The Winner Stands Alone by Paulo Coelho

March 11, 2009 - PRLog -- “Spanning 24 hours during the Cannes Film Festival, this scintillating parable about shallowness, greed and celebrity worship from international bestseller Coelho (The Alchemist) unsparingly examines the Superclass, the elite’s elite, whose members’ dependence on luxury corrupts. Coelho’s trademark mysticism and spiritual messages provide an extra boost to the thriller plot.”
- Publishers Weekly

THE WINNER STANDS ALONE
By Paulo Coelho

One-Day International Lay-Down – April 7, 2009

Paulo Coelho, whose New York Times bestseller The Alchemist has been or is a #1 bestseller in 74 countries, received the 2009 Guinness World Record for the most translated author of the same book. He has had three to four titles simultaneously on the bestseller lists in several countries, among them France, Brazil, Poland, Switzerland, Greece, Argentina, Croatia, Russia. Published in more than 160 countries, Coelho’s books have been translated into 68 languages and sold more than 100 million copies internationally, with 9 million sold in the U.S. His masterful explorations of the human heart have made him one of the most read authors in the world.

Now, in his 12th novel THE WINNER STANDS ALONE (Harper; one-day international lay-down April 7, 2009; $24.99), Paulo Coelho once again returns to the themes that have inspired millions around the globe: the search for our true self, the fear and price of fame, and how wealth, excess, and superficiality can lead to the loss of relationships and spiritual values.

A meditation on personal power and innocent dreams that are manipulated or undone by success, THE WINNER STANDS ALONE is set in the worlds of fashion and film, taking place during the course of 24 hours during the Cannes Film Festival. Igor, a driven and mega-wealthy Russian entrepreneur, is looking for someone to sacrifice in the name of love, to send a message to his ex-wife, Ewa. Believing that his life with Ewa was divinely ordained, he had told her he would destroy whole worlds to get her back. The conflict between an individual evil force—embodied in a serial killer—and society emerges as the novel unfolds and values derailed. We meet players and poseurs, the “Superclass” of producers, actors, designers and supermodels, as well as the aspiring starlets, hopeful newcomers, has-been stars, and jaded hangers-on. Adroitly interweaving the characters’ connected stories, as Igor sets his traps, Coelho once again writes with the emotional depth, insight, and compassion that have earned him the admiration of readers worldwide.

Also, discover now, in preview the first 12 chapters of his book in his blog :
http://paulocoelhoblog.com/category/the-winner-stands-alone/
Where he maintains a lively digital presence with his blog readers.

Continuing to examine the spiritual dilemmas we all face, Paulo Coelho is at his evocative best in THE WINNER STANDS ALONE.

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"His books have had a life-enhancing impact on millions of people. The Times"

Paulo Coelho is one of the most beloved storytelling authors of our times. His books have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 68 languages.