Paperback Castles

In many ways this was a peculiar little book to read. The whole idea of telling a story of a prostitute as a cinderella-inspired fairy tale seemed contradicting, absurd and even morbid at times. But it worked. And as always I was completely captivated by Coelho's writing style.

This book can be seen as a study of the connection between the physical and the spiritual aspects of love. Through the cynical main character Maria, Coelho explores the importance of freedom in a relationship, and comes to the (well-known) conclusion that it is essential. The book has many beautiful and inspiring views on love and relationships, and leaves the reader wondering whether most people even know what true companionship really is.

It was an easy book to read judging from the simplistic writing style and the reasonable amount of pages, and yet it was very hard to finish. It seems that reading the book is only half the lesson - that it is a book that needs intense thinking and wondering after turning the last page. There's simply just more to it. And I quite like that feeling.