The Devil and Miss Prym A Novel of Temptation

Paulo Coelho

“The Devil and Miss Prym” by Paulo Coelho revolves around the idea as to whether or not...more

“The Devil and Miss Prym” by Paulo Coelho revolves around the idea as to whether or not humans are bad by nature. The novel is short, the vocabulary is easy and the narration is simple, however it has philosophical views which make the reader think and which can be complex to some point. Through his novel Coelho does not clearly state whether or not humans are essentially bad or good. The novel ends but the reader is left to think and decide for himself and even that does not give a straight-forward answer. The question on whose answer the novel is based or revolves around is asked by a stranger who comes to a remote village. He offers to give the people in that village 10 gold bars if they are capable of committing a murder during his stay. He chooses Miss Prym to deliver his message and offer to her village. This stranger is accompanied by the devil, hence the title, which can also refer to the choices Miss Prym faces, and relate to how she weighs and considers things. I would personally rate this novel 3.5 stars. It is neither a must-not-read book nor a waste of time.    hide

After reading this book I was mad as hopping hell. Not because there was anything outrageous or...more

After reading this book I was mad as hopping hell. Not because there was anything outrageous or controversial in the book itself. No, the reason I was mad as hopping hell was because I had wasted time reading this book in the belief that the author would have at least something clever to say. He didn't. It is the sort of book that frightfully tedious people are prone to see as "clever" or "deep". The sort of people who derive 90% of their "world wisdom" from magazines and in 10 minute slices of animals humping each other on Discovery Channel. If that's the sort of intellectual diet you are on, then of course Coelho's books appeal to you -- his main demographic is the tabloid-fed Hausfrau-demographic. Utter shit.   hide

I enjoyed this Coelho novel about good and evil. It unlocked my reading block of almost a year now....more

I enjoyed this Coelho novel about good and evil. It unlocked my reading block of almost a year now. It may not be Coelho's very best work, but his ability to mesh reality and existentialist myth is tremendously enjoyable to me. Heaven and hell resides within all of us and is a matter of wisdom and choice.   hide

Just finished reading the novel and as always Paolo Coelho left me with such a high-spirit of...more

Just finished reading the novel and as always Paolo Coelho left me with such a high-spirit of enlightened hope for the human race wherein we all belong. I always take Coelho's writings in the literary level, such as the Bible itself. Never that religious, I am a non-practicing Catholic, but I believe in the Good and the Evil and that in the end the Good always prevails. Coelho's focal point in most, if not all of his novels is the drama of the human life. The struggle within, to become good and to make a difference. Of the 'seven-day trilogy', "The Devil..." is my favorite, followed by "Veronika..." and then last is the "By the River Piedra...."!   hide

As much as I love Coelho's novels Veronika Decides to Die and The Alchemist, I was disappointed by...more

As much as I love Coelho's novels Veronika Decides to Die and The Alchemist, I was disappointed by this one (and even more by Eleven Minutes). Shirley Jackson expressed the same idea in her short story "The Lottery" in a couple of pages that it takes Coelho a whole book to express. If you've never read Coelho or Jackson's short story, you may really enjoy this book, but I don't think it's his best work.    hide