Book review - winner stands alone - Paulo Kohelo

As with most of other readers, I also started reading Author Paulo Kohelo (PK) from his book Alchemist. And the author became part of my best author's list.

After Alchemist there are couple of books I havnt gone through but I accidently seen this book “ Winner Stands Alone” the latest one.

I am telling accidently because after long time I started reading a book. As PK says one attracts all situations in life by his choice. And I attracted this book or vice versa.

By the way have you ever seen a book sponsoring television series? If no. This one does. I wonder if PK can write to us “ How to make money through writing” But his writings are always worth taking a look. And so I tried him again.

One aspect that attracted me read this book is that the subject totally different subject from earlier writings of the author. It talks about modern life. It talks about love, break up, violence and good and bad aspects of today’s high life.

But even with change in time, you can find the same rhythm in the author’s writing. One thing I like about PK’s writing is explaining how his characters think, their philosophical thoughts, their stories and life.

Like his earlier writings, the book has a central character called Igor. But the difference in this character is he is a proved winner. A Russian who has struggled through war during his earlier times bankruptcy after war and then fought through all odds again coming out as one of the most influencing people in Russia. He owns a telecom company, but with influence there are other businesses too.

Winning is a habit and this character is no exception. Somehow Igor has to lose his love of life. The reason behind the breakup is explained as Igor’s workaholic nature and not giving much attention to his wife’s (Ewa) need. but one you start reading you really wonder if it is so. You can feel Igor's desperation and love in his thoughts.

The winner, Igor has all plans to find the truth behind his love or something else. He want to win again. Ewa – his wife is the only person he loved in his life. He wonder if getting her back is a winnig for him? and throughout the book its the only question reader keep on finding answer for. You keep on wondering why the perfect couple have broken up.

And the search of reader and Igor starts, the story revolves around couple of characters at Cannes film & Fashion festival.

Igor believe in one thing “Whenever one dies, one world around him/ her dies” He knows how to get attention of Ewa, so as to achive his goal he started killing the worlds.

You may like the specialised killing with all techniques, but while reading it one feels like why? Why is he killing people?

You feel like Igor is a bad guy, he is psycho. But when the story developed he clears his intensions. Igor realises that the sacrifices of the worlds is not deserved. He realises that if Ewa could not react to someone’s death, his messanges, his love there is a question, do she really deserve what he is doing?

In the end, we realise that there is nothing right or wrong. A person tried to search back his love and he realised that his love does not deserve. PK has written a bitter truth of today's life, the whole episode shows people has a reason for being in life, and they have their own priorities. Emotions are nowhere and its just self interest. Ewa was also one of those opportunistic people who runs behind rising sun. Those who believe in staying happy with mask on their face regardless of their inner wish. Those who go with the wind but they cant stay with one for long.

PK has explained the situation all the different way here. Tough to explain it in few words, but few of the best lines in the book were....

• The world always was and always will be complicated.
• God closes a door and opens a window
• Don’t complain and don’t expect too much either.
• The mirror reflects perfectly, it makes no mistake. Because it does not think. To think is to make mistake.
• The man does not live on bread alone,but on every word from god’s mouth.
• I am .. Who I am
  

I liked a situation where Igor was searching for an answer “What being normal means??” but I fail to realise why Igor could not find answer even at the end?

Though its all about love of Igor for Eva, it does not discuss about love. It talks about a relationship that dies.

Igor may be a bad person, but at the end reader realises whether Ewa deserve that love? Igor may have killed the worlds but all of them has a purpose.

The purpose of giving a learning to readers :

“We must love because we are loved by god too. We must be conscious of death if we are to have proper understanding of life. We must struggle in order to grow. But without falling into trap of power we grow through that struggle, because we know that such power is worthless. Finally we must accept that our eternal soul is, at this moment, caught in the web of time with all its opportunities and limitations.”

the book will not be among my favourites, but I will say its worth reading once.
Happy reading..
PP