In this blog post you will read the summary of the novel 5th Mountain written by Paulo Coelho.
Also, you will find the biggest lessons from this novel at the end of the blog post.
Interpretation, basic information:
-Published in 1996 in Brazil
-separated into 2 parts and afterword
-story about prophet Elliah, who was woodworker, based on story from The Bible (1, Kings, chapters 17-19; croatian, from Bhe Bible: Luka, 4; 24-26)
-topics: faith in God, love, believing in the journey, suffering and forgiving
Summary:
The story starts in the time, when the princess of Tir, Isabell, married Ahab, king of Israel, and gave a command that all the prophets have to be killed, because now the main God is Baal.
Yahweh, Christians God said that there will be no rain untill the main God in Israel is him again. He told that to Elliah who said that to Isabell and she ordered his death.
Somehow, no one could kill Elliah and he managed to escape to Akbar.
In Akbar, he met a widow who gave him some water and food and he actually moved in with her in her home – Yahweh said that she will never lack food if he, Elliah, is living with her.
At first, he had a bad reputation, he was stranger and people wanted to kill him, and the priest, chief and commander as well, but then they challenged him to climb the 5th Mountain because they believed no one could climb there because Gods will punish him.
But he went there and climbed up, and cried up there, prayed and made peace with his current siutation and said to Yahweh that he will do his best here untill he says him when he can get back to Israel.
He got back down and became a consultant of commandor and chief and helped them to lead the town.
Also, slowly, he started to help people, he continued to do woodwork, but also he was helping people to solve their problems and conflicts, their inner or with each other.
At the same time, Assyrians were making their base around Akbar and preparing for attack, what made people in Akbar nervous as well and commander started preparing the army for war.
At that time, Elliah was slowly falling in love with the widow he was living with. She told him she lost the will for living after her usband died but when he came here, she got that will back. He also told her to start learning how to write.
After a few months of that preparation, one of Assyrians commandors came into Akbar to talk, but they thought is was a trap and they killed him.
The day after that Asyrians attacked and conquered the Akbar in 1 day. But Akbar was just one, unimportant station for them, they were striving for other cities and went there. They also burned almost all of the houses and killed the comandor and chief, and most importantly they killed widow who Elliah loved. She told him to take care of her son, what Elliah did, and told him to rebuild, reborn the town, because that way, she will live forever. Also, priest left the town and all the soldiers were killed so Elliah took over the leading role of the town.
Elliah talked to his angel who told him that he will be able to do 1 miracle, either here in Akbar, or in Israel, so he has to choose whether he wants to use it here or to save his people.
He started the process of reborning the town with help of the old people who stayed in the town, because anyone who could, left already.
All the people, because they were old, didn’t believe in themselves, but Elliah gave them hope again, and helped them to start and work, and lead them. They were working the whole days, and in the evening they would sit together and tell stories.
After 2 months, Akbar became even bigger city than in was, and was full of life again.
Now, after Akbar was reborn, he got a sign that he can go to Israel to free up his people.
He went there, and there were still big conflicts. But he was confident, he did a miracle, he sacrificed a lamb and proved the power of Yehweh, and Yehweh became the number one God again.
But that wasn’t the best place for him so he left again to the 5th Mountain and lived there till the end of his life.
The 10 biggest lessons
- God can do anything, either good or bad, nad all of that is part of his plan.
- Love frees up, gives you freedom and power
- It will never be as it was
- Life is made of our attitues to different situations
- Unfortunate situation is not a punishment, but a challenge
- A man has to choose and create, and not accept his faith
- A real warrior knows how to accept a defeat
- Try to accomplish what He wants from you, that is the only reason of your being here on this Earth
- Sadness doesn’t stay in our body and mind, if we are heading towards something we always wanted
- “The purpose of my life is the one I want to give him”