KEY POINTS:
Despite 85 million book sales worldwide, it is still hard to explain the astonishing appeal of prolific Brazilian author Paulo Coelho. Of course, in our angst-ridden world, his message about finding one's purpose and fulfilling one's dreams is seductive. His most popular work, The Alchemist has a star-studded readership, including Bill Clinton and, unsurprisingly, Madonna. Although dismissed by one critic as "Yuppie esoteric narrative', Coelho's books sell best in Iran, Israel and India.
Coelho seems to have the knack of borrowing bits of wisdom from various cultures and reproducing them in a homogenous blend. So what to make of his latest work, that he himself says is about the awakening of female energy in men and women? Hmm. Signs, visitations, witchcraft, the Great Mother, mysticism, meditation and magic are among the ingredients. I have no quarrel with these, but I wish he had wrapped them in a more coherent story.
The titular character of Athena, who we learn at the beginning is dead, is portrayed through the testimonies of various people who knew her. Among them are her adoptive mother, her biological gypsy mother, a journalist, an actress and a Bedouin. This structure allows for many different points of view and shows us the various trajectories of her unusual path, but Athena, even at second hand, is just plain irritating and ultimately unconvincing. Bent on awakening, she discovers she has special powers over others but never develops beyond being a figurehead for her creator's strong New Age beliefs.
The book is set in London, Lebanon, Transylvania and Dubai (where Athena sold real estate and where, incidentally, the book was launched), but these places merely add to the sense of narrative confusion. To my mind, the real witch is the philanthropic Coelho, who with utter sincerity can cook up a hotchpotch of the spiritual and inspirational and sell it to millions. A bit like Oprah.
*Harper Collins, $36.99
