Manuscript Found in Accra

Manuscript Found in Accra, by Paulo Coelho.

Translated from the Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costa.

A BORZOI book published by Alfred A. Knopf, 2013 (2012), 190 pages.

As readers, we determine the value and impact of that which we deem worthy of our time. This book provides options. We can see it as a work with complex theological implications. We can see it as a form of "self-help" which, while a valid approach, may unfairly diminish the book. Parents might value it as a tutorial of sorts. What Paolo Coelho’s novel does most of all, however, is to force us to confront what we think, what we value, and what we believe.

The story of the manuscript is revealed in the "Preface and Greeting" section. The preface is there for good reason. With this book, it is necessary to get off on the right foot. In the preface we learn that the text itself is the manuscript. It is a series of questions posed by the people of Jerusalem to the Copt, a man of faith and a philosopher, before and during the fall of Jerusalem.

The questions posed, and the Copt’s answers, can be taken as having varying degrees of simplicity or complexity. It is incumbent upon each reader to take as much or as little from the book as he or she wants to take individually. One can also accuse the author of a degree of redundancy. Such accusations are not merited in my opinion, but it is a point that some readers might choose to make.

The questions asked range from questions about beauty, to loyalty, to solitude, to defeat and even good fortune, in this case luck. To be thorough in listing all of the topics Coelho explores would be to diminish interest in the work. Not because of what is revealed as Coelho’s narrative unfolds, but because this author's perceptual prism may differ from that of any given reader. 

The Copt speaks often of "the Unwelcome Visitor" while also mentioning the devil at times. Sometimes the two beings correlate; at other times not. Love is a major thematic component of the novel, but is found in all forms, and goes by different names.

The key to reading Manuscript Found in Accra is to ask yourself, how much do you want to get out of this book? How comfortable do you feel challenging your own belief system? Perhaps this book could spark a debate among faiths and beliefs widely held. Perhaps this book could skew the way we look at things sufficiently to foster changes in some faiths. Coelho says that his goal is not to teach wisdom as universal thought.

Coelho’s book also deals with a multitude of problems each of us faces in real life. To reiterate the point: a reader could finish the book and conclude that he might have had a similar experience had he elected to submit to therapy/ analysis.

Perhaps in the end the value of the book lies in its power to force us to decide what we want out of it. You may conclude that it’s a waste of time. You may conclude that Coelho’s book prompted you to contemplate life at a whole new level. What you ought to consider trying is reading the book. You may end up taking one item or point of view from the experience and as a result enjoy some aspect of life more. If that is not a sufficient reason to pick up this book, I would be hard pressed to understand why not.

Review by Robert White

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