book data
3156 ratings, 3.54 average rating, 360 reviews
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published
July 1st 2006
(first published 2000)
by HarperCollins
binding
Hardcover, 224 pages
characters
setting
Unknown
isbn
0060527994
(isbn13: 9780060527990)
description
A community devoured by greed, cowardice, and fear. A man persecuted by the ghosts of his painful past. A young woman searching for happiness. In one
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avg 3.54
Read in December, 2008
recommends it for:
Agnostics
This is one of those books where “this book was about ___,” is not nearly as important as “this book made me think about ___.” And because of the book’s popularity, you probably already know what it’s about anyway. If not, here’s a refresher: it’s about the battle between good and evil. There are angels and devils, a rogue wolf, an arms dealer, a bar wench and it all takes place in a rural community, purportedly in Brazil.
I’ve read some critiques of this book a...more
I’ve read some critiques of this book a...more
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Read in January, 2008
The Devil and Miss Prym was published in 2000, but it reads like a morality play from the 16th century. The basic premise is that a stranger comes to a small town. He speaks to Miss Prym, the local barmaid and tells her his plan. He wishes to offer the villagers enough gold to improve their lot for generations. All they have to do is murder one of their own. How the villagers choose will answer for the stranger whether people are basically good or basically evil. Miss Prym struggles with whether...more
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Read in October, 2008
recommended to miaaa by:
Spamiolarecommends it for: Spamiola hehe
If I haven't promised someone who really wants this book I might not read it now, especially since Coelho noted that this is the third book of And on the Seventh Day trilogy! The good news is I can then read them in reverse order. It may provide a different perspective, or the opposite, I'll end up in a miserable confusion. Either way is acceptable.
The idea of revealing human nature is not something that really new, however Coelho is able to remind us about it without any suggestion...more
The idea of revealing human nature is not something that really new, however Coelho is able to remind us about it without any suggestion...more
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17 comments
Read in September, 2008
*WARNING FOR SPOILERS*
Are human beings inherently good or evil? "The Devil and Miss Prym: A Novel of Temptation," by famed author Paulo Coelho, is intended to be an exploration of this theme, with various legends introduced into the conversation throughout the book. One of these legends involves a man traveling with his horse and dog when he is struck by lightning and killed. Not realizing he is dead, the man continues his walk, but eventually the group becomes thirsty....more
Are human beings inherently good or evil? "The Devil and Miss Prym: A Novel of Temptation," by famed author Paulo Coelho, is intended to be an exploration of this theme, with various legends introduced into the conversation throughout the book. One of these legends involves a man traveling with his horse and dog when he is struck by lightning and killed. Not realizing he is dead, the man continues his walk, but eventually the group becomes thirsty....more
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Read in September, 2007
A simple and complex tale about temptation and human greed. It depicts how humans struggle with life, fear and evil. A small "dying" community was offered a new lease in life by a strange man who was searching for answers to his life questions. He offered them a possibility and a challenge to realize individual dreams on the condition that they kill one among themselves as sacrifice. It was unthinkable to anyone of them, yet the offer gripped them slowly. They acted as one, with d...more
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Read in June, 2005
To be honest I got lost when reading this book. I don't understand what is the essence of the story.
But this book is better than the 'by the riviere piedra i sat down and cry'. After reading this book of him (the 4th book that I read), I decided to stop buying his book. He created a master piece, the alchemist, but that's it. The other books are not even close to it. So rather than keep dissappointing and spending money for nothing, I better read other writers' books.
Au r
But this book is better than the 'by the riviere piedra i sat down and cry'. After reading this book of him (the 4th book that I read), I decided to stop buying his book. He created a master piece, the alchemist, but that's it. The other books are not even close to it. So rather than keep dissappointing and spending money for nothing, I better read other writers' books.
Au r
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I wound up reading this because his better known book, the Alchemist, wasn't available at my local library and I wanted to see what all of the fuss was about. I'm still waiting.
Lots of parables. Very little story. A lack of beautiful writing.
I'm sure the book fills a void for people who need to be reassured there is *good* in the world and need to be told so in fables, but this book isn't a good substitute for the bible and I'm not a religious man.
Lots of parables. Very little story. A lack of beautiful writing.
I'm sure the book fills a void for people who need to be reassured there is *good* in the world and need to be told so in fables, but this book isn't a good substitute for the bible and I'm not a religious man.
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Read in October, 2007
This fable-like tale could have been easily summarized in 3 pages rather than taking up an entire book, but it presents some interesting ideas about the places we consider home. As Coelho says in the Q&A afterwards, "I believe that God is always hiding hell in the middle of paradise." The obvious point of book was to examine the nature of good and evil, which it does, but maybe too simplistically to be an eye-opener.
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i think that it's one of the most pessimistic books that coelho has ever wrote. all his stories are like fairytals for grown ups, this one...well it's not. that's why i've loved it so much. it was much more real than the alchemist or the zahir. my favorite book from this writer.
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This book started out great, a moral view of good and evil, but tailed off in the things you want from a book. A commentary on good and evil can be provided by anyone, and the reason i bought this book was to read a narrative. It seemed like half-way through, the author turned from an interesting narrative and made this into a commentary in which he expressed his views over and over. A classic "I'm miserable so I want to give good people some hard choices to make, and see if they're evil t...more
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actually, I didn't finish this one completely. I went on holiday and purposfully "forgot" it at home. don't get why people love his books. It's stupid!
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Not perfect as I found so many flaws in it. Sometimes, I think the author lacked the explanations necessary that he tried to divert it to drama but failed. But I think I enjoyed the book fairly well. I couldn't put it down. But the ending was disappointing for me. Also, the stranger's question as to why the terrorists still killed his family despite having been traced by the police and defeated is simply idiotic.The author described him as sophisticated, successful, and intelligent. But why coul...more
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Колкото и невероятно да изглежда, оказа се възможно - хареса ми книга на Коелю! Предполагам причината е, че е доста по-различна от останалите - или поне на мен така ми се стори. Сравнявайки рейтинга й сред феновете тук с този на други книги на същия автор установих, че е най-нед...more
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Read in October, 2008
A stranger arrives in the small town of Viscos. Outside the town he buries 10 bars of gold. Upon meeting Miss Prym, he tells her that the town of Viscos can have the 10 bars of gold IF they break one of the ten commandments. The commandment he wants them to break is: thou shall not murder. He says it can be anyone, the homeless man on the street, or the old sick person who should have died years ago. The gold would be enough to bring the old village back to prosperity. While the town would...more
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3 comments
Read in November, 2008
recommended to Becky by:
Leslie recommends it for: 3rd graders.
My star rating is exactly how I felt about this book: It was OK. At less than 300 pages, I should have been able to finish this in a single sitting without a problem, but instead it took me days. I just kept setting it down and finding other things to do... And for me, that is really unusual.
I did finish this book, but there was no revelation or twist that impressed me as it should have for a book that has such high recommendations.
I didn't really relate to any of the c...more
I did finish this book, but there was no revelation or twist that impressed me as it should have for a book that has such high recommendations.
I didn't really relate to any of the c...more
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شیطان و دوشیزه پریم
غریبه، شانتال پریم را انتخاب میکند تا ثابت کند انسان ذاتاً شر است. پیشنهاد بیگانه میتواند برای همیشه سرنوشت شانتال فقیر و یتیم را عوض کند اما او باید میان فرشته و شیطانی که هر انسان در درون خویش دارد، انتخاب کند....more
غریبه، شانتال پریم را انتخاب میکند تا ثابت کند انسان ذاتاً شر است. پیشنهاد بیگانه میتواند برای همیشه سرنوشت شانتال فقیر و یتیم را عوض کند اما او باید میان فرشته و شیطانی که هر انسان در درون خویش دارد، انتخاب کند....more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in August, 2008
recommended to Zulay by:
Velocity6
What attracted me to this book is the philosophic approach to defining good & evil. This novel does it in a scenerio based setting which leaves you thinking to yourself "What would I do." After each chapter I found myself pausing to really wonder how I would handle the situation ... if I have ever been in a applicable situation.
The first minus of the 5 start rating was the ending ... I feel like it could have been more ingenious, though not detrimental to the point of ...more
The first minus of the 5 start rating was the ending ... I feel like it could have been more ingenious, though not detrimental to the point of ...more
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Read in January, 2005
recommended to Cyrisse by:
Joy Mendozarecommends it for: 18 and above
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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Read in July, 2008
Paulo Coelho is so hit or miss sometimes, I kind of read his books with hesitation. I find that his form of armchair philosophy is at its best when he deals with a specific philosophical or moral question as opposed to general "secrets to life." He often makes me cringe at the earnestness of the dialogue but more often than not, it's still enjoyable and even if I don't agree with his logic or conclusions, I find that I still want to know what they are.
Anyway, this novel, t...more
Anyway, this novel, t...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
EVERYONE!!
This is the second of Paulo Coelho books that I've had the pleasure of reading. This one, I understand is party of a trilogy that includes "Down By the River Piedra, I Sat and Wept" and "Veronika Decides to Die". I'm not sure which 'number' Miss Prym is supposed to be out of the three but I am pretty sure that they can be red in any order. His books, at least from an illustration I'd seen in one of them, ALL have a fable-like, underlying and virtuous theme; this ones being '...more
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