from the suicide attempt), the doctor tells her that she has a heart disease and can only survive for a week. During that time she learns a lot about what we used to call insanity. She meets Zedka—a woman who is on treatment for depression; Mari—a female lawyer who suffers from panic attack; Eduard—a young man with schizophrenia who loves to listen on Veronika’s piano playing at the hall; and many others with similar condition. Why did they all end up in Villete? It’s not because they have something lose in the head, but because they are different from others, from the world.

People like Veronika used to be normal like us, but they lack the power of being themselves. People or institutions often expect us to be like what others are. The problem occurs when we have ideas that are different with the world BUT don’t have the power or ability to fight others’ expectation. In the end we become someone else. This second ‘me’ is created upon others’ expectation just like a robot. She/he doesn’t feel happy or unhappy. They just do what they are expected to do. In the end there is numbness in their souls, and this condition leads to mental disorder we often call insanity.

Dr. Igor, the Head of Villete is having a research to find the cure for the bitterness which infects most of the asylum, the bitterness which he called Vitriol. Vitriol is the culprit of these insanities. When Veronika arrived in Villete, Dr. Igor knew he must grab the chance to make his final experiment. And indeed, Veronika, along with her own battle has helped Zedka, Mari, and Eduard to rethink about leaving Villete—where they are confined in the safety from having to adapt to the world who ignore them—and finding their own selves, which have been confined under their ‘second’ me’.

It is very interesting to read about psychology thing like this, and Paulo Coelho is indeed a good story teller. But I see the matter a bit differently from Coelho’s perspective (as I gather from this book). I agree that one must be brave to be oneself; as men are created uniquely by God. But that doesn’t give one rights to do or to get what one wants. Life always has a limit. A limit from God—that is consciousness; a limit from government; a limit from others who have authority towards us: parents, boss, etc. One can’t just kick that barriers and do what one wants only under pretext of delivering one’s freedom to be oneself. Sometimes we just have to compromise. We don’t always know what is best for us, nor our parents either.

Let’s take Veronika case: she wanted to be a pianist, but her mother forbade her and asked her to finish school. If she obeys she couldn’t make her dream, but if she disobeys she feels guilty to disappoint the mother who loved her. If I can advise Veronika, I’d tell her to compromise; to change her way of thinking. If it possible, Veronika can still work in the Library (hey…I would love that opportunity very much!), and join a music group or something, so that she can still play piano, while financing her family. Sometimes, we do not know what God planned for us. Maybe, selfish it was, our parents’ wish was what God had wanted us for. Maybe it’s the best way for us to lead a better life.

So, in the end, not getting what we want is not always a defeat; we still have the power—the power to decide what we will do. I wanted to be a dancer when I was in junior high school, but my parents disagreed because it’s not a promising career for me. I then worked as a secretary (until now), and I believe it’s the best decision for my own good. It’s just the way of thinking, to know that I have chosen to let go of my dream because I trusted my parents and loved them. And now I always try to love my job as a secretary, although I can’t say 100% that I love it! :)

Three and a half stars for Veronika and Coelho.

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I read Indonesian translation from KPG (Gramedia Group)

*This book is counted as:*

11^th book for 2013 TBR Pile Challenge

17^th book for What’s In A Name Reading Challenge 2013

1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

Ziarah (The Pilgrimage)

Menurut John C. Maxwell dalam bukunya: The Success Journey (Perjalanan Menuju Sukses), kesuksesan itu bukanlah tujuan melainkan perjalanan. Kesimpulan yang sama kuperoleh setelah membaca buku karya Paulo Coelho ini: The Pilgrimage atau Ziarah.

Dalam The Pilgrimage, Paulo Coelho mengisahkan perjalanan ziarahnya sendiri demi memenuhi syarat untuk menjadi Guru suatu ordo yang disebut RAM (Regnum Agnus Mundi) yang berada di bawah naungan persaudaraan besar di dunia yang disebut “Tradisi”. Awalnya Coelho—sang narator di buku ini, sudah dalam tahap penobatan sebagai Guru, ketika ia melakukan sebuah kesalahan besar. Sebagai Guru, Coelho akan menerima sebuah Pedang. Sayangnya, karena ia terlalu bangga dengan pencapaiannya, ia jadi serakah dan ingin segera memiliki Pedang itu. Guru-nya pun akhirnya membatalkan penobatan, dan menyuruh Coelho berjuang kembali dari awal untuk menemukan Pedangnya—yang akan disembunyikan di suatu tempat. Itu berarti Coelho harus meninggalkan seluruh kehidupannya termasuk keluarga dan pekerjaan, untuk menjalani ziarah selama beberapa bulan. Maukah Coelho mengambil resiko besar itu? Mampukah ia menemukan Pedangnya?

Mendapatkan Pedang memang tujuan dari ziarah itu, namun perjalanan itu sendiri yang sebenarnya harus dilalui oleh Coelho untuk mencapai impiannya. Ziarah yang ia lakukan adalah rute perjalanan abad pertengahan yang terletak di Spanyol, disebut sebagai Jalan Misterius Menuju Santiago. Pada abad pertama dulu, umat Kristiani—seperti halnya umat Muslim, juga diharapkan melakukan peziarahan suci. Ada 3 rute yang bisa dipilih: pertama menuju pusara Santo Petrus di Roma, kedua menuju Makam Suci Kristus di Yerusalem, dan ketiga menuju jasad salah satu murid Yesus yang bernama San Tiago (St. Yakobus) dikuburkan di Iberia, Spanyol. Jalan Santiago ini disebut juga sebagai Jalan Bimasakti karena rasi bintang itu dibuat acuan pagi peziarah di malam hari. Jasad itu berada di Katedral Santiago de Compostela yang terkenal di Spanyol.

Perjalanan dimulai dari kota di perbatasan Prancis dan Spanyol: Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Di sini Coelho pertama kalinya bertemu dengan Petrus, pemandunya. Bersama mereka berjalan kaki menaiki gunung, menuruni lembah, bahkan ‘menjinakkan’ air terjun. Hanya berbekal ransel, mengenakan pakaian sederhana dan lambing kerang yang menunjukkan identitas seorang peziarah, membawa makanan seadanya, dan tidur di mana saja. Dalam perjalanan itu berkali-kali Coelho mengalami cobaan. Salah satunya dari iblis yang disebut Legiun (karena jumlahnya banyak) yang merasuk ke dalam seekor anjing. Berkali-kali Coelho bertemu dengan si anjing, dan selama itu keduanya “bertarung”.

Di sisi lain, Petrus juga mengajarkan sebelas ritual RAM yang akan membantu Coelho dalam perjalanan spiritualnya. Coelho bahkan memberikan langkah-langkah setiap latihan itu di buku ini.

Namun halangan terbesar bagi Coelho untuk mendapatkan pedang itu sebenarnya justru berasal dari dirinya sendiri. Ia—seperti halnya kita semua, salah dalam merumuskan tujuan hidup kita. Pikiran Coelho selama perjalanan selalu fokus pada ‘menemukan Pedang’. Ia lupa untuk merenungkan apa yang hendak ia perbuat dengan Pedang itu untuk kebaikannya dan dunia, yang seharusnya merupakan tujuan utama dari segala ziarah dan ritualnya itu.

Jadi, berhasilkah Coelho menyelesaikan perjalanan dan menemukan Pedang itu? Dan mampukah ia mengalahkan Legiun? Semuanya dituliskan dengan cukup apik oleh Coelho. Meski agak membosankan karena tak begitu mengerti tentang ritual mistik ini, kurasa Coelho telah berhasil membuat pengalaman ziarahnya menjadi semacam kisah yang seru dan tegang, namun juga mengandung permenungan bagi kita semua. Meski aku tak ingin menjalani ziarah dan melakukan ritual-ritual itu, aku jadi diingatkan kembali akan cinta agape, akan perseteruan antara yang baik dan jahat dalam diriku, juga akan bagaimana aku menjalani hidup ini.

Tiga bintang untuk The Pilgrimage!

Judul: Ziarah (The Pilgrimage)

Penulis: Paulo Coelho

Penerjemah: Eko Indriantanto

Penerbit: PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Terbit: Februari 2011

Tebal: 263 hlm