Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho. Short summary

5 seconds

A young girl from Brazil finds herself in Switzerland, where she deliberately decides to become a prostitute. From one of her clients, she learns that pain can give not only anguish, but also pleasure.

1 minute

Maria was born in a small Brazilian town and dreamed of love and a good family. But the girl is not lucky in love. One day Maria meets a rich Swiss man who offers her to go to Switzerland. The heroine agrees. So she finds herself in a foreign country.

Maria works in a cabaret, and once she skips work, for which the owner fires her. The girl becomes a model and soon meets a rich man who offers her a lot of money for a night of love.

Maria becomes a prostitute. The heroine saves up money and plans to go to Brazil. One day she meets a famous artist and falls in love.

One of the «special clients,» an Englishman, shows the girl how pain can bring pleasure. The artist, on the other hand, proves that pain can be excruciating.

After what happened, Maria develops an aversion to the craft. She decides to return home. The painter persuades the girl not to leave, but she does go to the airport. They meet at the connecting flight in Paris and stay together.