There is a side to Paulo Coelho that is exotic, sexual, dark and daring. No married author would dare to write such things in his work that could speak to his sexual past or lustful fantasies they might have experienced with a side of love in their golden days; Paulo Coelho has never been afraid to implement such an ideology in his books and novels. If we’re talking about some of the best romance novels of all time, he’s number one on that list, even above Nora Roberts, Jodi Picoult, Danielle Steel, and Kapiel Raaj. 11 minutes, one of the most intense works of Paulo Coelho has also been one of the most desired. Although the Alchemist has been his most popular work, readers found a new delight in 11 minutes.
The story of this novel is about a girl named Maria who travels from Rio de Janeiro to Geneva hoping to find a better future for herself and her family. She uses prostitution to earn the money she always dreamed of, while she educates herself through a book in the library and at the same time finds a soulmate in an artist who only wanted 11 minutes to orgasm.
The story may be a little more twisted than my explanation, but the title says it all as it takes 11 minutes to orgasm and 11 minutes to fall in love. This is a must read for all lovers of spiritual romance. I call this spiritual romance because these are the themes of Paulo Coelho; find love through spirituality.
Next on my list is one of my best international reads of all time: Ashita, written by Kapiel Raaj. I came across his novel at a local stall inside a train station in India during my trip in 2009, and it wasn’t a recommendation, but a quick read to kill time while waiting for my train to Mumbai. I scanned the back cover of the book and quickly read the synopsis which suddenly grabbed my full attention. The short paragraph gave me a quick hint that this book might be a shadow of the work of my favorite author, Paulo Coelho. The story was filled with the experience of finding a true soulmate with the service of spirituality and mysticism during the journey. Could this be another Brida? I asked myself. I sat on top of my suitcase as there was barely enough room for the spider to crawl, but I somehow managed to comfort myself on the hard plastic surface, while the smell of dog urine and cow manure had already unrolled. my aura
The story: Ashita was the soul of Adtiya, who left him for another man due to religious reasons and pressure from her family. A woman like Ashita came once every hundred years, Aditya thought. She made him the man he was today; but Ashita’s life was now in the hands of god, and no one could do anything about it. But when Aditya finds out about her, he defies God and her will. But what can Aditya do? He is just an ordinary man.
What a beautiful way to present one’s work to a reader, however, tears began to well up in my eyes from the third page. I wish I could tell everything I knew about the story in this article, but that’s the beauty of storytelling and books; you must set out on a journey before you find or read about the destination. I was so in love with this author, that I had to get his second tearjerker ‘Palena and her royal guard’, which also turned out to be just as good and moving as Ashita. In the age of free information, where everyone will have fifteen minutes of fame, we are surely seeing some worthy candidates who may not have shone so brightly without the advent of the digital world.
My Top 10 Romance Novels of All Time:
1. 11 Minutes by Paulo Coelho
2. Ashita by Kapiel Raaj
3. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
4. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
5. Bridle by Paulo Coelho
6. Black Rose by Nora Roberts
7. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice
8. Jodi Pichoult’s 10th Circle
9. The Zahir by Paulo Coelho
10. Palena and her royal guard by Kapiel Raaj
