The Winner Stands Alone

I can't get enough Coelho! I saw a lot of negative reviews. Quite simply if you're expecting a short sweet and to the point story you may be disappointed. This novel is different than his others but still very good. I get this feeling with his books like they are pieces of his soul... This one felt more disconnected but still very good. All I can say is give it a chance.. Let it sink in and I bet everyone has a bit of an Igor in them. Sometimes we can get so desperate to be with the one we lov we do foolish things. Enjoy this and all his books!!

Paulo Coelho siempre tiene la magia para cautivar al lector a través de sus libros. En esta última obra Coelho nos proporciona muchos detalles de lo que es el festival de Cannes y el "deslumbrante" mundo de la moda. Mediante el transcurso de la lectura en esta obra, el lector se va sumergiendo poco a poco con las investigaciones hechas por el autor (Coelho), donde sus pensamientos ponen la pauta para reflexionar un poco de lo que estás haciendo en tu vida. El Vencedor está solo, no solamente es un libro que trata de un desequilibrado que tiene la meta de asesinar personas para poder aplacar su soledad. Sino mas bien, el festival, los desfiles de moda, la ansiedad para alcanzar "el éxito" son metáforas de la realidad de nuestros tiempos.

It was a good book, not as good as the previous ones, but though what is expected of Paulo Coehlo. It was delivered on time and in perfect condition.

I loved this book! This is another of Paulo's materpieces. This book brings you to modern times, the complexity of the fashion and entertainment industry, and most importantly - the reality behind the glitz and glamour of those famous individuals known as "Stars!" You have to read it for yourself to appreciate Paulo's opinion on fashion, models, and the life of the rich and famous. It also takes you into the dark and synister mind of someone willing to risk it all for vengence, interpreted wrongly as 'love.' This perhaps is a very different book for Paulo, I too had my doubts when first reading it but after the first chapter, I was hooked and could understand Paulo's reasons for writing it. I'm very happy to have purchased it and read it and highly recomend it to other Paulo Celho fans and those seeking meaning behind this madness they call the world of entertainment and glamour!

Celebrities, cameras, exquisite banquets, fashion. And than there's reality. In his most controversial book to date, Coelho investigates the contemporary world of celebrity and what is hidden underneath the façade. Set during twenty-four hours at the Cannes Film Festival, we are introduced to a culturally diverse set of characters--the dangerous Russian entrepreneur Igor who destroys lives in a bid to win back his now-married ex-wife Ewa, a driven young Italian actress Gabriela whose destiny drastically changes twice in one day, an African teenager Jasmine set to sign her first major modeling contract but secretly torn between her career and her love for another woman, and Ewa's fabulously rich Middle Eastern fashion-designer husband Hamid who is blissfully unaware of Igor's plans until it is too late. Along the way, Coelho showcases various members of the show-business hierarchy such as its naïve and exploited starlets, professional workaholics who are hostages to their own ambitions, and Superclass celebrities who have made it to the top but are secretly terrified of fading into obscurity at any moment. Yet, Coelho's newest offering isn't only a critical look into the makings of modern society dominated by pop culture, but also a tragic love story of a serial killer leading to a shocking outcome which is surprisingly foreshadowed by the book's title. Igor's journey for vengeance forever alters not only Igor's and Ewa's lives, but also the fate of the people Igor meets along the way like the innocent street-vendor Olivia, the superstar movie distributor, the aspiring movie-maker Maureen, and the unnamed troubled actor simply referenced to as the Star along with the Director of his new film. Interspersed throughout the story are curious factual aspects of the industry as well as Coelho's signature analysis of the celebrity-obsessed culture where both the audience and the celebrities are revealed to be victims of the system. There are also interesting tidbits about famous people like Coco Chanel (apparently she had a very negative childhood and underwent a string of wealthy lovers before she became the famous fashion designer we know today), as well as introspective reflections on fame, fashion, jewelry, and money among other topics. The eloquently described stars are revealed to be just as unhappy as the very audience they cater to, trapped into contractual freedom-less lives not much better than the standard nine-to-five--with their luxurious lifestyles a well-masked lie and self-esteem only as high or low as their latest career performance. Overall, I enjoyed Coelho's fluid writing and in particular his descriptive inclusions of various character viewpoints and industry revelations. Through his book, I feel that Coelho has given celebrity-ism a realistic new meaning--one not widely explored in the otherwise star-struck magazines or TV shows. With this new book, Coelho has left behind his ancient parables like "The Alchemist" and "The Devil and