Hippie: A Novel By Paulo Coehlo

It is generally believed about Paulo Coehlo that is among those writers, who have inspired million of people around the globe. His work has been translated in more than fifty languages of the world, while his novel Alchemist got worldwide recognition and became Coehlo's most acclaimed novel, more than million copies of that novel have been sold, which is a record in itself.

Paulo is better known for raising two points in his writings, one spirituality and other freedom for individual, though I've read most of his work but I was moved by his most recent novel "Hippie", published in 2018 by Viking/Penguin and the novel is spread over 284 Pages.

 This novel  focuses on the two points including spirituality and individualism, but his story-telling style in this novel has differentiated it from his other novels. The theme of this novel is the Hippie movement that started in 1960s in United States of America and by the 1970s it became a popular movement in the entire world. The Hippie movement was based mainly on two points:
(a) Individualism, and
(b) Seeking truth by travelling the world and understanding different cultures.

People from any race and culture were allowed to be part of this movement, a hippie was identified by his/her unique dress code and long hair, as well as uncleanliness. General people used to think that hippies don't take bath for months and they were sex manics and drug addicts.

 On the other hand a hippie considered himself a person in search of truth and traveled the world to learn unity in diversity.

Paulo's novel's story begins from Netherlands' capital Amsterdam, where the main character named Paulo, (who leaving everything in Brazil is traveling world to become a famous writer) meets a girl named Karla, who wants to travel to Nepal by bus for the second and learn spiritual ways.

 Both of them are free thinkers and don't like people imposing things on them, as both of them stay together Paulo realizes that Karla is imposing her wishes upon him and now he wants to get rid-off her.

 Paulo thinks that the real peaceful live could be led only in Netherlands, while Karla is fed-up of daily life in her country though being a Dutch and wants to run away from it. She shows desire that Pualo should travel to Nepal with her by bus, but Paulo is not willing to do so, Karla starts forcing him to go with her and wants she leave him alone.

However, Paulo agrees to go with her on the last moment and buys the ticket, on the bus called  'Magic Bus' driven by an Englishman name Michael and an Indian ticket collector, among others they meet a couple Rayan and Mirthe. Within few days on the bus Paulo's attitude is unbearable for Karla and she starts taking interest in Rayan, this upsets Mirthe and she wants to be closer to Paulo.
The Magic Bus crossing Europe enters Turkey, where it is known that suddenly political tension has taken entire world in its fold and Magic Bus is asked to stay for next eight days in Turkey and it is hoped that by than political tension would be defused. When the travelers come to know about this, they leave the bus and start exploring Turkey and its culture.

During this Paulo finds some interesting men wearing red caps and dancing anti-clock wise, their dance fascinates Paulo and he follows them, he comes to learn that they are Sufis following famous poet Rumi, who adopted this dance style, he meets a French guy, who left his country in search of truth and parallel reality and became a follower of Rumi, Paulo takes this French as his spiritual guide and decides he won't travel further on Magic Bus and stay with his spiritual guide for rest of his life.

 On the fourth day the travelers come to know that the route has been clear and they have to leave Turkey with in few hours or they would get stuck for another fifteen days, Karla realizes she is madly in love with Paulo and asks him to get on the bus but Paulo refuses to travel further as he has found his truth.

 Regarding this novel Coelho himself writes that: "All of the characters in this book are real but--- with the exception of two--- had their names changed due to the complete impossibility of finding them (I knew them only by their first names). I took the episode from the prison at Ponta Grossa (in 1968) and added details from two others to which I was subjected during the military dictatorship (in May 1974, when I was working as a songwriter). I have been involved in all the events narrated in this novel, one way or the other."

In my opinion this is a novel, which enlightens its reader about many cultures, countries and religions, while it also informs about political chaos and behavior of people around the world during 1970s. One more thing Paulo has masterfully narrated cultural shocks of different countries. For example one that really gave me a shock was regarding mustache on men's faces.

 A character named Jacques walks into the bazaar of turkey and notices funny style of mustache, he goes to a cafe and asks its owner regarding this, here is the extract from the novel:

'"I noticed something interesting, and I might be wrong. But, at least in this part of city, everyone has a mustache--- including you sir. Is this some tradition? You don't have to answer if you don't want."
The bar owner seemed thrilled to answer.

"I'm so glad you noticed--- I think that's the first time a foreigner has come in here and asked me this...."

"Religious, then?"

"Me?"

"No, the mustache."

"Not at all! It has to do with the fact that we're men---- with honor and dignity. I learned this from my father, who had a very finely manicured mustache, and who always said to me, 'One day you'll have one just like this.' He taught me that, during my great grandfather's generation, when the damn English and--- forgive me--- French began to drive us to the sea, people had decided on a direction forward. And, as each battalion was a nest of spies, they decided that a mustache would act as a sort of code. Depending on the way it was trimmed, it meant a person was either in favor of or against the reforms that the damn English---and, forgive me again, French--- were seeking to impose. It wasn't a secret code, of course, but a declaration of principles.

"We have been doing this since the end of the glorious Ottoman Empire, when people were forced to determine a new path for the country. Those who were in favor of the reform wore mustache in the shape of an M. Those who were against it allowed the sides of the mustache to grow downward, forming a sort of upside down U."

"And those who were neither for nor against?"

"They shaved their entire faces. But it was shameful for those men's families---- as though they were women."

"And that's still true today?"

"The father of all Turks---- Kemal Ataturk, the army officer who finally managed to bring to an end the era of thieves put on the throne by European powers, sometimes wore mustache and sometimes not. This confused everyone. But once traditions are established, it's difficult to forget them......."' (Novel Hippie, Pg: 208-209).

The novel comes to an end with Paulo's second visit to Netherlands in 2005, by then he has become a famous writer, he only spends a year in Turkey and returns back to Brazil, his soul is missing Karla.
I think Coehlo has used his complete magic of story-telling that compels readers to read the novel in one breath till end.