..::..Eleven Minutes..::..

Ever since I have read 'The Alchemist', I am an ardent fan of Paulo Coelho. So when I came to know that a friend of mine is having the book Eleven Minutes, I was dying to read it. But to my surprise,she handed me the book in such a secret manner, just like we were exchanging drugs or weapons. However going through the summary at the back page, I understood why she behaved in such a strange manner.

Eleven minutes is all about a Brazilian girl Maria, the protagonist. At a very young age, she experienced the bitterness of love and concluded that love gives only pain and frustration. Given a chance, she moved on to Switzerland, for she had dreams of finding fame and fortune. She started her career as a dancer in night club, but finally ends up as a prostitute, as she finds it as an easy way of money making. Soon she grew into a professional prostitute and finds that the amount of time spent actually having sex is about eleven minutes. Her world revolved around something that took eleven minutes!

Maria's life turns into a different path when she meets Ralf, a young painter who sees her "inner light". Soon she realizes the true love, with no possessiveness for Ralf. Finally she had to decide whether to continue with her work or live with Ralf, the love she was always looking for.

'Eleven Minutes' is quite different from the so-called Paulo Coelho formula of writing. The author itself says that the subject is harsh, difficult and shocking. He has explored the soul of a prostitute, her sexual encounters and her professional & personal frustrations.

Coelho used the character of Maria to express the sensitive matter ‘sacred nature of sex and love’ in its best philosophical way. I do think that it needs courage to explore such a subject, as the author had even made the character Maria to experience the pleasures of sadomasochism.

I guess Eleven minutes will be digestible only to those who just don't raise their eyebrows on hearing the theme and are ready to think out of the standardized framework. For those who are ready to move out of the box, I wish a wonderful time reading this book.