The novel read like a kind of modern-day variation on Conrad?s "Lord Jim," in which the hero spends his life atoning for an act of cowardice and betrayal committed in his youth. It not only gave readers an intimate look at Afghanistan and the difficulties of life there, but it also showed off its author's accessible and very old-fashioned storytelling talents: his taste for melodramatic plotlines; sharply drawn, black-and-white characters; and elemental boldfaced emotions

Funny and tragic, a novel that talk about the lives of the young people of Saudi Arabia- a world that up to now has been a mystery.

This book provides an inside peek into hidden world: four young women navigate the narrow straits between love, desire and Islamic tradition. It talks about Saudi culture that is veiled in the rest of the world. It revolves around the social life of the rich and pampered young elite of the Saudi kingdom.

When 17 year old Isabella Swan moves to Forks, Washington to live with her father she expects that her new life will be as dull as the town. But in spite of her awkward manner and low expectations, she finds that her new classmates are drawn to this pale, dark-haired new girl in town. But not, it seems the Cullen family. These five adopted brothers and sisters obviously prefer their own company and will make no exception for Bella. Bella is convinced that Edward Cullen in particular hates her, but she feels a strange attraction to him, although his hostility makes her feel almost physically ill. He seems determined to push her away? Until, that is, he saves her life from an out of control car. Bella will soon discover that there is a very good reason for Edward's coldness. He, and his family, are vampires? And he knows how dangerous it is for others to get too close. 

The story follows Igor, a rich Russian businessman who is pining after the wife who left him for another man. He follows them to the Cannes Film Festival, where he embarks on a killing spree designed to win her back. The story is simple, the writing is simple. What doesn't work is the fact that it is billed as a satirical portrayal of the world of celebrity, but what it actually is is a contrived and scathing attack on celebrity culture, minus an empthatic plot or any believeable characters. I can understand and appreciate the author's opinion on a world desperate for more and more consumerism, but the execution was just not very cleverly done. ??

I think the thing that really ate me up while reading this was that in parts it didn't read like a story at all; rather it felt like I was reading some essay or article about why consumer and celebrity culture is so terrible. I'm not disagreeing with Coehlo's sentiments, but I just think he could have used the plot and characters to better effect to drive his point home, rather than rely on the somewhat preachy methods that he relies on more and more.

I think that people who completely agree with Coelho on this subject will probably get a lot more out of this novel than me. I'm neither strongly for or against it, but sadly this didn't sway me either way. It's the Coelho novel I am least likely to recommend to my friends

Pitting scientific terrorists against the cardinals of Vatican City, this well-plotted if over-the-top thriller is crammed with Vatican intrigue and high-tech drama. Robert Langdon, a Harvard specialist on religious symbolism, is called in by a Swiss research lab when Dr. Vetra, the scientist who discovered antimatter, is found murdered with the cryptic word "Illuminati" branded on his chest. These Iluminati were a group of Renaissance scientists, including Galileo, who met secretly in Rome to discuss new ideas in safety from papal threat; what the long-defunct association has to do with Dr. Vetra's death is far from clear. Vetra's daughter, Vittoria, makes a frightening discovery: a lethal amount of antimatter, sealed in a vacuum flask that will explode in six hours unless its batteries are recharged, is missing. Almost immediately, the Swiss Guard discover that the flask is hidden beneath Vatican City, where the conclave to elect a new pope has just begun. Vittoria and Langdon rush to recover the canister, but they aren't allowed into the Vatican until it is discovered that the four principal papal candidates are missing. The terrorists who are holding the cardinals call in regarding their pending murders, offering clues tied to ancient Illuminati meeting sites and runes. Meanwhile, it becomes clear that a sinister Vatican entity with messianic delusions is in league with the terrorists. Packing the novel with sinister figures worthy of a Medici, Brown (Digital Fortress) sets an explosive pace as Langdon and Vittoria race through a Michelin-perfect Rome to try to save the cardinals and find the antimatter before it explodes. Though its premises strain credulity, Brown's tale is laced with twists and shocks that keep the reader wired right up to the last revelation.