Recently I saw a very intelligent blog from one who is younger and smarter than me. I also saw an internet game site used Kant maxim principle for article. I used it for my thesis, never thought it could be done for games. I write notes to practice English, but I think I just slacking off and never write anything profound and thought provoking. So here it is.. aghhhh don't leave:icondesperateplz: It won't be boring, I promise.
"The Winners Stands Alone" is a book by Paulo Coelho. The story follows a tycoon's attempt to win back his ex-wife from by killing random strangers on Caness Festival. Think of it as 24 + Lost staring Yagami Light. The first things I noticed are Paulo Coelho is a religious man, his concern for this declining world and he already experienced the pleasure and, more importantly, the pain of this world. He does use religion philosophy, but rather force dogmatic propaganda and indoctrination, he simply shows a point of view, and whether the readers accept it is entirely up to them.
The timeline itself only lasts one day, from night to night. It doesn't feel rushed and he managed to maintain the flow quiet brilliantly. The main character, Igor is somewhat an enigma. He is ex Russian military, one with dark past and has the money, motivation and means to obtain whatever he desire. He genuinely believes that God has guided him to the point of almost delusional and to win back his loved one, he simply must destroy worlds. He thinks that after his ex-wife understands he would do anything for her, she would beg him to take her back.
The woman of his desire is Ewa. A woman who is calm, elegant, brlliant and caring. At first she sounded too good to be true, too perfect and cold even. She is married to Hamid, an Arabic billionaire and world renowned designer. Hamid shares too many resemblances to Igor, he has the same dedication and intelligent, it's one of the reasons Ewa chose him, not because of love but safety. There are many other casts from many backgrounds, each is a representation of a world.
The great thing about this novel is how Paulo managed to critique human arrogance and ego. The setting in Cannes Festival itself is a mockery of vanity. There are many things that so shallow but we regard them as important:
If you have excessive love for wealth and worldly materials,
If you have unhealthy admiration for (read worship) a superstar / model / singer / actor,
If you must text message for every waking minute of your life to look busy and "exist"
If you think newest fashion, jewelry, yacht, sport car etc are things that must be obtained to measure your success
If you envy someone..
You must read this book. It's literally a sword aim at human vanity.
It's a man opinion of the world, of course. But you could do worse than to hear advices from international bestseller who used real life examples as reference.
This book is perfect for age 15 - 25, it's a life lesson that we don't get from school, college or even our relatives. For the price of 50k, you can read inspirational thought of human life that you can use for a lifetime. Please if you still read Twilight, Vampire Diary or whatever, open your mind.
Every character is representation of a life, a world. They feel the failure and success, an amalgamation of dedication, faith and passion. These will prepare you for real life, it will not easy. It's daunting and quiet honestly will taint or ruin your view of this "beautiful" world. You might be offended by his opinions, I'll be honest it's harsh and bitter. You might read description of your habit and feel like he's bashing you for your lifestyle. But read and learn, there is logical truth in his words. I might not experienced what he wrote but I believe it's better to be humble than glamorous.
I'll also admit the novel is not perfect, his pacing is a bit off sometimes. There are times when banter or his thorough essays seem to get in the way of the story. But it's not all serious philosophy theme, there are witty remarks and quips along the story like one actress meditate a la "The Secrets", a model salary is too high it will cause inflation and my favorite; 46 definitions of "normal". The whole point is to show how futile and how stupid vanity is. There are also emotional moments when you feel sympathy for the characters because it's presented in such warm and heartfelt way.
If the world is as shallow and pretentious as portrayed, I take comfort and thank myself for being me. I'm glad that I can eat anything I want, except seafood TT. Watch movie and play video games when I want. Able to put on hand-free and just listen to my favorite song whenever and no matter what happen. Have enough to provide for my little needs. I'm far from perfect, I'm not even that great, I want and I will be better, but for now and many years to come, there is no one I rather be other than myself. Accept yourself for your true self.
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