Paolo Coelho in the Book Corner

Last Sunday, our Book Corner gathered to discuss “By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept” by the Brazilian author Paulo Coelho. This choice came thanks to Marie Therese, who first introduced us to Coelho’s work two months ago during our “favorite books and authors” meeting. We extend our warm thanks to Marie Therese for recommending this novel and for graciously accepting to be our speaker for the session.

The meeting was opened by Marina, the coordinator of the Book Corner project, who introduced Paulo Coelho. Born in 1947 in Rio de Janeiro to a Catholic family, Coelho’s early life was marked by rebellion and conflict with authority. In school, he was uninterested in his studies, and openly declaring his dream of becoming a writer. This desire, however, was misunderstood by his parents, who feared he suffered from paranoia and schizophrenia, leading them to send him to a mental health hospital several times during his adolescence. These experiences left a deep mark on his childhood.

Later, under family pressure, Coelho enrolled in law school but abandoned it after one year and lived as a hippie, traveling through South America, North Africa, and Europe, while working as a songwriter, and collaborating with famous musicians. Yet despite his fame and financial success, he often confessed that he remained unfulfilled, as his true calling was always to be a novelist.

In 1968, he traveled to Spain and walked the pilgrimage route Camino de Santiago (the Road of Saint James.) This spiritual experience was transformative for him and upon his return to Brazil, he began to write and published The Pilgrimage, his first notable work.

Although Coelho kept writing afterwards, his books initially did not find wide success. Everything changed in 1984, when he published his masterpiece, "The Alchemist". At first, it passed unnoticed, but over the course of seven to ten years it rose to international fame, eventually becoming one of the most widely read and beloved novels in the world.

The book under discussion in our meeting, "By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept", was published in 1994. While not among his most famous works, it remains a touching and beautifully written story. Today, Paulo Coelho is recognized as one of the most widely read authors in the world. His works have been translated into more than 83 languages, with over 320 million copies sold worldwide. Beyond his books, he continues to share his insights and reflections through his social media platforms.

Despite this extraordinary global influence, Coelho has not escaped criticism. Some literary circles argue that his simple and straightforward style lacks the depth expected from “serious” literature. Yet, it is precisely this simplicity that allows his stories and spiritual messages to reach millions of readers across cultures.

Following the biography, the floor was given to our speaker, Marie-Thérèse, who shared her passion for the novel "By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept". The story follows Pilar, a young Spanish woman living in Saragossa, who has harbored since childhood a deep love for a man from her village.

After Pilar and her childhood friend—perhaps her first love—have long gone their separate ways, they continued to exchange letters over the years, until one day he invited her to attend a conference he was giving in Madrid. After nearly nine years of separation, Pilar accepted, and their reunion marks the beginning of the story.

From the very start, their emotions, memories, and unspoken feelings resurface. Yet their paths in life had diverged. Pilar had grown into a strong, independent woman, focused on her career and longing for stability while “he” had chosen a spiritual journey, deeply committed to God, and was preparing for a missionary life—perhaps even the priesthood. Their meeting sets the stage for a contrast between two visions of life: the search for freedom, faith, and transcendence on one side, and the desire for security, love, and everyday stability on the other.

The book recounts the nine days they spend together, traveling from Spain to France, crossing the Pyrenees, sharing intimate conversations, rediscovering affection, and exploring the tension between passion and spiritual calling.

Marie-Thérèse highlighted what she loves most about this novel and about Coelho’s writing is his ability to capture the emotions and inner world of a woman.

The novel concludes with Pilar sitting by the River Piedra, writing down the story of the nine days she had just lived. Lost in her thoughts, uncertain about her future, and overwhelmed by conflicting emotions, she weeps. It is here that the story leaves us—without clear answers, but with the powerful image of a woman caught between love, faith, and the search for meaning.

From this point, our Book Corner moved into discussion. One of the themes that struck us most was that God should not only be viewed as masculine but also as feminine.

Traditionally, religion has often been presented as a male-dominated sphere, with men leading institutions and making the decisions, while women take supporting or passive roles. Coelho’s novel, however, challenges this by giving voice to the feminine aspect of divinity and highlighting women’s spiritual power.

During the discussion, Sumar said that while priests do hold administrative authority, these decisions are not the true source of change. Rather, they are the result of what people—men and women alike—are experiencing, needing, and demanding. Change begins in the community, and decisions only follow.

Michael said that God has no gender. While at times God is described with masculine attributes, at other times God is expressed through qualities that are distinctly feminine.

The conversation then shifted to the contrast between the missionary life desired by Pilar’s beloved and the stable life that Pilar herself longed for. Here, Marie-Thérèse reminded us that “Pilar” means pillar, a symbol of stability and foundation. In contrast, her companion remains nameless throughout the novel—he is simply “he.” His undefined identity reflects instability, a sense of being in constant search. According to Marie-Thérèse, Coelho may have deliberately left him unnamed to highlight this difference between the grounded nature of Pilar and the uncertain, wandering spirit of her counterpart.

Yet, Marie-Thérèse emphasized that highlighting difference does not necessarily mean opposition. In the end, the unnamed man comes to realize that to fulfill his spiritual mission, he does not need to renounce love or remain alone. On the contrary, he cannot fully live his calling without Pilar, because she is part of his mission. This reminded us that sometimes we believe our purpose demands solitude or detachment, when in truth our calling may only be complete through connection with others—sometimes through one person in particular.

After that we  preface of the novel, written by Coelho himself. In it, he argues that spirituality requires no liturgy and no rigid dogma—only love. This raised an important question among us: Do we truly need liturgy and dogmas to live our spiritual life and to be able to love?

Participants offered differing perspectives. Some believed that liturgy is indeed necessary—not as a prison, but as a structure meant to guide us. For them, liturgy and rituals help us feel that we are loved first, and only from that experience can we learn to love others. Others disagreed, maintaining that love is rooted in human nature itself. For them, spirituality does not depend on religion, liturgy, or dogma. Love is simply a choice—sometimes a difficult one—but a choice that can be made freely, without external structures.

Marina, the coordinator of Book Corner, said “this session was particularly rewarding. Reading By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept felt like an invitation to step outside, to walk, to explore, and through exploration, to discover myself. This Book Corner reminded us once again that books are not just stories on a page—they are journeys that open new paths within us.”