The Valkyries

Paulo Coelho
1992
114pp.

People Destroy What they Love

Reviewed by: Rohan Manzoor

Paulo Coelhos The Valkyries is an autobiography told in third person. Paulo, accompanied by
his wife, Chris, sets out on a 40-day journey to Mojave Desert to find his Guardian Angel
resulting in an adventure involving love, hope, struggle and courage. The book, even though is
about magic has its inspirations form Christianity.
One way or another, I have wound up destroying what Ive loved. Coelhos inner demons, his
inner weakness forces him to destroy everything he has and the only way to get rid of his demons
is by confronting them. Coelho fears that one day, he might end up leaving his beloved wife out
of boredom or simply because he cant have anything good for more than 2 years. I have won
important things for myself, but Im going to destroy them, because I tell myself they have lost
their meaning. I know that is not true. I know they are important, and that if I destroy them, Ill
be destroying myself, as well.
He visits his master J who tells him to find his guardian angel as the angel will help him break
the curse. He embarks a journey from Brazil to Mojave Desert with his wife, Chris. There they
meet young master, Gene. He indirectly teaches him how to talk with their angel. It involves
destruction of second mind and then channeling. When Coelho realizes that the process so easy,
he is disappointed and now plans to meet his angel. Gene tells him that the Valkyries might help
him.

He finally meets them at a truck shop. They are a bunch of female warriors on motorbikes. After
some verification Coelho and Chris are invited by the eldest Valkyrie, Valhalla. Valhalla agrees to
help but Coelho must do three things to see his angel, break a pact, accept forgiveness, and make
a bet to see his angel. Meanwhile Chris (whos new to magic) has learned a lot. Her soul has
expanded and she has started communication with her angel. Coelho and Chris have to stay with
the Valkyries as long as Coelho does not see his angel. His first challenge involves confronting
his horrors from the past. His next task is to face the ritual that demolishes all rituals. During
their stay with the Valkyries, Coelho falls in love with Valhalla, but that does not last for long. He
later thinks of his love for Valhalla as an in infatuation. After completing his first two challenges,
the Valkyries leave him as their work is done. Now he has to place a bet, and after winning the
bet, he gets to see his angel.
The author tries to tell us several things. For example, if you dont let your past go it can have a
very negative effect on your present, or that we should pursue our dreams but at the same time
one should realistic. Well, meet your obligations. But obligations never prevented anyone from
following their dreams. Remember that you are a manifestation of the absolute, and do only
those things in your lives that are worth the effort It also tells us that things are not always as
they seem. Initially Chris found Coelhos magic quite boring but after experiencing his world,
her thoughts changed dramatically.
Paulo Coelho tries to give a blend of religion(Christianity) and magic. Sorcery is condemned
in Christianity. So it goes in direct contradiction with what the author is trying to portray. The
other thing I found really hard to grasp were the traditions of Valkyries. They are shown as
warrior bikers who spread the word of the Christianity but at the same time they make love with
any man they see. Valhalla, Valkyrie leader, was able to gather money by becoming a lover of a
wealthy man. She left her family to embark on a holy journey and now she along with other
Valkyries choose wholl make love with whom. I mean really? Is the author trying to say that the
moment you set out on a holy journey, prostitution and adultery is legalized and justified?
Coelhos struggle to avoid self-destruction is engaging. Hes shown as the guy who knows a lot,
a powerful magus but at the same time he has fears and this aspect gives the book a human
touch. At times things can be a bit difficult to understand and thats why I often found myself in
Chriss shoe I found Chris to be the most enjoyable character, unlike her husband whos on a

spiritual journey to end self-destruction, her objectives are simple and driven by the love she has
for her husband. Chris is shown to have a very soft but a strong character. Its such a shame that
the same cant be said about any other character. The other characters discussed in details arent
catchy. Interesting characters like Gene and J are not discussed as much as they should be.
The story is vague and after sometime it can get really slow. Most important thing is that I didnt
find the book to be engaging, the story is not catchy nor interesting. The other big problem with
the book is that its extremely difficult to understand and interpret. At time the plot changes
quickly and it can get bit difficult to visualize the scene. All these issues combined make it
difficult to comprehend what the author is actually trying to portray. This book might be pleasing
for die hard Paulo Coelho fans or people who like fantasy with religious touches but for most,
the experience wont be quite pleasing.