The Merchant Of Magic

Belief in alchemy notwithstanding and given the impossibility of finding the philosopher’s stone; there is however little doubt that the novels of Paulo Coelho have virtually attained ‘eternal life’ through the universal appeal they have garnered. Coelho’s The Alchemist has been escalated to cult status as the most revered fable of hope worldwide establishing the Brazilian author as one of the most popular writers of our times. In an e–mail interview with Alokita Datta Coelho talks about his latest book The Winner Stands Alone (HarperCollins 2009) which deals with the “price (to be paid) for dreams and illusions”, the role Catholicism has played in his life as well as the writers he admires and is inspired by.

The Winner Stands Alone describes the malicious nature of celebrity. Is this a commentary on the general ‘human condition’?
In this book I wanted to explore how dreams can be manipulated and how people get shattered in the process. I am not condemning vanity — since all under the sun is vanity as Solomon said. What I am interested in is in how people allow themselves to be dispossessed of themselves.

In our society, there are collective standards that are completely anonymous and yet many try to subscribe to them. Some people believe their happiness is conditioned by money, fame, beauty… How does that happen? This book arose from this central question.

You mentioned that the “manipulation of dreams” is one of the themes of this novel? Could you elaborate what you mean by the phrase?
You should make the difference between: the price you pay for your dreams and the price you pay for your illusions. The “currency” (if you wish) is always the same: your soul. In the first case, you bet on doing something that brings enthusiasm to your soul — despite other people’s opinions. The price you are paying in this case is the price of your freedom — which is high but ultimately worth it.

In the other case, you crave for something that hasn’t sprung from your deep rooted convictions. You choose to follow the road that all abide to: the road either of financial security or the road of social excesses. Either way: these “sought after” avenues lead nowhere because they were built on cravings that are dictated by the industry.

The novel seems to represent a modern day good versus evil battle in the book. Is there a definite moral to the story?
I don’t think it is a moralistic book — I describe without concessions this “dream factory” but I rely on the reader to be able to see in this rather a warning than a manifesto.

In most of your works, you draw analogies with the medieval world of Christianity. What is it that fascinates you about that order/ philosophy?
I grew up, like almost all Brazilians, in a strictly Catholic family. Later, at the age of rebellion, I doubted about Catholicism, and felt that I must try something new. Then I became a hippie. During this time, I travelled a lot, met people of different backgrounds, and had learnt different paths to come closer to spirituality. After I did a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, I returned to the Catholic faith — just because it is in my blood, not because it is the best religion. I am a catholic, but I don’t think you can put God in a church.