BOOK REVIEW
One of the best-selling books in history, Paul Coelho’s The Alchemist has been translated into over 70 languages, published in 140 countries, and sold over 65 million copies. It is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most translated book by a living author.
The Alchemist was originally published in 1988 in Portuguese by a small Brazilian press, and sold only 900 copies. However, once Coelho had published two more books that sold well, The Alchemist became a Brazilian bestseller.
The Alchemist is a parable with mythic overtones that follows the traditional format of a quest. The basic premise of a man who dreams of treasure in a far-off place, only to discover once he arrives there that the treasure is back where he started, appears in a number of folktales from around the world, notably in One Thousand and One Nights as “The Ruined Man who Became Rich Again through a Dream.” The Alchemist concerns an Andalusian shepherd boy, Santiago, who travels from Spain to Tangier to the pyramids in Egypt in order to fulfill his “Personal Legend.”
The time period is unstated, although it appears to take place at least 100 years ago. The storytelling relies heavily on symbols, religious iconography, dreams and archetypes, and uses plain, unadorned language to deliver universal life lessons, the central one being: Your only real responsibility in life is to pursue your dream.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
"PAULO COELHO"
become a writer. He's a logical, reasonable man with a very clear vision of the world. Do you
since he was a policy
debater when he was in high school, Coelho concluded that a writer
"always wears glasses and never combs his hair" and has a "duty and an
obligation never to
be understood by his own generation," amongst other
things. At 17, Coelho's introversion
and opposition to following a traditional path led to his parents committing him to a mental institution from which he escaped three times before being released at the age of 20.
At his parents' wishes, Coelho enrolled in law school and abandoned his
dream of becoming a writer. One year later, he dropped out and lived
life as a hippie, traveling through South America, North Africa, Mexico, and Europe and started using drugs in the 1960s. Upon his return to Brazil, Coelho worked as a songwriter, composing lyrics for Elis Regina, Rita Lee, and Brazilian icon Raul Seixas. Composing with Raul led to Coelho being associated with magic and occultism, due to the content of some songs.
In 1974, Coelho was arrested for "subversive" activities by the ruling
military government, who had taken power ten years earlier and viewed
his lyrics as left-wing and dangerous. Coelho also worked as an actor, journalist, and theatre director before pursuing his writing career.
ABOUT THE BOOK
THE SUMMARY OF THE ALCHEMIST
The Alchemist tells the story of a young shepherd named Santiago
who is able to find a treasure beyond his wildest dreams. Along the
way, he learns to listen to his heart and, more importantly, realizes
that his dreams, or his Personal Legend, are not just his but part of
the Soul of the Universe.
Santiago is a humble shepherd whose
desires are few–he wants to be free to roam with his sheep, to have some
wine in his wineskin and a book in his bag. Fate intervenes, however,
in the form of the recurring dream of a great treasure hidden thousands
of miles away at the base of the Egyptian Pyramids. When Santiago meets Melchizedek,
a strange wise man who claims he is a king from a far-off land, he
decides to seek his treasure. The next day, Santiago sells his sheep and
embarks to Africa to pursue his dream.Upon arriving in Africa, though, it becomes apparent that things will not be as easy as he thought. The first day Santiago is in Tangiers, he is robbed and left completely alone, unable to speak a single word of Arabic. At first Santiago contemplates giving up and turning around. He remembers the words of the wise man, though, and decides to carry on–getting a job at a local crystal shop. After working at the crystal shop for a year, learning much about life and about his Personal Legend, Santiago earns enough money to buy a new flock of sheep and return home. At the last minute, though, Santiago decides to risk it all and join a caravan to Egypt.
Once in the caravan, Santiago meets an Englishman who has come all the way to Africa to seek a renowned alchemist. As they travel through the desert, the Englishman tells Santiago about the secrets of alchemy. Santiago finds the Englishman's ideas to be very similar to Melchizedek's. They both speak of a Soul of the World to which we are all connected and of the necessity of following our heart's true desires or our Personal Legend. Santiago, however, prefers to learn these secrets by observing the world, while the Englishman prefers to learn from complex books. While they travel, they begin to hear rumors of a coming tribal war.
When they finally arrive at the Al-Fayoum oasis–the home of the titular Alchemist–Santiago meets a beautiful girl named Fatima with whom he immediately falls in love. He discovers that love, like the Personal Legend, comes directly from the Soul of the World. While walking in the desert, Santiago has a vision of an upcoming battle. He rushes back to warn the elders at the oasis and, when his vision is confirmed, they offer him a position as a counselor. Santiago considers staying at the oasis with Fatima, but the Alchemist finds Santiago and tells him that he will lead Santiago to his treasure.
Once again on the move, the Alchemist teaches Santiago to listen to his heart. Hearts can be treacherous, but the best way to keep them from fooling you is to listen to them intently. Almost to the pyramids, Santiago and the Alchemist are taken prisoner by a warring tribe. The Alchemist tells the tribesmen that Santiago is a powerful magician who can turn himself into the wind. The tribesmen are impressed and will spare the lives of the men if Santiago can do it. The only problem is that Santiago has no idea what he is doing. After three days of meditating, Santiago uses his knowledge of the Soul of the World to ask the elements to help him. First he asks the desert, then he asks the wind, then he asks the sun and, finally, he asks the Soul of the World. Immediately, the wind whips up, and Santiago disappears and reappears on the other side of the camp. The Alchemist takes his leave of Santiago, who continues on to the Pyramids. Once there, Santiago is attacked by robbers. Asked what he is doing there, Santiago replies that he had a dream of a treasure buried at the base of the Pyramids. One of the robbers laughs at him, and says that he has had the exact same dream, except that in his the treasure was buried in Spain. Santiago realizes that the treasure was back in Spain the entire time.
reappears on the other side of the camp.
The Alchemist takes his leave of Santiago, who continues on to the Pyramids. Once there, Santiago is attacked by robbers. Asked what he is doing there, Santiago replies that he had a dream of a treasure buried at the base of the Pyramids. One of the robbers laughs at him, and says that he has had the exact same dream, except that in his the treasure was buried in Spain. Santiago realizes that the treasure was back in Spain the entire time.
Paulo Coelho's
enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This
story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and inspiring wisdom, is
about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his
homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried
in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls
himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the
direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if
Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way. But what
starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of
the treasure found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story
of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our
dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.
REFERENCE
- "THE ALCHEMIST" Book from library.
- Images from " THE ALCHEMIST " from web.
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