The Devil and Miss Prym: How a Stranger's Offer Tests a Village's Morality
The Devil and Miss Prym: A Novel by Paulo Coelho
Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian author who has written many bestselling books, such as The Alchemist, The Pilgrimage, The Zahir, and The Witch of Portobello. His books are known for their spiritual and philosophical themes, as well as their simple yet captivating style. One of his books is The Devil and Miss Prym, which was published in 2000. It is the third part of a trilogy called And on the Seventh Day, which also includes By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept and Veronika Decides to Die. The trilogy explores the concept of a week in the life of ordinary people who face extraordinary situations.
The Devil And Miss Prym Free
The Devil and Miss Prym is a novel that tells the story of a small village called Viscos, where nothing ever happens, until a mysterious stranger arrives with a tempting offer. He challenges the villagers to kill one of their own in exchange for a fortune in gold bars. He also involves a young woman named Chantal Prym, who works as a bartender at the only hotel in town. She is bored with her life and dreams of leaving Viscos for a better place. The stranger gives her a choice: to help him carry out his experiment or to stop him from destroying the village. The novel explores the themes of good and evil, temptation and choice, faith and doubt, among others.
The Plot of The Devil and Miss Prym
The novel begins with a prologue that introduces the stranger, who is a successful businessman named Carlos. He has lost his wife and children in a terrorist attack, which has shattered his faith in God and humanity. He decides to embark on a quest to find out if people are inherently good or evil. He travels around the world, witnessing various atrocities and injustices, until he arrives at Viscos, a remote village in France. He believes that Viscos is the perfect place to test his theory, since it is isolated from the rest of the world and has a simple and peaceful way of life.
The Stranger
The stranger is the main antagonist of the novel. He is a cold and cynical man, who has lost everything he loved and cared for. He is obsessed with finding an answer to his question: are people good or evil by nature? He believes that people are evil, and that they only pretend to be good out of fear or convenience. He wants to prove his point by creating a situation where the villagers of Viscos have to choose between killing one of their own or losing a fortune in gold bars. He thinks that this will reveal their true nature and expose their hypocrisy. He also wants to see if there is anyone who can resist his temptation and stand up for what is right.
The stranger carries a backpack with eleven gold bars, which he claims are worth a fortune. He buries them in the woods near the village, and tells Chantal Prym about them. He gives her a choice: to tell the villagers about the gold and convince them to kill one person, or to keep quiet and let the village die slowly. He says that he will stay in Viscos for a week, and that he will leave with the gold if no one dies by then. He also says that he will kill Chantal if she tries to betray him or steal the gold. He tells her that he is doing this for her own good, since she wants to leave Viscos and start a new life. He says that he is giving her a chance to make her dreams come true.
Chantal Prym
Chantal Prym is the main protagonist of the novel. She is a young and beautiful woman, who works as a bartender at the only hotel in Viscos. She is unhappy with her life and feels trapped in the village. She dreams of traveling the world and having new experiences. She hates the villagers, who she thinks are boring, ignorant, and hypocritical. She also hates herself, for being weak and cowardly. She wants to escape from Viscos, but she doesn't have the money or the courage to do so.
Chantal is the only person who knows about the stranger's plan and his offer. She is torn between helping him or stopping him. On one hand, she is tempted by the gold and the possibility of leaving Viscos for good. On the other hand, she is afraid of the consequences of killing someone and betraying the village. She also feels guilty for being selfish and greedy. She tries to find a way out of her dilemma, but she doesn't know who to trust or what to do.
Berta
Berta is an old woman who lives alone in Viscos. She is the oldest and wisest person in the village. She has some special powers, such as talking to her dead husband, seeing the devil, reading emotions, and predicting storms. She is also very kind and compassionate, and she cares for everyone in Viscos. She is like a mother figure to Chantal, who often visits her for advice and comfort.
Berta is the only person who knows that the stranger is accompanied by the devil, who she can see as a dark shadow following him everywhere. She warns Chantal about him, and tells her not to trust him or his offer. She also tells her that she has a choice, and that she can do what is right. Berta is also the person who the villagers choose to kill, since they think that she is old and useless. They plan to shoot her in the woods, where they think that the gold is buried. However, Chantal intervenes at the last moment and saves Berta from being killed.
The Villagers
The villagers are the secondary characters of the novel. They are 281 people who live in Viscos, a small village in France. They have a simple and peaceful way of life, based on farming, hunting, fishing, and trading. They have a strong sense of community and tradition, but they also have some secrets and sins from their past. In fact, Viscos used to be a place full of thieves, prostitutes, and criminals, until a priest named Father Henri convinced them to change their ways and repent for their crimes.
The Themes of The Devil and Miss Prym
The novel explores several themes and messages that are relevant to the human condition and experience. Some of the main themes are:
Good and Evil
The novel poses the question: are people good or evil by nature? The stranger believes that people are evil, and that they only act good out of fear or convenience. He wants to prove his point by creating a situation where the villagers have to choose between killing one of their own or losing a fortune in gold bars. He thinks that this will reveal their true nature and expose their hypocrisy. He also wants to see if there is anyone who can resist his temptation and stand up for what is right.
However, the novel also shows that people are not black and white, but rather shades of gray. The villagers are not evil, but they are also not saints. They have a history of crime and sin, but they also have a sense of community and tradition. They are tempted by the gold, but they also feel guilty and conflicted. They eventually decide to kill Berta, but they also change their mind at the last moment. They are not inherently good or evil, but rather human beings who have both good and evil within them.
The novel also suggests that good and evil are not fixed or absolute, but rather relative and subjective. What is good for one person may be evil for another, and vice versa. For example, the stranger thinks that he is doing good by testing the villagers and finding an answer to his question, but he is actually doing evil by causing harm and suffering to others. Chantal thinks that she is doing evil by helping the stranger or stealing the gold, but she is actually doing good by saving Berta and stopping the stranger. Berta thinks that she is doing good by sacrificing herself for the village, but she is actually doing evil by giving up her life and dignity.
Temptation and Choice
The novel portrays the challenges and consequences of facing temptation and making choices. The stranger tempts the villagers with a fortune in gold bars, which he claims can change their lives for the better. He also tempts Chantal with a chance to leave Viscos and start a new life. He gives them a choice: to kill one person or to lose the gold.
The novel shows that temptation is not easy to resist, especially when it appeals to one's desires and needs. The villagers are tempted by the gold because they want to improve their living conditions and prevent their village from dying out. Chantal is tempted by the gold because she wants to escape from her boring and unhappy life. They both struggle with their temptation, and they both succumb to it at some point.
The novel also shows that choice is not easy to make, especially when it involves moral dilemmas and ethical conflicts. The villagers have to choose between killing one of their own or losing a fortune in gold bars. Chantal has to choose between helping the stranger or stopping him from destroying the village. They both face difficult choices, and they both regret their choices at some point.
The novel also shows that temptation and choice have consequences, both for oneself and for others. The villagers' choice to kill Berta affects their relationships with each other, as well as their sense of self-worth and identity. Chantal's choice to help or stop the stranger affects her fate, as well as the fate of the village. They both have to deal with the consequences of their choices, whether they are positive or negative.
Faith and Doubt
The novel examines the role of faith and doubt in human life. The stranger has lost his faith in God and humanity after his family was killed in a terrorist attack. He doubts the existence of good in people, and he doubts his own purpose in life. He wants to find an answer to his question: are people good or evil by nature? He wants to find a reason to live or die.
However, the novel also shows that faith and doubt are not mutually exclusive, but rather complementary and necessary. The stranger's quest for an answer leads him to encounter various signs and symbols that suggest a higher power or a divine plan at work. He also encounters various people who challenge his views and beliefs, such as Berta, who tells him that God has not abandoned him, but rather loves him unconditionally; or Father Henri, who tells him that doubt is the beginning of faith, and that faith is not a matter of reason, but of feeling.
The novel also suggests that faith and doubt are not static or final, but rather dynamic and evolving. The stranger's faith and doubt change throughout the novel, as he experiences different events and emotions. He starts as a cynical and hopeless man, who believes that people are evil and that life is meaningless. He ends as a hopeful and grateful man, who accepts that people are human and that life is a gift. He also realizes that his question has no definitive answer, but rather depends on one's perspective and attitude.
The Style of The Devil and Miss Prym
The novel is written in a simple yet captivating style, which reflects the author's writing techniques and preferences. Some of the main aspects of the author's style are:
Simplicity and Symbolism
The author uses simple language and short sentences to convey complex ideas and messages. He avoids unnecessary details and descriptions, and focuses on the essential elements of the story. He also uses symbolic elements, such as names, objects, colors, numbers, etc., to enhance the meaning and significance of the story. For example, the name Chantal Prym suggests her innocence and purity, as well as her temptation and choice; the gold bars symbolize greed and corruption, as well as opportunity and freedom; the color black symbolizes evil and death, as well as mystery and power; the number seven symbolizes perfection and completion, as well as trial and challenge.
Dialogue and Monologue
The author uses dialogue and monologue to develop the characters and the plot. He uses dialogue to reveal the characters' personalities, emotions, thoughts, and motivations. He also uses dialogue to create tension, conflict, and suspense in the story. He uses monologue to express the characters' inner struggles, doubts, fears, and hopes. He also uses monologue to provide insight, commentary, and reflection on the themes and messages of the story.
Allegory and Parable
The Reception of The Devil and Miss Prym
The novel received mixed reviews from critics and readers, who praised or criticized different aspects of the book. Some of the main reviews are:
Positive Reviews
Some positive reviews from critics and readers praised the novel for its engaging plot, its thought-provoking themes, its simple yet captivating style, and its universal appeal. For example, Kirkus Reviews called the novel "a bit more playful than some of Coelho's other efforts, and all the better for it." It also appreciated the "Kafkaesque overtones" and the "creepiness of a town eager for a murder" that offset the author's "spiritual pontificating". Similarly, a reader on Goodreads wrote: "This is one of my favorite books by Paulo Coelho. It is a simple story with a deep meaning. It makes you think about your own choices and morality. It also shows how one person can make a difference in the world."
Negative Reviews
Some negative reviews from critics and readers criticized the novel for its predictable plot, its shallow characters, its preachy tone, and its lack of originality. For example, Publishers Weekly called the novel "a tepid parable" that "offers few surprises". It also complained that the characters were "sketchily drawn" and that the author's "message is hackneyed". Similarly, a reader on Goodreads wrote: "This is one of the worst books by Paulo Coelho. It is a boring story with a lame moral. It makes you feel like you are reading a sermon or a lecture. It also shows how one person can ruin a good story."
Mixed Reviews
Some mixed reviews from critics and readers acknowledged both the strengths and weaknesses of the novel, and expressed ambivalent or conflicted opinions about it. For example, The Guardian called the novel "a modern-day morality play" that "raises some interesting questions". It also noted that the author's "writing is clear and accessible". However, it also pointed out that the novel was "too schematic" and that the author's "philosophy is rather simplistic". Similarly, a reader on Goodreads wrote: "This is an average book by Paulo Coelho. It is an intriguing story with a vague message. It makes you wonder about your own beliefs and values. It also shows how one person can be both good and evil."
Conclusion
In conclusion, The Devil and Miss Prym is a novel by Paulo Coelho that tells the story of a small village called Viscos, where a mysterious stranger arrives with a tempting offer. He challenges the villagers to kill one of their own in exchange for a fortune in gold bars. He also involves a young woman named Chantal Prym, who works as a bartender at the only hotel in town. She is bored with her life and dreams of leaving Viscos for a better place. The stranger gives her a choice: to help him carry out his experiment or to stop him from destroying the village. The novel explores the themes of good and evil, temptation and choice, faith and doubt, among others.
The novel is written in a simple yet captivating style, which reflects the author's writing techniques and preferences. The author uses simple language and short sentences to convey complex ideas and messages. He also uses symbolic elements, such as names, objects, colors, numbers, etc., to enhance the meaning and significance of the story. He also uses dialogue and monologue to develop the characters and the plot. He also uses allegory and parable to illustrate universal truths and lessons.
The novel received mixed reviews from critics and readers, who praised or criticized different aspects of the book. Some praised the novel for its engaging plot, its thought-provoking themes, its simple yet captivating style, and its universal appeal. Others criticized the novel for its predictable plot, its shallow characters, its preachy tone, and its lack of originality.
In my opinion, The Devil and Miss Prym is an interesting and enjoyable book to read. I liked how it made me think about my own morality and choices, as well as the nature of human beings. I also liked how it used simple language and symbolic elements to convey complex ideas and messages. I think that it is a book that can appeal to different types of readers, as it has elements of mystery, suspense, drama, and philosophy. I would recommend it to anyone who likes to read stories that challenge and inspire them.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about the book:
Q: Who is the author of The Devil and Miss Prym? A: The author is Paulo Coelho, a Brazilian writer who has written many bestselling books, such as The Alchemist, The Pilgrimage, The Zahir, and The Witch of Portobello.
Q: When was The Devil and Miss Prym published? A: The book was published in 2000. It is the third part of a trilogy called And on the Seventh Day, which also includes By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept and Veronika Decides to Die.
Q: Where is Viscos located? A: Viscos is a fictional village in France. It is a small and remote place, with only 281 inhabitants. It has a simple and peaceful way of life, based on farming, hunting, fishing, and trading.
Q: What is the stranger's name and background? A: The stranger's name is Carlos. He is a successful businessman who has lost his wife and children in a terrorist attack. He has also lost his faith in God and humanity. He decides to embark on a quest to find out if people are inherently good or evil.
Q: What is the stranger's offer and plan? A: The stranger offers the villagers a fortune in gold bars, which he claims are worth a fortune. He buries them in the woods near the village, and tells Chantal Prym about them. He gives her a choice: to tell the villagers about the gold and convince them to kill one person, or to keep quiet and let the village die slowly. He says that he will stay in Viscos for a week, and that he will leave with the gold if no one dies by then. He also says that he will kill Chantal if she tries to betray him or steal the gold.
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