Book reviews – April 2009
Paperback
Publisher: Harper; New edition edition (3 Mar 2008)
ISBN-13: 978-0007251872
Coelho’s story about Athena, the witch of Portobello is made up of individual reports on the main character and their views of her.
The story starts with the reader being told that Athena is dead, with the characters lending their own views as to the how and why such a fate would happen to such a woman.
Coelho slips into more continuous story-telling which sits, at times, uncomfortably with the narrative expected from telling the story from other characters perspectives. This makes you change mental gears, which has been done deliberately or not on the part of the author. Strangely, this mix helps to set the pace and sign post the reader through the story and reflects the somewhat chaotic character.
‘The Witch of Portobello’ is not a happy read in the traditional sense and I’m sure there are many of us out there who can identify with certain traits displayed by the main character or what is presumed of her and reminds us – just how well do we really know that someone you love?
This is the first Paulo Coehlo book that I have read and my first impressions of his work – addictive!
Rating:
Reviewer: Steph
