A Book about Life, Manuscript Found In Accra | Book Review

Book Cover 

Relieving. This one word may best describe what I feel about Paulo Coelho’s latest novel, Manuscript Found in Accra. Coelho has once again captivated my heart though his writings.

I came across Coelho’s works unintentionally. I still vividly remember an American woman giving her copy of the Alchemist to me when we flew together to US in 2011. Through that book, I came to the marvelous works of Coelho.

Manuscript Found in Accra tells about a story happening in Jerusalem in 1099. One night, the townspeople are engulfed in fear as the crusaders are about to attack the city, which is regarded as a holy city to Jewish, Christians and Muslims alike. The townspeople, regardless the difference of age, gender and religion, gather in a corner of the town. Suddenly, an unknown man, called himself as the Copt, appears out of nowhere. He then spreads his wisdoms to the townspeople who ask him about life, death, love, fear and any thinkable human’s life aspects. 

“Tell us about solitude,” said a young woman who had been about to marry the son of one of the richest men in the city but was now obliged to flee.
And he answered.

Without solitude love will not stay long by your side. Because love needs to rest, so that it can journey through the heavens and reveal itself in other forms.

In solitude, they will discover the love that might otherwise have arrived unnoticed. In solitude, they will understand and respect the love that left them. In solitude, they will be able to decide whether it is worth asking that lost love to come back or if they should simply let it go and set off along a new path.

The above lines are taken from the novel. A town resident, a young woman, asks the Copt about ‘solitude’ and he answers the question with wisdoms that can be reflected to your own experience in life. Throughout the novel, conversations between townspeople and the Copt occur in that way: a person asks the Copt about something, and then he answers it.

Some readers may feel disappointed with such construction because they consider the novel too preachy. But for me, I feel like the Copt’s answers have answered some of my life’s problem and burden. It’s true that when I was reading it, I was having a personal problem and in grief deeply. But, the novel has somehow given answers to my problems and relieved me.

Manuscript Found in Accra makes me think that it really depends on yourself when you see your life. The novel gives me alternative answers to various aspects of life problems. Even, the novel has taught me that ‘life problems’ will be more difficult if you consider them as problems. See other hidden parts of your problem, then you will call them as problems no more.

For those very reasons then I highly suggest you to read the book. On top of that, you can actually take out one or some lines from the novel that can be used to motivate you because as typical Coelho, the novel is abundant with inspirational and motivational quotes. Read the book slowly, feel every word Coelho has written and reflect it on your life!