My offical review of The Pilgrimage, by Paulo Coelho
I am not quite sure how to review this book. I have 2 distinct reactions to it. On the one hand I found it a very inspirational book about living a Medieval tradition in the modern world, and experiencing spiritual renewal along the way. But on the other hand I'm not quite sure what to make of the specific spiritual ideas that he discusses: it's an odd mix of Catholic doctrine with what sounds like Occult or Mystical ideas mixed together. They are clearly mystical in their approach, but I used the word Occult because he will quote the Bible alongside practicing rituals that sound like how a person is probably initiated into a Secret Society. He struggles with a demon-possessed dog, he talks to a spirits from his own subconscious mind, and several times he mentions the Occult writer Carlos Castaneda, whom I assume was something of a mentor to him in the past.
Review in progress....