Opravy

This book is a narration of a travel that Paulo Coelho did via the Trans-Siberian Railway looking for reconnect with the passion and the joy of life.

It starts slowly, showing us some kind of magic/spiritual rituals, his thoughts and feelings about them and introducing us his teacher J.

In the 20 first pages, we go through this rituals, we know that he is in a moment of his life where he have lost passion, we know also that he’s starting to lose faith in the magical Tradition that he has been following since many years ago, and we also assist to a supper where a ’clairvoyant’ from Morocco makes one advise to Véronique, one of the guests, and another advise to Paulo Coelho.

Both advises will be keys in future moments of the story.

Hi goes from Paris to London by train for a three days trip for a singing session.

When he arrives to London railway station, he witnesses a romantic act of declaration of love from a young man to his partner: Just before they arrive, the young man enters the carriage carrying a bunch of flowers and asks for twelve volunteers.

One by one, the volunteers hand her their red rose and, finally, he declares his love for her.

After the signing session, while he is waiting for supper, he reads an article about Chinese bamboo and how, once the seed is planted, you don’t see any change for five years.

Because all the growth is taking place underground, where a complex a strong root system is being established.

And only at the end of the fifth year, the bamboo suddenly shoots up to a height of 25 metres.

During the night, after some publishers ask him to visit his country, he have a ’eureka’ moment about the Chinese Bamboo and about J.’s advice of ’Make a commitment’.

And, suddenly, he starts to make appointments for the next days and weeks to visit as many countries as he is asked about.

He thinks that his roots have been growing the last years and right now it’s the time for shooting up.

So, at the end of the night, he finish with his diary fill up with two whole months of travelling and signing sessions.

And a trip on board the Trans-Siberian to do a book signing tour all across Russia.