Paulo Coelho is one of the best writers out there. In relation, he tops my list of favorite authors. Reading his novels surely makes me reflect on my own life. The Devil and Miss Prym is one such story.

The Devil and Miss Prym shows a man carrying 11 bars of gold to the town of Viscos. He talks to Chantal Prym in a secluded area. In the forest, the strange man tells Chantal that she and the rest of the village will earn the gold bars if anyone will commit murder in the next seven days. However, the stranger will leave Viscos if no murder is committed. The stranger proposed such a scenario to Chantal because he wanted to know if men were essentially good or evil.

I’m not going to say more details about the story, except for the fact that I loved how Paulo Coelho was able to show Chantal Prym’s unease to the proposition. Her dilemma choosing between good and evil was clearly emphasized in the story.

The Devil and Ms. Prym made me think. What would I have done if I were in Chantal’s shoes? Would I have the heart to plot murder? Would one life be worth sacrificing in exchange for gold bars? Would I not feel sorry for myself if I didn’t commit the murder? A gold bar is a gold bar. For sure, it’s going to take you places for quite a long time, right? These are but few of the questions I had while reading this novel. I may never know the answer, and I definitely would not want to be in Chantal’s place.

However, what I do know is that The Devil and Miss Prym is a great read. It’s thought-provoking and realistic at the same time.