Summary Of Paulo Coelho's 'Brida'

Paulo Coelho’s third novel, Brida, tells the story of a young woman on a quest for knowledge and fulfillment. As the novel begins, Brida seeks out two teachers. The first is Magnus, who teaches her about the tradition of the sun, in addition to helping her conquer her fears. In Brida, Magnus sees his soul mate—essentially the other half of his own soul. The second teacher is Wicca, who instructs Brida in the knowledge and rituals of the tradition of the moon. While practicing these rituals, studying tarot cards, and dancing to the sound of the world, Brida begins to understand that she is a witch. While the forward movement of the plot is somewhat slow—consisting mostly of conversations between Brida and the characters, the pace begins to quicken when Brida has a vision of a previous life where she is a woman preparing to die with the Cathars in the fortress of Monsegur in thirteenth-century France. She is then awakened from her vision and proceeds with training in the rituals and training needed to become a witch.

As a character, Brida is unsympathetic and self-absorbed. She uses those around her to achieve her goals. Similarly, Wicca is difficult to understand and warm up to. This mentor shares many of the same characteristics as Brida. However, Magnus is quite the opposite. He is quite amenable, and the portions of the book written from his perspective are more palatable. Lorens, another prominent character in the novel, and Brida’s lover, although likable in many ways,