Neko

There comes a time when books become our refuge to change one’s perception on an idea, or even, to the extreme, one’s perspective in life. Yes, there are books that entertain you but nonetheless leave you still where you were before reading it.

But there will always be that one book where it will touch you so deep you gotta have a copy of it, even if you already have read it. That book moved you so much you just gotta share it.

In almost the same time as I was reading the “Story of O”, by Pauline Réage [wiki], a colleague recommended “Eleven Minutes” by Paulo Coelho.

Knowing he is the author of that famous novel The Alchemist, made me not listen to this recommendation at first. But the mention of “yellow” as saying “lessen the pain” and “red” as saying “stop” indicated that indeed this novel is quite different from the popular ones the masses would easily bite into. A touch of sadism and sadomasochism gave a spice to a conventional love story. This made me not judge the book by its author’s popularity (which I am guilty of always doing).

Months have passed after I last heard of this controversial book. It was borrowed by another colleague who eventually ran away with her lover and left the company. The owner was on leave the day I found his book on his table, so I got it with no intention of bringing it home. I only planned on browsing through it, as I assumed it was just another novel to let me pass the time.

As another of my habit on judging a book, I always base the plot or the way of writing by the first paragraph. Yes, it is quite undignified to always read the first paragraph of a book before deciding to buy it or settle on spending time reading it. But that’s how I am. If the lines were boring, or badly written, or simply not my taste, I would close the book and move on. They say don’t judge a book by its cover. Well, the cover is simply not the thing that would make me look twice on even holding a book. The title of the book would play that role. I simply judge a book by its first paragraph.

Anyway, going back with this particular novel, the twist of a childish fairy-tale-hopeless-romantic-conventional first line with a modern fringe made me want to continue. So let me quote..

Now that’s something that stirred my curiosity cup!

Actually, as I was reading in between the pages of this novel, I came across a part where the heroin in the story wrote in her diary about a pebble thrown by the lake. This entry inspired me to write a short story which I inevitable gave the title “The Pebble”. Although this is supposedly based on the novel, the lines are (let me say it) too personal for me to publish or even let anyone read. Maybe in time…

Or maybe in another blog? Hehe.. (now that I have to remind myself in making)

Anyway, let me just recommend this book to those who are actually looking for another way of releasing those tensions the unconventional way. The psychological mix of Maria as a prostitute, an innocent girl, a femme fatale, an understanding mother, a woman, as a dreamer and a realist, with the awareness that the author is non-female is thought-provoking. Men are no different from women. Women just tend to be more emotional and expressive. But we all have that common outlook in life (some simply either hide it or deny it) – finding the one who will perfectly love us despite our imperfections.

This book did not entirely change my outlook in life, but it somehow made me think that dreams only cater the unexplainable. And in reality, a miracle is having one happy day of realizing our dream. It’s just a matter of seeing, feeling and accepting what life has to offer.

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photo credit: “DOMINATION” by maldonadophoto.com