Rating: 
Summary: Didn't like it!
Review: I read the first 105 pages and I need to say it was not entertaining at all, even if there were some real wise and good sentences sometimes. I wrote these sentences down and this was it. After the 105th page (approx.) I stopped. No, this is not the way I see it. The Assyrian got killed and somehow it gave the impression that god is only there for the prophets like Eliah and the "chosen ones". But god is there for everyone(!), this book is more of a hero story and the other people don't count. No, this is not the way I see it.
Rating: 
Summary: Thought-provoking view of the old testament
Review: I really enjoyed this book- I have read it twice. It reminds me of Herman Hesse's "Siddhartha" which I also loved. This is strange because one is Christian and the other is Buddhist. The 5th Mountain is a philosophy of life book about a man (the prohphet Elijah) living according to his principles which happen to be from the Judeo-Christian God. But the principles are not so much religious as *life-affirming*...which is of course, a universal concept. The book does not say "believe in God"....no, it is not about miracles or proof of God..it is about Elijah, a simple man, who lived a principled life amongst difficulty and change in the turbulent tribal era BC. I think this is why Coelho left out all the truly hard core religious stuff about transfiguration and heaven. It's not about the existence of God. It's about embracing life and fate. While Christians may get something extra out of the book because it humanizes the remote and rather awe-inspiring people and events of the old-testamanet, some other Christians may gnash their teeth crying that it is not "true" to the old testament and sentimentalizes/fictionalizes the great Elijah. Readers with more open minds will encounter a myth-like story about an simple man who fulfills his destiny against all odds, and becomes great. The author portrays Elijah's struggle with tough events and growing understanding of his humanity in beautiful and accessible prose. Bravo yet again, Paul Coelho.
Rating:
Summary: Thought-provoking view of the old testament
Review: I really enjoyed this book- I have read it twice. It reminds me of Herman Hesse's "Siddhartha" which I also loved. This is strange because one is Christian and the other is Buddhist. The 5th Mountain is a philosophy of life book about a man (the prohphet Elijah) living according to his principles which happen to be from the Judeo-Christian God. But the principles are not so much religious as *life-affirming*...which is of course, a universal concept. The book does not say "believe in God"....no, it is not about miracles or proof of God..it is about Elijah, a simple man, who lived a principled life amongst difficulty and change in the turbulent tribal era BC. I think this is why Coelho left out all the truly hard core religious stuff about transfiguration and heaven. It's not about the existence of God. It's about embracing life and fate. While Christians may get something extra out of the book because it humanizes the remote and rather awe-inspiring people and events of the old-testamanet, some other Christians may gnash their teeth crying that it is not "true" to the old testament and sentimentalizes/fictionalizes the great Elijah. Readers with more open minds will encounter a myth-like story about an simple man who fulfills his destiny against all odds, and becomes great. The author portrays Elijah's struggle with tough events and growing understanding of his humanity in beautiful and accessible prose. Bravo yet again, Paul Coelho.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the Coelho's best work, but a good one
Review: I still firmly maintain that The Alchemist is the best work from Coelho. However, this book provides some intersting food for thought about the old testimate and christianity.
Rating:
Summary: Lessons from the Mountain
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The ideas are simple yet thought-provoking. This journey of Elijah to Akbar is also our journey to our hearts, where we experience his struggle with God and learn to realize all expressions of His goodness.
Rating:
Summary: well worth the read
Review: I thought it was a great little book, with gems of knowledge at least every two pages. They are written so simply and plainly that I doubt if most people will take the time to glean the wisdom from something so simple such as: the Byblos, the alphabet and papyrus, and the absolute danger of transporting ideas because ideas have power." Do all of you readers out there know the wonderful gift you have, the knowledge we have, the power we have? The changing of a name is very powerful in the Jewish tradition with much history behind it, Its such little gems as these that most will bypass and not catch. But I found it a delightful book and have suggested it to many others. Its not a text book but a plain, simple, and charming book that can be read in 4-5 hrs.
Rating:
Summary: ONE OF THE BEST.............
Review: I'VE READ PAULO COELHO'S 2 BOOKS.I THINK PAULO COELHO ONE OF THE BEST AUTHOR IN MY LIFE . I!M LOOKÝNG FOR "AN ENCOUNTER WITH ANGELS"AND"A CONTEMPORARY QUEST FOR ANCIENT WISDOM"ÝN BOOK STOORE ÝN TURKEY , BUT I COULD NOT FIND THEM.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting reading
Review: In "By river piadra I sat down and wept", the author tells a small fable. A catholic priest goes to latin america, meets 3 native Indian priests, rebukes their custom and preaches them how to pray in the catholic way. After a few days he sees them performing miracle and realizes that he was infact trying to preach highly developed spiritual souls. Religion is definetly not required for the spiritual growth of an individual. Everyone will anyway find their own paths. This is what I thought was Paulo's philosophy.
Here in "The fifth Mountain", Paulo seems to potray the fanatical side of the Judo-christian faith with Elijah trying to condemn the religion of Akbar's people and proclaiming his own to be the true faith. Ignoring the socio-political issues and considering just the spiritual side of the issue, I strongly feel this is pure hypocrasy and an attitude of a spiritually immature personality.
Inspite of that, I love this book. Life is a never ending strrugle and we are bound to loose all that we love. The capacity to keep moving, without any self pity is what is needed for efficient living. This is what is called as "the detachment" in the eastern philosophies. Paulo does a wonderful job in sending this message across.
Rating:
Summary: Different from his other books and still excellent
Review: Many people have a difficult time trying to understand this book because it is so different from Coelho's other works. It takes us on an exploration of the inner struggles of a prophet. The journey is worth making.The Fifth Mountain is based on the story of Elijah's exile in the Sidonian town of Zarephath, as found in chapter 17 of First Kings. Coelho's tale begins in what appears to be a fleshing out of the basic Biblical story with some historical color and personal interest. Elijah doubts his calling to be a prophet and is resentful of the angels to instruct him in his responsibilities. However, the story takes several strange twists that are difficult to figure out at first. One of the stranger twists is the destruction by the Assyrian Army of the city that gives shelter to Elijah. Elijah survives the terrible destruction of the city and eventually realizes that it is his responsibility to help build up the city. This addition by Coelho to the Biblical story doesn't seem to make much sense, unless one reads chapter 1, verses 10 and 11 in the Book of Jeremiah. It is here that God is instituting Jeremiah as a prophet and describes his role as "tearing up and knocking down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant." One of Coelho's insights to the story of Elijah was to show how Elijah came to understand his responsibilities as God's prophet-not just to condemn but to build up as well. This book is an historical novel in its detail and story development, unlike Coelho's fable (The Alchemist). It is more complex than his other stories and certainly different. It is also engaging at many levels. Along with Veronkia Decides to Die, this is my favorite of Coelho's books. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: An impactful story of one man's fight to fulfill his destiny
Review: Moving account of how Elijah fought against God, only to find that in defeat, he found His true calling. Mark Rhode
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