The Archer by Paulo CoelhoMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This one is not really a novel per se, but it is in story form. It's a very short book that is concerned with the transmission of wisdom. I can only assume that it is based on the author's own experience. Whether or not the author actually studied traditional Japanese archery, I do not know. The tale is about an old carpenter who used to be a great archer. He is visited by another archer who knows about his past and wants to test him. After proving his ability, the old man begins to instruct a boy who is there about the main lessons he learned as an archer. Obviously, the lessons can be taken a metaphors for life situations. The book can be interpreted in many ways. In this way, it reminds me of "The Book of Five Rings" or "The Art of War". Apparently, these martial classics have guided the decision making of Japanese executives and CEOs. (I can't see it myself, having read both of those. But that's what they say.) This book of "wisdom literature" could be put in the same category with some of Paulo Coelho's other books that are similar: "Manuscript Found at Accra" and "Warrior of the Light: a Manual". Overall, I found the book quite enjoyable. As I was reading it, I was reminded about another small book: "Zen and the Art of Archery" by Eugen Herrigel. I was not surprised when I saw that Coelho mentions both the work and the author in the acknowledgements at the end of the book.
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