Aleph, Discover Your Personal Journey

Reading PauloCoelho’s books mean we have to be prepared taken on a journey. Chasing a dream in The Alchemist, choosing a path in By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept, or simply celebrating the meaning of life in Veronika Decides To Die.

His latest book, Aleph, offered a quite different experience. This time,Paulo asked us to embark on a very personal journey-his self discovery. It begins when Paulo has reached a stagnant state of his spiritual life. All his routines have made him forgetting the meaning of faith, the joy of new spirit, and the passion of doing what he really loves.

Paulo then decided to travel, feel the outside world and revitalize his energy. One of his most drastic moments is when he’s hopping on the Trans-Siberian Railway and crossing the big continent by train, traveling 9,288 km from Moscow to Vladivostok,a city by the Pacific Ocean. During this journey, Paulo encountered many lessons from many interesting characters, from Yao,his wise translator, to Hilal, the talented young woman whom he had loved five hundred years ago, but was betrayed by him in a very bad way. Through Hilal, Paulo seeks forgiveness, and tries to find a way to renew his love and find his happiness, by visiting his past and learning from the lessons. At first, Hilal seemed  so annoying with her persistence and stubbornness. Luckily, Paulo could lull us to start caring about Hilal the way he does.

What strikes me the most about this novel is while it is full of Paulo’s personal touch, yet I could relate with the story a lot, even though in many different ways. Why am I doing what I’m doing now? Have I lived a life worth to live? Where’s my passion now, buried under various tasks and routines? Sometimes, between heaps of paperwork in the office or household chores at home, and of course our responsibilities to our children, we forgot about one important thing: ourselves. It is so refreshing to read this book, and reminded myself to try to rediscover my dreams and passions. Everyone needs to travel from the daily routines. Not necessarily jumping on a Trans-Siberian Railway, of course (although that might be a great adventure as well!), but at least take a deep breath and try something new for a while.

Paulo, as usual, has given me points to think about, and I’m suddenly tempted to embark on my own personal journey, be the king of my kingdom, and finally find the Aleph.

If you want to know more about this book, don't forget to join us in TUM & TIMES Bookclub, October 29, in Kemang Village. Or, if you just want to grab the book, feel free to drop by in your nearest Times Bookstores.