#spiritual novel

[mibeau]

[Book Review] ✨THE WITCH OF PORTOBELLO✨

🧮 Score: 4.0/5.0 . “...In order for us to liberate the energy of our strength, our weakness must first have a chance to reveal itself.” -- page 284

This book is a captivating and thought-provoking exploration of spirituality, identity and the journey towards self-discovery. The author blended mysticism with philosophy through the interviews with various characters who knew the protagonist, Athena. Created a mosaic of viewpoints that gradually piece together the complex puzzle of her life.

Wow. Just, wow! Amazing actually. I mean, many other books/novels tell the plots from multiple perspectives, but certainly, unlike this book. Until the last few pages, I was still wondering: who’s the one conducting this research on The Witch of Portobello exactly? Was it Paulo Coelho, inserting himself as one of the characters? As much as I was wrapping the ideas around my head, by the end of the book, all questions were answered.

The themes of feminism, empowerment and breaking free from societal constraints are prominent throughout the story.

Midway through reading, I thought to myself: when her chaotic crazy life will settle down? What’s the purpose of this book? I was slightly jaded. However, at about the last 100 pages of the book, it's very crucial. I was stunned. All the plots building up to the last 100 pages were necessary for us to understand and empathise with the last 100 pages. The wait was worth it.

■ I saw a few people comment on Goodreads.com that this book is confusing, has a lot of back and forth, or it seems like a compilation, not a novel. It can be chaotic, I get that. I mean, that’s the beauty of this book! A rare form of storytelling! . ---- p/s: Although I do not condone and agree with many scenes and values featured in this novel, I must admit the content is complexly well-written and intriguing. I appreciate the author’s creativity. My favourite Paulo Coelho novel by far. If only the messages are not contradicting what I believe in and the fact that I feel sorry that the characters are still lost in life, I probably would give a higher rating. It is sad seeing Athena is already on the path, seeking to fill in the void she felt, yet she followed the lead of the disbelievers. Indeed, Hidayah milik Allah swt.

I am pretty sure, as much as this is a work of fiction, there are people on journeys like hers in real life. . ---- ● Buy a preloved copy here:

[yingandzhan]

Something just got me thinking...

Suibian is a truly loyal sword, it refused to let anyone else use it and did what was only ever heard of in legends and sealed itself away when its master died!

The sword is monogamous. It only connected with one person and no one else would do. No one else could compare.

Spiritual weapons have a deep connection with their wielders, they are constantly permeated with their owner's spiritual energy. They are, in a way, an extension of their master.

So, it makes perfect sense that Suibian is monogamous. Because it's quite obvious that WWX is as well. WWX only ever had eyes for one person, he only ever connected to one other person in such a deep, life changing way. No one else would do, no one else could ever compare to that boy that stole his undivided attention on the Cloud Recesses rooftop the first night they met.

It was always LWJ for him, just as it was always WWX for Suibian.

Like master, like sword.

[ehyehyhwhh]

[3-aem]

its 3am and im going into shock due to lack of drawing satosugu being happy

[lllakristos]

One day, you'll realize your gut feeling was correct all along.

That you were right from the start.

They were never your friend, nor did they genuinely care about you.

You were merely a convenience, an unpaid therapist, and a source of validation for their shortcomings.

Human nature is so complex yet so disappointing when you hold your standards high.

[fairsweetlonging]

after reading book 1 of svsss i'm imagining some bits and pieces of it into tgcf, like xie lian having qi deviation because of the shackles in a similar way as the poison without a cure (i think it'd be really neat if they also disrupted his meridians and caused qi fluctuations instead of only blocking his powers), but also the specific detail of xie lian having to wear a veil like liu mingyan because he's just too beautiful, giving it extra significance that his mask fell off during the god-pleasing parade and hua cheng saw his face so up-close (besides that, it plays into xie lian not feeling seen).

also, xie lian trying to figure out whether hua cheng has a harem/getting jealous, because surely such a great and powerful ghost king must have a great and extraordinary collection of beauties at his beck and call? (he doesn't)

[hylianane]

Yeah, hello, I read a translation of the Zoro novel. God stuck on a particular bit.

The novel establishes that in Shimotsuki Village, there’s a tradition similar to of floating lanterns in Japan, and I believe a lot of East Asia. The fan translator said they call it the Fire Float in Shimotsuki, where on the anniversary of a person’s death, they place candles on boats made of bamboo leaves and set them down the river so the person’s visiting soul can find their way back to the underworld.

The novel also quickly established that Zoro doesn’t really attend that ceremony, not even for Kuina. Probably for the best, since he’d probably just get the souls lost. But. I’m stuck on it. Because what if he started paying his respects in the form of a Fire Float. But only after he’s thousands of miles away from Shimotsuki Village.

In the days leading up to the anniversary of Merry’s (and Yubashiri’s) death, the idea of the Fire Float wont leave him alone. And its not because of any sentimentality he harbors in his little Grinch heart, surely not. It’s just. The irrational thought of if Zoro doesn’t do it, then who will guide their soul back to rest? proves to be too distracting. So he mans up and asks Hawkeyes to spare him some candles, and tries his best to remember how to make boats out of leaves while ignoring the Ghost Girl pestering him about what he’s even doing. Some months go by, and he’s crouched by the river in Kuraigana again, doing the same thing for Ace.

The following year, it comes a lot more naturally. He doesn’t feel as embarrassed, or superstitious, now that he knows Mihawk could care less what he does and Perona isn’t someone who’d mock him for that kind of thing. The year after that, however, he almost chickens out again. If it weren’t for the sudden hollow pit in his stomach once the date of Merry’s death approaches, and the question of who will help them when they get lost? coming back with a vengeance, he most likely wouldn’t have had the courage to ask Nami to time their arrival to the next island more carefully. Or to ask Franky and Usopp if they know how to build leaf boats that aren’t shitty. He definitely wouldn’t have been able to swallow down his embarrassment with a cup of sake before explaining why he’s asking these favors of them of them at all.

It was a dumb thing to get in his own head about though, all things considered. Cause when they hear about the little remembrance holiday Zoro’s planning, instead of raising eyebrows at the uncharacteristic sentimentality of it all, they don’t coo at him in mockery, no, his crewmates seem to sort of. melt. at the idea of doing something like that to honor their dead. Usopp even blinks tears away, a little in disbelief, when he learns that Zoro started doing it out of concern for Merry. The atmosphere almost gets a little too genuine, too sugary sweet for Zoro’s palette.

But then they stop to laugh at the very idea of Zoro leading anyone anywhere.

[lichqueenlibrarian]

It was Spock and he learned it from Jim and I am going to cry

[aroaessidhe]

2024 reads / storygraph

The Mires

literary, magical realism

follows three women who are neighbours in Kāpiti, in the near future

a Māori single mother, and her daughter - who can sense the thoughts and memories of people and the land

a refugee from climate disaster, struggling to fit in with the unfamiliar culture and relative safety with her husband and young daughter

and an older white woman whose son has recently moved home after being groomed into a right wing extremist group, causing tensions to rise among them all

[lastofthe20thcenturygirls]

maomao (out of genuine concern): are you not getting any sleep sir?

jinshi: you just don't want to spend any time with me why do you hate me so much???????????????

[yingandzhan]

I've seen a little bit of confusion over whether LWJ took WWX back to the burial mounds after fleeing with him from Nightless City. People seem to have accidentally mistook the cave he took WWX to, and later the Lan Clan elders found him in, as at the burial mounds. This is NOT the case. The cave he was hiding him in as he tried to pass him spiritual power was a random cave in Yiling, not the burial mounds itself.

After two days, we finally found signs of your passage within the BOUNDARIES OF YILING. Wangji had hidden you inside a cave.

-Vol. 5, 7S translations

BUT! LWJ DID take WWX back there once he had confronted his own clan.

After HE STUBBORNLY ESCORTED YOU BACK TO THE BURIAL MOUNDS, he returned morosely on his own to receive his punishment.

-Vol. 5, 7S translations

This is in every translation, even ExR and the few fan translations that have covered chapter 99.

So yes, LWJ did take WWX back to the burial mounds. Which was probably a tactical decision in order to help protect him for as long as he could - by leaving him in the place he knew was protected and had people who cared for him.

[lazycranberrydoodles]

the people in the tags understand me. starembers art is super pretty but also weird at times.

[the-evil-pizza]

i said that i'll make their gender "sword" as a joke but what if i actualy make them a sword

[dramalama69]

أنت سيد ما كتمت، وأسير ما تركت.

You are the master of what you conceal and the prisoner of what you let go.

[aarthurdyes]

Reading tgcf and portraying my two fav characters

Yes, Ruoye is my 2nd fav 🫠

[renmorris]

I wasn’t expecting Equus to be such a sibling film to The Wicker Man despite the writers being literal twins, I really want to do a double feature day now.