Manuscript found in Accra - a review

                                                             

I have read quite a few books of Paulo Coelho and "The Alchemist" is the only fiction that I have read twice. I had developed enormous respect for the author over the years. His writing style is simple with no complicated vocabulary and lucid. That does not mean the content matter is frivolous. Very deeply reflected thoughts about life - self and relations, emotions carefully analyzed and solidified into words of wisdom. I have also read and come to know that Coelho writes from his own experience and not entirely fictitious.

Once I started reading the Manuscript, I couldn't keep the book down. I stopped to reread and reflect many of the sentences and passages. Most of them struck me as wise sayings. I started reading it loud and discussing with my spouse, which I haven't done earlier. The book unfolded like Vedanta in bullet points. At this point, I started reading simultaneously few chapters and pages of Coelho's autobiography "The Warrior" here and there. This was just out of curiosity about how Coelho has reached this level of emotional and probably intellectual maturity. The life of Coelho failed to impress me in after-thought. To attribute that this person had walked many miles in the path of self-realization to write the Manuscript is something I am not convinced thoroughly. the Manuscript then did not appeal to my reasoning. But Coelho is true and so is the book. Now, how much wisdom should I thrust in the Manuscript's content?  I then took Coelho's words with a pinch of salt. The book is just one person's feelings, Coelho's feelings. 

Not sure how I came across Khalil Gibran's "The Prophet", a month later. When I read about The Prophet and then downloaded and started reading it,   I realized the Manuscript is Coelho's attempt on replicating the theme of The Prophet. The Prophet was written in Biblical English and hence hard to read. But the Manuscript is in simple English.  Coelho writes only in his native language Portuguese and the English version is a translation. Credit should to be given to the translator also. 

The Manuscript is a thought-provoking read, though all that is said need not be taken seriously. The words are Coelho's realizations about life. Good book.