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I don't hate it, but I didn't love it. Maybe it's the translation, or just the way the book is lamented. It didn't light the spark in me most classics do. The soul of the world didn't seem to capture me the way I hoped it would, it was a nice book. Simple with a clear plot and an undeniably unique idea. But some parts of me strikes it as pretentious, it feels unreal. The ideas themselves are believable, but the over emphasis placed on some ideas creates an atmosphere that annoyed me more than inspire me.
But then again what do I know............

3.5 Stars

The Alchemist is an interesting little spiritual fable. A little bit of several religions have an influence on the journey to enlightenment. Not a whole lot of exposition as the author gets right to the point throughout. It should be a quick read (unless you don't care for it - and I have seen many less than satisfied reviews).

When I read this I was reminded a lot of Siddhartha. I read that one earlier this year so I have it fresh in my brain. Both of them are short novels (novellas, really) that tell about a simple and fairly unremarkable boy going through many encounters to find ultimate enlightenment. With this being the case, if you liked Siddhartha, I think that not only will you like this, you should read it for sure!

With that, I will end my review - leaving it short, just like the book!

2020 Classics Challenge: Book 1 of 12.

I can see why so many people love this book. I was really looking forward to it being my first classic of the year. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was great, but my mind wandered the whole time while listening. This didn't hold my attention at all, and honestly, I was bored stiff while listening.

کیمیاگر!
بهتر بود اول یه صحرا رو میدید کمی زندگی در اون رو تمرین میکرد..اونوقت میفهمید 2تا سنگ اون چیزی نیستن توی گرمای مرگبار صحرا به ذهن بیان..مکالمه ها پوشالی..و افکار بی تناسب به شخصیت..فاتتزی و سطحی..تلاش بیحاصل برای عمیق سازی با چند نقل قول از انجیل..تریکی که نویسنده(؟)های اثار پرفروش(!)ایرانی جدید هم بهره میبرند..شباهتی که بینشون هست هم اینه که این سبک اثار ارزش ثانیه ها رو هم ندارن .چه برسه به ساعت ها..
حالا اگه این کتاب معمولی بود چندان مشکلی نداره..ولی این همه پابلیسیتی...
و بهتره راجب روح جهان! اصلا صحبت نکنم..
اصلا ��اهرا نویسنده در جهان واقعی زندگی نکرده..افسانه شخصی ات را بزی ای!!!..کلا برای جماعت های الکی خوشی که با کتاب ها به اصطلاح روانشناسی!؟بازاری به لذذ معنوی! میرسن مناسبه..
این سبک زندگی هایی که شامل 5صبح با لبخند بیدار شدن و rainbows nd puppiesمیشه..
حالا همه اینا به کنار..شما توی یه صحرا با قبایل عرب دنبال کیمیاگرید..بعد این وسط زبان جهان!!!یه دختر تیین عرب با چشمای سیاه و لبان مردد میان لبخند و سکوت هه..که کراش ناگهانی شما میشه.."هنگامی که اینان به یکدیگر برخورد میکنند و نگاهایشان با هم تلاقی میکنند,سراسر گذشته و سراسر اینده اهمیت خود را از دست میدهد و تنها همان..:||
God give me a * break..
"فهمید که روزی باد شرق عطر این زن را به سوی او اورده بود":|احتمالا محصولات دیور استفاده میکرده.
و دقیقا اون لحظه ای که مطمن شدم چرت تر از این نمیتونه بشه,دیت های کنار چاه و فلرتینگ تلپاتیک شروع شد..
"در مسیر افسانه ات حرکت کن,صحرا همیشه همان میماند,عشق ما نیز چنین است" !!!!!its been 2days:

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همه چیز فیک و بیهوده..در تقلا برای رساندن یه مفهوم تکراری..
شخصیت کیمیاگر هم که اصن..احتمالا اون چیزیه که نویسنده دوس داشته باشه در نوجوانی..
از جملات گهربار کتاب:"دختر صحرا هستم..,چهره اش را پنهان کرد:اما فراتراز هر چیز یک زن هستم"
در پایان 15صفحه اخر..بنظر تحت تاثیر LSDنوشته شده.."باد خشمگین از محدودیت هایش گفت:...":|
و در نهایت.."باید افسانه شخصی ات را بزی ای":)

„Se pot înșela 15 milioane de cititori? Sigur că se pot înșela” (John Sutherland).

Paulo Coelho amestecă într-o povestire compozită şi confuză: mitul lui Narcis (din Ovidiu, Metamorfoze, III), povestea saltimbancului de la Notre Dame (după Le jongleur de Notre Dame a lui Anatole France), apologul hasidic despre rabinul Aizik din Cracovia, fiul lui Jekel, din culegerea lui Martin Buber (apolog care poate fi citit, sub o formă uşor modificată, şi în cartea celor o mie de nopţi şi încă o noapte), cîteva fragmente din tratate de alchimie, sentenţe din Evanghelii, cogitaţii private etc. Cum vedem, procedeul predilect este rescrierea. Dar rezultatul nu este cîtuşi de puţin impresionant.

Cartea este o confecţie previzibilă şi, în acelaşi timp, exact produsul de care are nevoie omenirea spre a ieşi din ignoranță și confuzie mintală...

P. S. Citez o dedicație a lui Paulo Coelho, cu ocazia descinderii în București, acum 17 ani: „Follow your Star, Gigi, follow your Star...”.

This is either a beautifully written and fable-like illustration of simple and universal truths or a load of crap.

I have a bad feeling it’s the later, but then I consider that there could also be a third option.

I read once that Sting, when he wrote the classic Police song Every Breath You Take, mixed up a series of banal clichés about love and loss and just put them all together, and so this cool tune has some satire about it. Similarly, the Credence Clearwater Revival song Looking Out My Backdoor, a clunky but loveable country western tune, was actually begun as a facetious parody of slide guitar yokel lyricism.

I also think of the comedy / performance art of Andy Kaufman and the constant, uncomfortable tension about what he was doing and why. Was it really so bad it was funny? If it was so obviously corny and insincere, was that not funny? Or was it? Was he really wrestling women and then getting beaten up by Jerry Lawler? That was a joke right?

So ...

Was Paulo Coelho’s 1988 fantasy / magical realism parable of truths found in nature and subtle messages from God told straight or was there a wink and a nod told with some fun?

Now … think about it for a second. The whole “lost gold” theme and the discussions with the alchemist about a supposed elixir of life and “follow your heart” rhetoric. Was Coelho telling this straight or pulling our leg?

I have to say that I doubt it, but I did laugh a few times and the over the top syrupy delivery made me wonder, and maybe I liked it better considering this twinkle of a third possibility.

I will say that this could go either way. I can absolutely see where someone could find hidden treasure and deeply meaningful messages in the short novel. And I can see someone rolling their eyes and sticking their finger down their throat in a gag gesture.

I’ll cast a Cheshire cat smirk and like for another reason.

I had quite high expectations going into The Alchemist, granted that it had been my mom's favorite read about a decade ago when she picked it up. But upon having reached the last page myself, I was unclear on whether the book had made a positive impression on me or not. The one thing I remember for certain is that the ending had me laughing out loud (more on that later*). Oh, and there were a number of passages that made me either contemplate everything I know or feel like someone could see through my soul.
However, there were also a lot of moments were I completely zoned out while listening to the narrator. So I don't know what to take out of this book.

Having this as my second Coelho read, I knew more or less what to expect: a quick read with beautiful quotes that I would think about for a number of weeks. Also, the author's prologues are always exceptional in stealing my thoughts and time:

“Who better than you to know that?” the goddesses said in wonder. “After all, it was by your banks that he knelt each day to contemplate himself!”
The lake was silent for some time. Finally, it said:
“I weep for Narcissus, but I never noticed that Narcissus was beautiful. I weep because, each time he knelt beside my banks, I could see, in the depths of his eyes, my own beauty reflected.”

Greek mythology combined with wit guarantees my interest secured in the palm of your hand.

The Alchemist follows a young Andalusian shepherd in his journey to Egypt, after having a recurring dream of finding treasure there. 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.

My love for this book is a quiet kind of love. The writing changed something inside me that I don’t have words for yet. So I’ll let Paulo Coelho's quotes speak instead:

“You came so that you could learn about your dreams,” said the old woman. “And dreams are the language of God. When he speaks in our language, I can interpret what he has said. But if he speaks in the language of the soul, it is only you who can understand.”

I was instantly won over when dreams were mentioned in here.

“People say strange things, the boy thought. Sometimes it’s better to be with the sheep, who don’t say anything. And better still to be alone with one’s books. They tell their incredible stories at the time when you want to hear them.”

I found this to be so fascinating that I ended up reciting it back to my mother.

“The boy knew what he was about to describe, though: the mysterious chain that links one thing to another, the same chain that had caused him to become a shepherd, that had caused his recurring dream, that had brought him to a city near Africa, to find a king, and to be robbed in order to meet a crystal merchant, and . . .
The closer one gets to realizing his Personal Legend, the more that Personal Legend becomes his true reason for being, thought the boy.”

“The closer he got to the realization of his dream, the more difficult things became. It seemed as if what the old king had called “beginner’s luck” were no longer functioning.
In his pursuit of the dream, he was being constantly subjected to tests of his persistence and courage. So he could not be hasty, nor impatient. If he pushed forward impulsively, he would fail to see the signs and omens left by God along his path.”

“Don’t be impatient,” he repeated to himself. “It’s like the camel driver said: ‘Eat when it’s time to eat. And move along when it’s time to move along.’”

“If good things are coming, they will be a pleasant surprise,” said the seer. “If bad things are, and you know in advance, you will suffer greatly before they even occur.”

This kind of reminded me that quote from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them:
“My philosophy is that worrying means you suffer twice.”

“When people consult me, it’s not that I’m reading the future; I am guessing at the future. The future belongs to God, and it is only he who reveals it, under extraordinary circumstances. How do I guess at the future? Based on the omens of the present. The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better. Forget about the future, and live each day according to the teachings, confident that God loves his children. Each day, in itself, brings with it an eternity.”

“Every search begins with beginner’s luck. And every search ends with the victor’s being severely tested.”
n  n
One last thing I want to point out is that I wasn't expecting this book to be so philosophical...and I wasn't anticipating to like it so much for that. I'm truly excited to see what I'll think of my next Coelho book.

*That ending.... I genuinely laughed out loud when Santiago realized where his treasure was buried. And I kind of applaud the author for interweaving the intricate details of this tale in such a seamless way.

I also listened to this song (Kola by Damien Jurado) while reading thanks to the latest and most beautiful episode of This Is Us. (The “And I will remember you” from the song has me on the edge of tears every time.)

3.5/5 stars

n  Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buyingn The Alchemist, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!
n  n

This review and more can be found on my blog.

Το απόλυτο best seller ΣΚΟΥΠΙΔΙ

Όταν θέλεις κάτι πολύ, το σύμπαν απλώς σε αγνοεί, όπως και όταν δεν θέλεις κάτι πολύ/καθόλου. Λέγεται τυχαιότητα και χαρακτηρίζει τον κόσμο μας από γενέσεώς του (και όχι κτίσεως).
Ο Κοέλο, ένας μέτριος-προς-σκατά συγγραφέας, κατάφερε τη δεκαετία του 1990 να γίνει σύμβολο και το έργο του σημείο αναφοράς για τον πλημμελώς εγγράμματο αναγνώστη και το μέσο ηλίθιο, που στις απλοϊκές τυπωμένες κενότητες και κοινοτοπίες του Βραζιλιάνου, νόμισε ότι είδε το φως το αληθινό, το φιλόσοφο της δεκαετίας, "την οδό" και ένα διανοητή διαμετρήματος πυροβόλου άνευ οπισθοδρομήσεως. Όλα αυτά ενώ στην πραγματικότητα, λόγω σχήματος κεφαλής, ο Κοέλο δεν κάνει ούτε για πιγκάλ (με μία επιφύλαξη για το υποτυπώδες -και πιο δήθεν από δήλωση φεμινίστριας κατά της πατριαρχίας σε φεστιβάλ τυροκομίας- "μουσάκι καλλιεργημένου" που τρέφει).

Αν τα βιβλία του σας αρέσουν δεν υπάρχει πρόβλημα. Σκεφτείτε ότι υπάρχει κόσμος που τρώει σοβά από τον τοίχο επειδή του λείπει κάποιο ένζυμο και ότι οι ναυτικοί παλιά έπιναν τα ίδια τους τα ούρα (και -σύμφωνα με τον Edmond Blackadder- συχνά πολύ πριν εξαντληθούν τα αποθέματα πόσιμου νερού), ενώ υπάρχει κόσμος που σνιφάρει κόλλα για να φτιάξει κεφάλι αντί για συναρμολογούμενα. Κανείς δεν είναι τέλειος...

Μακριά από τέτοιους αραιωμένους εμετούς, που δεν έχουν καν την σωστή, πλούσια ταγκίλα ενός γενναίου ξεράσματος.
I HAVE SPOKEN!

“هناك على الدوام شخصا ما في العالم ينتظر شخصا اخر , سواء أكان ذلك في وسط الصحراء , أم في أعماق المدن الكبرى. وعندما يلتقي ذلك الشخصان , وتتعانق نظراتهما , يغدو الماضي والمستقبل بلا أهمية , إذ لا وجود إلا لهذه اللحظة الراهنة , ولهذا اليقين, الذي لا يمكن إدراكه , بأن كل شيء تحت قبة السماء , قد كتب باليد ذاتها, اليد التي تلد الحب, والتي خلقت توأما لروح كل كائن يعمل , أو يرتاح , أو يبحث عن الكنوز تحت نور الشمس. وإذا لم يكن الأمر كذلك, فإن أحلام الجنس البشري تغدو بلا معنى.”

ما اجمل هذه االسطور


في هذه الحالة الروحانية التي انا فيها بعد انتهائي من قراءة رواية الخيميائي يصعب علي حقا ان انتزع من قلبي الكلمات التي قد تستطيع ان تصف حاله

اللغة الكونية الساحرة ....العلامات....القدر...الاسطورة الشخصية....وهذه الجملة الرائعة التي توقفت عندها طويلا جدا:

“إن كل شخص على الأرض يلعب الدور الرئيس في سيرة العالم وهو لا يدري”

االجو الشرقي في الرواية...العرب...الاندلس...مصر الاهرمات...لغة الصحراء ومفرداتها....ماهذه الرواية؟؟

اعترف اني لم اكن متحمسة لها في البداية وفي نصفها الاول شعرت انها جيدة لكن ليست ممتازة بالقدر الذي سبب شهرتها تلك....ولكني كنت مخطئة فان هذه الرواية تجربة لا بد ان يمر بها كل انسان لابد ان يقراها ويعيش فيها ليفسح لروحه مجالا اكبر ويتعرف اكثر على روعة الكون...بل ويدرك ان اسلامنا كان مكتوبا بحروف اخرى في هذه الرواية المذهلة من رجل اجنبي يدعى باولو كويلو

شعرت بالسحر برغم الترجمة الضعيفة للرواية

وانخرطت باكملي ر وحا وقلبا وعقلا داخل عالمها حتى وجدت النهاية
ما اجمل تلك النهاية حين يحفر فلا يجد الكنز ويلقاه ذاك اللص الذي يبوح له بمكان الكنز في حلمه بكل بساطة فيبتسم البطل وتبتسم له الاهرامات
من اجمل تلك النهاية الساحرة
حقا اني عاجزة عن كتابة ريفيو يفي هذه الرواية حقها
ولكني انصح الجميع بقراءتها



بعض الاسطر الرائعة في الرواية:


“أصغ إلى قلبك فهو يعرف كل شيء لأنه آت من روح العالم وسيرتد إليها ذات يوم”

“عندما تكون كنوزنا قريبة جداً منا، فإننا لا نلاحظها أبداً، أتعلم لماذا؟ لأن الناس لا يؤمنو�� بالكنوز ”

“هناك على الدوام شخصًا ما في العالم ينتظر شخصًا آخر، سواء أكان ذلك في وسط الصحراء ام في اعماق المدن الكبرى”


“لا تقل شيئاً، إننا نحب لأننا نحب، لا يوجد سبب آخر كي نحب”

“ما يحدث مرة يمكن ألا يحدث ثانيةً أبداً، لكن ما يحدث مرتين يحدث بالتأكيد مرة ثالثة.”

قل لقلبك إن الخوف من العذاب أسوء من العذاب نفسه ، وليس هناك من قلب يتعذب عندما يتبع أحلامه ، لأن كل لحظة من البحث هي لحظة لقاء مع الله والخلود .”

n  الرواية التّي سبّبت .. ظاهرة الإحتباس الحراري :n

قد يبدوا العنوان غريبا نوعا ما.. ولكن صراحة أحبّ العناوين الغريبة " الرجل الذّي حسب زوجته قبعة " ، " انتحار حمار " و عناوين أخرى غريبة يزخر بها عالم التأليف والكتب، ولكن ما سبب اختياري لهذا العنوان ؟

حسب وكيبيديا هذه الرواية تمّت ترجمتها إلى حوالي 67 لغة .. وبيع منها 65 مليون نسخة في 150 بلد، وفي مقال آخر .. يقولون أنّه لصناعة طن من الورق نحتاج إلى قطع 17 شجرة طول كل واحدة منها هو 11 متر .. هذا بالإضافة إلى عمليات التصنيع والنقل وما يصاحبها من انبعاثات غازية. سيقوم محبّوا الرياضيات والإحصائيات بحساب عدد الكتب في الطن الواحد ثمّ عملية ضرب هذه الأطنان في عدد الأشجار اللازمة لصناعتها .. ويضيف إليها تقديرا نسبيا لكمية الانبعاثات الغازية أثناء عملية النّقل والصّناعة .. ثم يقوم بتقسيم النّاتج على عدد البلدان التّي تمّ فيها طبع أو بيع هذه النسخ . لنجد أنّ هذه الرواية بشكل ما أو بآخر كانت سببا في ارتفاع درجة حرارة الأرض مسبّبة ظاهرة الإحتباس الحراري .

في النّهاية.. ماذا عسانا نقول يا كويلهو؟ لقد غيّرت حياة البشر بسبب روايتك.. ملايين البشر تغيرت حياتهم بسبب ظاهرة الإحتباس الحراري، ذوبان القطبين الشمالي والجنوبي بسبب ارتفاع درجة الحرارة أنت السبب فيه .. تغيير الفصول وتداخلها أنت السبب فيه.. الأعاصير القويّة والعواصف المتقلبة أنت السبب فيها .. ثقب طبقة الأوزون أنت السبب فيه .. اجتثاث أشجار غابة الأمازون ( وأنت من البرازيل وتعرف قيمة هذه الغابة ) أنت السبب فيه .. لقد قتلتنا يا كويلهو بروايتك هذه .


أخيراا :

من الروايات القليلة جدا التّي قرأتها بسقف توقعات مرتفع .. ولكن للأسف خاب ظنّي والسبب فيّ أنا وليس في الرواية طبعا

n  عن المراجعة :n

" I did it my way "

- Frank Sinatra .
n  n