The Analysis Of Theme Used In Paulo Coelho’ Novel The Winner Stands Alone
APPENDICES
A. Biography of Paulo Coelho
Paulo Coelho was born on August 24, 1947, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He
attended Jesuit schools and was raised by devout Catholic parents. He determined
early on that he wanted to be a writer but was discouraged by his parents, who
saw no future in that profession in Brazil. Coelho's rebellious adolescence spurred
his parents to commit him to a mental asylum three times, starting when he was
seventeen.
Paulo Coelho is the author of many international best sellers. Aleph is one
of bestselling of him. Around 1986, Coelho found himself once more on a state of
lacking faith, thus set a journey like he previously did.Coelho said that Aleph is
one of his most personal novels to date. The story finds Paulo, which is how
Coelho refers to himself in writing, struggling with a serious crisis of faith. It is
33
Universitas Sumatera Utara
the fourteenth major book by him, and touch on the theme of spirituality. It
published in 2010 andwas written first in Portuguese language and translated into
English by Margaret D. Costa.It has sold its rights to more than 40 languages.
All of Paulo Coelho‟ books have sold more than 130 million copies in 160
countries and have been translated into 72 languagesbestseller lists throughout the
world, and scored him such celebrity fans as Julia Roberts, Bill Clinton, and
Madonna.
As a youth, Coelho was expected to follow in the footsteps of his father, a
professional engineer. When he rebelled, expressing his intentions to become a
writer, his parents had him committed to a psychiatric hospital where he was
subjected to electro-shock therapy. He left home to join the 1970s countercultural
revolution, experimenting with drugs, dabbling in black magic, and getting
involved in Brazil's bohemian art and music scene. He teamed with rock musician
Raul Seixas for an extremely successful songwriting partnership that changed the
face of Brazilian pop and put a lot of money in Coelho's pockets. He also joined
an anti-capitalist organization called the Alternative Society which attracted the
attention of Brazil's military dictatorship. Marked down as a subversive, he was
imprisoned and tortured.
Amazingly, Coelho survived these horrific experiences. He left the hippie
lifestyle behind, went to work in the record industry, and began to write, but
without much success. Then, in the mid-1980s, during a trip to Europe, he met a
man, an unnamed mentor he refers to only as "J," who inducted him into Regnum
Agnus Mundi, a secret society that blends Catholicism with a sort of New Age
34
Universitas Sumatera Utara
mysticism. At J's urging, Coelho journeyed across el Camino de Santiago, the
legendary Spanish road traversed by pilgrims since the Middle Ages. He
chronicled this lifethe culmination of decades of soul-searching.
In total, Coelho has sold more than 150 million books in over 150
countries worldwide (224 territories), and his works have been translated into 80
languages. He got many In the 2009 edition of the Guiness Book of World
Records, Coelho was named the most translated living author. He is the recipient
of numerous prestigious international awards, amongst them the Crystal Award by
the World Economic Forum and France's Légiond'honneur.
B. Summary of The Novel
The book loosely tells the story of several individuals: Igor, a Russian
millionaire; Hamid, a Middle Eastern fashion magnate; American actress
Gabriela, eager to land a leading role; ambitious criminal detective Savoy, hoping
to resolve the case of his life; and Jasmine, a woman on the brink of a successful
modeling career.
Igor Malevis the central character and the very subject of this book. He‟s
handsome, rich, and effortlessly personable - but she left him for a successful
fashion designer, a sting he's never recovered from. Igor Malev has one thing on
his mind - his ex-wife Ewa.
Ewa, who was once the motivation and the very reason for his existence is
now married to a couturier, Hamid Hussein- a man as successful as Igor, but a
powerful contradiction in character to him. Igor never recovers from the loss of
his wife, and after two years of separation, decides to win her back. He calls
35
Universitas Sumatera Utara
himself to be on a „mission of love‟, a mission that requires sacrifices- murders.
Set against the backdrop of glitz and glamour of the world‟s most famous film
festival, what then ensues is a tale of „extraordinary violence‟ (as the book cover
puts it), lasting just under 24 hours, revealing the evil which hides in each human
soul and busting the myths associated with the world of celebrities.
So he travels to the glamorous Cannes International Film Festival where
they'll be appearing, intent on winning back her love. But Igor is a man of rare
intensity and cold intelligence - and this is to be no ordinary reconciliation. For
Igor made a promise to destroy whole worlds to get to his beloved. Now, the
conflict between an individual evil force and society emerges as the novel
unfolds, and as morality is derailed.
The sole purpose of Igor is to win back his wife Ewa. He visits Cannes
Film Festival with the same intention, being an extremely successful Russian
telecom giant, he has no problems getting in. Ewa, the only person he loves and
wants, is now married to a fashion mogul, Hamid Hussein.
Hamid himself is almost as successful as him but the contradiction in their
characters is very apparent. Igor is still grieving being separated with Ewa, and
after two years of separation finally decides to win her back. He convinces
himself that his actions are justifiable. His actionsand his mission requiring
sacrifices.Murders. The Cannes Film Festival as the backdrop, Paulo Coelho
attempts to bust a lot of myths of celebrity lifestyle, its shallowness and
superficiality. The story is also about a man who acts and pursues the dark side of
his soul, something all of us possess.
36
Universitas Sumatera Utara
The Winner Stands Alone is a book which fills the reader with impending
darkness. The portrayal of the world of glamour, largely realistic, is very
depressing. It is depicted as an arena in which under the glimmer of stars, what
exists is deep darkness, an abyss of depression from which no return is
possible. Gabriela, an aspiring and aging actress, and Jasmine, a young and wise
model are the characters who are used to convey this aspect of the story, though in
a very repetitive fashion. The author uses these 5 characters to narrate a story of
people chasing their dreams. The development of the characters in my opinion is
rather lackluster except Igor.
The best character in the book was just the character Igor Malev. He is the
character, some would hate a lot, while others would try to justify his actions,
though not profess them. He was a mirror for all the evil thoughts we allow and
justify within ourselves. Igor displays traits of many serial killers. He quantifies
his actions, however absurd and morose, in his head by thinking he is committing
them for love. For him, there need not be another reason. How slowly his psyche
unfolds from a billionaire on a mission to get his wife back, into a serial killer is
captivating.
The shifting of narrative between characters though imperative to the
essence of the story did hinder its lucidity. Each character has a dream, as
apparently Coelho usually does, this book also explores what price people end up
paying in order to pursue them. This novel is examines deeper moral and spiritual
questions. It explores basis of a society obsessed with power, fame, celebrity and
insatiable need for stardom. The thriller part of the book though disappoints
37
Universitas Sumatera Utara
hugely. Though it was never supposed to be a mystery, but just a foray into a
killer‟s mind, The characters besides Igor and Ewa, everyone else just seem an
add-on.
This book left a very bitter taste. This book does not offer you any hope
and would rather bring you down on a bad day. Love might not be the essence of
the book, but it is depicted as the underlying reason for all things evil.
Concluding the book is good . It flows well . Another new theme explored
by Coelho .It is one of Coelho‟s book , it is taken to be there , infect , it gels with
the theme really well .
38
Universitas Sumatera Utara
A. Biography of Paulo Coelho
Paulo Coelho was born on August 24, 1947, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He
attended Jesuit schools and was raised by devout Catholic parents. He determined
early on that he wanted to be a writer but was discouraged by his parents, who
saw no future in that profession in Brazil. Coelho's rebellious adolescence spurred
his parents to commit him to a mental asylum three times, starting when he was
seventeen.
Paulo Coelho is the author of many international best sellers. Aleph is one
of bestselling of him. Around 1986, Coelho found himself once more on a state of
lacking faith, thus set a journey like he previously did.Coelho said that Aleph is
one of his most personal novels to date. The story finds Paulo, which is how
Coelho refers to himself in writing, struggling with a serious crisis of faith. It is
33
Universitas Sumatera Utara
the fourteenth major book by him, and touch on the theme of spirituality. It
published in 2010 andwas written first in Portuguese language and translated into
English by Margaret D. Costa.It has sold its rights to more than 40 languages.
All of Paulo Coelho‟ books have sold more than 130 million copies in 160
countries and have been translated into 72 languagesbestseller lists throughout the
world, and scored him such celebrity fans as Julia Roberts, Bill Clinton, and
Madonna.
As a youth, Coelho was expected to follow in the footsteps of his father, a
professional engineer. When he rebelled, expressing his intentions to become a
writer, his parents had him committed to a psychiatric hospital where he was
subjected to electro-shock therapy. He left home to join the 1970s countercultural
revolution, experimenting with drugs, dabbling in black magic, and getting
involved in Brazil's bohemian art and music scene. He teamed with rock musician
Raul Seixas for an extremely successful songwriting partnership that changed the
face of Brazilian pop and put a lot of money in Coelho's pockets. He also joined
an anti-capitalist organization called the Alternative Society which attracted the
attention of Brazil's military dictatorship. Marked down as a subversive, he was
imprisoned and tortured.
Amazingly, Coelho survived these horrific experiences. He left the hippie
lifestyle behind, went to work in the record industry, and began to write, but
without much success. Then, in the mid-1980s, during a trip to Europe, he met a
man, an unnamed mentor he refers to only as "J," who inducted him into Regnum
Agnus Mundi, a secret society that blends Catholicism with a sort of New Age
34
Universitas Sumatera Utara
mysticism. At J's urging, Coelho journeyed across el Camino de Santiago, the
legendary Spanish road traversed by pilgrims since the Middle Ages. He
chronicled this lifethe culmination of decades of soul-searching.
In total, Coelho has sold more than 150 million books in over 150
countries worldwide (224 territories), and his works have been translated into 80
languages. He got many In the 2009 edition of the Guiness Book of World
Records, Coelho was named the most translated living author. He is the recipient
of numerous prestigious international awards, amongst them the Crystal Award by
the World Economic Forum and France's Légiond'honneur.
B. Summary of The Novel
The book loosely tells the story of several individuals: Igor, a Russian
millionaire; Hamid, a Middle Eastern fashion magnate; American actress
Gabriela, eager to land a leading role; ambitious criminal detective Savoy, hoping
to resolve the case of his life; and Jasmine, a woman on the brink of a successful
modeling career.
Igor Malevis the central character and the very subject of this book. He‟s
handsome, rich, and effortlessly personable - but she left him for a successful
fashion designer, a sting he's never recovered from. Igor Malev has one thing on
his mind - his ex-wife Ewa.
Ewa, who was once the motivation and the very reason for his existence is
now married to a couturier, Hamid Hussein- a man as successful as Igor, but a
powerful contradiction in character to him. Igor never recovers from the loss of
his wife, and after two years of separation, decides to win her back. He calls
35
Universitas Sumatera Utara
himself to be on a „mission of love‟, a mission that requires sacrifices- murders.
Set against the backdrop of glitz and glamour of the world‟s most famous film
festival, what then ensues is a tale of „extraordinary violence‟ (as the book cover
puts it), lasting just under 24 hours, revealing the evil which hides in each human
soul and busting the myths associated with the world of celebrities.
So he travels to the glamorous Cannes International Film Festival where
they'll be appearing, intent on winning back her love. But Igor is a man of rare
intensity and cold intelligence - and this is to be no ordinary reconciliation. For
Igor made a promise to destroy whole worlds to get to his beloved. Now, the
conflict between an individual evil force and society emerges as the novel
unfolds, and as morality is derailed.
The sole purpose of Igor is to win back his wife Ewa. He visits Cannes
Film Festival with the same intention, being an extremely successful Russian
telecom giant, he has no problems getting in. Ewa, the only person he loves and
wants, is now married to a fashion mogul, Hamid Hussein.
Hamid himself is almost as successful as him but the contradiction in their
characters is very apparent. Igor is still grieving being separated with Ewa, and
after two years of separation finally decides to win her back. He convinces
himself that his actions are justifiable. His actionsand his mission requiring
sacrifices.Murders. The Cannes Film Festival as the backdrop, Paulo Coelho
attempts to bust a lot of myths of celebrity lifestyle, its shallowness and
superficiality. The story is also about a man who acts and pursues the dark side of
his soul, something all of us possess.
36
Universitas Sumatera Utara
The Winner Stands Alone is a book which fills the reader with impending
darkness. The portrayal of the world of glamour, largely realistic, is very
depressing. It is depicted as an arena in which under the glimmer of stars, what
exists is deep darkness, an abyss of depression from which no return is
possible. Gabriela, an aspiring and aging actress, and Jasmine, a young and wise
model are the characters who are used to convey this aspect of the story, though in
a very repetitive fashion. The author uses these 5 characters to narrate a story of
people chasing their dreams. The development of the characters in my opinion is
rather lackluster except Igor.
The best character in the book was just the character Igor Malev. He is the
character, some would hate a lot, while others would try to justify his actions,
though not profess them. He was a mirror for all the evil thoughts we allow and
justify within ourselves. Igor displays traits of many serial killers. He quantifies
his actions, however absurd and morose, in his head by thinking he is committing
them for love. For him, there need not be another reason. How slowly his psyche
unfolds from a billionaire on a mission to get his wife back, into a serial killer is
captivating.
The shifting of narrative between characters though imperative to the
essence of the story did hinder its lucidity. Each character has a dream, as
apparently Coelho usually does, this book also explores what price people end up
paying in order to pursue them. This novel is examines deeper moral and spiritual
questions. It explores basis of a society obsessed with power, fame, celebrity and
insatiable need for stardom. The thriller part of the book though disappoints
37
Universitas Sumatera Utara
hugely. Though it was never supposed to be a mystery, but just a foray into a
killer‟s mind, The characters besides Igor and Ewa, everyone else just seem an
add-on.
This book left a very bitter taste. This book does not offer you any hope
and would rather bring you down on a bad day. Love might not be the essence of
the book, but it is depicted as the underlying reason for all things evil.
Concluding the book is good . It flows well . Another new theme explored
by Coelho .It is one of Coelho‟s book , it is taken to be there , infect , it gels with
the theme really well .
38
Universitas Sumatera Utara