I respect the novel but I must say that the lack of fantastical elements, such as those of Milorad Pavic or even Gabriel Garcia Marquez, well... I was looking forward to those. I thought the climax was a bit of a cop- out. For once, the (pseudo?) deus ex machina wasn't all that... outstanding.

This is actually a self help book, and it DID open my eyes & radically changed my mood. Success Mr. Coelho, success! Was I expecting more? Yes, soree. Was I disappointed? Nah. I must admit though I liked his later "Veronika Decides to Die" better, but, well, that's obviously just me.

A spanish shepherd boy santiago has these recurring dreams about a treasure hidden at the foot of the egyptian pyramids. He leaves Spain to find it and journeys to the markets of Tangiers and across the Egyptian desert, guided along the way by a camel driver, an alchemist and other spiritual guides. and he discovers a far greater treasure (greater than any earthly gold): wisdom, self knowledge and enlightenment.

Though the Alchemist is not about Santiago at all. It's an inspirational fable; it's about our own self discovery; it's about awakening your passions; it's about following your heart; embracing life as a journey and finding the courage to chase your dreams.

It felt more like a really hackneyed self-help book to me. I don't know if it makes great literature. What is great literature?

Santiago is a shepherd who has a dream to go to the Great Pyramids of Egypt and there find buried treasure! The mysterious alchemist will help him on his quest.

I’ve heard enough about Paulo Coelho’s bestselling novel The Alchemist for so long that I finally decided to see what it was about for myself, and, perhaps predictably for a novel that unironically sells itself as being about “following your dreams”, it was full of craptacular pseudo-spiritual New Age bullshit.

As a novel, it’s super-boring. Santiago bumbles along an uninspired journey, selling sheep, selling glassware, meeting some unremarkable people and, of course, finding his “treasure”. Nothing about it grabbed me. Worse still was Coelho’s horrible writing style which mimics religious parables that were always boring as fuck to read those few times I attempted to read the Bible as a kid.

What makes it worse is the lofty prose believes its imparting valuable wisdom to the reader:

“When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.” (p.68)

And

“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” (p.143)

Both of which are true but so banal and obvious to note as to be worthless.

Other statements are just plain dumb:

“People need not fear the unknown if they are capable of achieving what they need and want.” (p.77)

So if they’re incapable of achieving what they need and want, they should legitimately be afraid? How reassuring! Also:

“Most people see the world as a threatening place, and, because they do, the world turns out, indeed, to be a threatening place.” (p.132)

Which follows a scene where Santiago and the alchemist are caught in a conflict between warring desert tribes! If they saw thousands of armed men fighting, would it still not have been a threatening place if they had thought it wasn’t??

Alongside these patronising and idiotic platitudes, the novel pushes patronising and idiotic ideas like magical thinking - believe that good things will happen and they will - while using labels like Personal Legend (your identity/goals) and Soul of the World (???).

I understand that a lot of this story is symbolic but Coelho really has nothing new to say. It’s the journey not the destination, love not money, etc. Really, that’s all you’ve got - this is what impresses so many readers?

Besides being stunned at the trite and vapid messaging, I was barely engaged by The Alchemist which was simply an unimaginative, tedious read through and through - about as profound as a fortune cookie and equally as forgettable.

A lot of people recommended The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho to me.

I've just seen I've got likes on this book. I never read this book. I never added this book. How did it get on my bookshelves? Note that I always add shelves to my books and this one has none. No dates either. Really really weird.

I sell this book quite well so I do know about it. I don't read fiction, I don't like religious, pseudo-religious, spiritual, self-help or any books like that, this one falls into a few of those categories. How can someone have added it for me? GR what gives?

Santiago an Andalusian shepherd boy dreams of travelling the world in search of the ultimate treasure. He eventually gets to go on his trek, and along the way meets a number of life-experienced men, including the alchemist, that help him finding his true path, how to see and read omens and truly understand the real nature of, and find, treasure - how to realise your dreams.

I'm probably being a bit of a git labelling this as 'contemporary', but I have no 'mystical' shelf and will probably not require one in the future, and indeed it is a nod to how accessible and readable this book is. A mega best selling book that is about the essential wisdom of listening to your heart, and following your dreams, which I don't necessarily agree with, just looking at the millions who 'followed their dreams' only to fail to become a professional sports person, musician etc. But, and it's a good but, Coelho puts forth his case is such a well balanced and interesting spiritual-mystical tale. 7 out of 12.

2022 read; 2005 read

The alchemist was quickly engaging and a short easy read, As a story it was enjoyable, particularly the first third. Although there was a strong moral, as a self help book, for me it missed the mark and the last two thirds became repetitive.

It’s definitely worth reading as it’s so short and perhaps if it was read at a more critical time in someone’s life, it might make more of an impact.

" عندما تقع كنوزٌ كبيرة أمام أعيننا ، فإننا لا ننتبه إليها ، أوتعلم لماذا؟ لأن الناس لا يؤمنون بوجودها ."
أحد أشهر الروايات في التاريخ ، استمررتُ في تأجيلها لشهور حتي وقعت بين يدي أخيرا غيرَ مدركٍ كمَّ التأثير التي قد تتركه هذه الصفحات المعدودات.

راعٍ للغنم في ربوع الأندلس كانت أبعد أمانيه أن يمر بكل أراضي الأندلس ليستكشفها و يعرف أسرارها ، ليحلم في إحدي الليالي بحلمٍ غريب يغير مجرى حياته للأبد و ينقله نفسياً و روحياً من راعٍ للغنم إلي شخص جديد - تجدد هدفه و إيمانه - ليتخلي عن كل شيئ بين يديه ساعياً لتحقيق أسطورته.

يسرد لنا الكاتب البرازيلي بأسلوب فلسفي عبقري عن قصة الراعي العجيبة ، كل فصل في الرحلة يحمل معانٍ عديدة و يرنو بالعقل ليصله بالقلب في قالب بديع ، ملئ بأحلام الناس .

ربوع الأندلس الخضراء و المعالم الإسلامية الشاهقة ،
أحياء المغرب و أسواقها ،
شدة و قسوة الصحراء الشاسعة .



رواية تُقرأ بالقلب أولا

Awful. Just terrible. Overly dramatic, preachy, boring, pointless, painful. Some of the themes sound like something from a cult, and not only is the writing crap but the "plot" is absolutely unoriginal too. I also can't get behind the whole meaning of the book- maybe this is because I'm not religious but it really just seemed to me like a devout, bible-thumping Christian went on an acid trip, and this was the result- a not-so-subtle sermon about the glory of religion disguised as a self-help book. For a book that said a lot of things, it wound up saying nothing at all.

Also, just as an aside, the phrase "Personal Legend" is mentioned 56 times in this relatively short book. Yes, I counted. The book was so damn boring I had nothing else to do. 56 fucking times, and it still smacks of complete bullshit to me.


EDIT 12/10/15: I was leafing through my copy of this for some reason, and I noticed how many angry notes I made in the margins when I read it. (I normally don't write in my books, but I purchased this one and hated it, so I figured it couldn't do any harm.) I found my scribblings immensely enjoyable to read and furious, so I've included some of them below, should you want to know what the experience of reading this book was like (besides being slowly and painfully disembowelled). My gripes seemed to know no bounds...

I was angry with the outright preaching.



I was frustrated at the cheesiness of the terms.



I got so bored with it all that I just snarkily mocked it.




I was curious.


But most of all, I was just pissed off at how many times Santiago mentioned his motherfucking sheep, and you can see my slow buildup of fury.





In the end, I suppose the ludicrous amount of times sheep were mentioned in this book is fitting; after all, people seem to flock to it like a herd of them. For the time being, though, I'll just try to purge this stinking turd of a book from my mind forever.

I rarely reread books given the volume of books I want to read and my ever infinite TBR pile. My favorite book of all time is The Alchemist and I felt compelled to reread it earlier this year, as it’s been several years since I read it and I was coming upon a time in the spring of 2021 to revisit my own personal destiny.

For this reread, I listened to most of it via audiobook. I loved the story just as much as the first time. It was the motivating, refreshing reminder I needed, and a book I’ll continue to recommend.
________________________________________
Original review — 2014

The Alchemist is worth all the hype — my only regret is having waited so long to read it in the first place. The book is a simple story about a shepherd, Santiago, on a treasure quest. It's easy to read, yet packed with a powerful message about finding your personal destiny and the journey getting there. A must read, and my favorite book.

O Alquimista = The Alchemist‬, Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho's masterpiece tells the mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure.

His quest will lead him to riches far different—and far more satisfying—than he ever imagined. Santiago's journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, most importantly, to follow our dreams.

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: در ماه ژوئن سال 1996میلادی

عنوان: کیمیاگر؛ نویسنده: پائولو کوئیلو؛ مترجم: حسین نعیمی؛ تهران، نشر روایت، 1374؛ چاپ دیگر تهران، ثالث، 1377؛ در 283ص؛ شابک 9646404465؛ چاپ ششم 1379؛ هفتم 1380؛ هشتم 1381؛ نهم 1386؛ شابک 9789646404465؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان برزیل - سده ی 20م

ترجمه های دیگر از خانمها و آقایان «آرش حجازی»؛ «دل آرا قهرمان»؛ «میترا میرشکار»؛ «سوسن اردکانی»؛ «مرتضی سعیدی»؛ «ایلیا حریری»؛ «ندا نویدنیا»؛ «هرمینه شبانی»؛ «بهرام جعفری»؛ «مریم امیری»؛ «فرزانه فرزاد»؛ «مینا حیدری» و «عاطفه زینلی»؛ «اسماعیل غفوری ثانی» و «رضا ابوعطا»؛ «فریبا ریاضی مظلومی»؛ «گیسو پارسای»؛ «شهرزاد فتوحی»؛ «علی نادری»؛ «ماکان کیان»؛ و «ناهید ایران نژاد»؛ و ...؛

در هزار و یکشب داستانی هست، که مردی در «بغداد»، همان خوابی را میبیند، که در داستان «کوئیلو»، چوپان «اسپانیایی» دیده است؛ در «مثنوی معنوی مولانا» نیز، همین داستان با واژه های شعر آمده است؛

هشدار اگر داستان را نخوانده اید و میخواهید خود این کتاب را نیز بخوانید، تنها پارگراف پایانی نگاره ام را بخوانید، که به موضوع این داستان ربطی ندارد؛

اما داستان این کتاب: چوپانی «اسپانیایی»، به نام «سانتیاگو»، در رؤیای خود، محل گنجی مدفون در حوالی «اهرام مصر» را، به خواب می‌بیند؛ و به قصد آن رؤیا، که آنرا افسانه ی شخصی خود می‌خواند، موطنش را در «آندلس»، رها، و رهسپار «شمال آفریقا» می‌شود؛ در آن سفر پرخطر، با مردی که خود را «ملک صدق»، پادشاه «سالم» می‌داند، و با یک «کیمیاگر» آشنا، و به «فاطمه» دختر «صحرا»، دل می‌بندد؛ همگان «سانتیاگو» را، در مسیر جستجویش یاری، و او را به ادامه ی راه، تشویق می‌کنند؛ در پایان، «سانتیاگو» پس از سالها سفر طاقت فرسا، گنج را نه در فرسنگها دورتر، بلکه در همان آغل گوسفندان خویش، در سرزمین خویش می‌یابد؛ گنجی بزرگتر که آنرا تنها می‌توان در درون خویش جست

نقل از «اسکار وایلد»: (جویبار یا دریاچه پرسید: مگر «نرگس» زیبا بود؟ گلها یا پریها شگفت زده پرسیدند: چه کسی بهتر از تو این را میداند؟ او هر روز در ساحل تو مینشست، و به روی تو خم میشد؛ جویبار یا دریاچه لحظه ای ساکت ماند، و سپس گفت من برای «نرگس» گریه میکنم، اما هرگز متوجه زیبائی او نشده بودم، من برای «نرگس» گریه میکنم، زیرا هر بار که به روی من خم میشد، میتوانستم در ژرفای چشمانش، بازتاب زیبایی خویش را، ببینم)؛

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 22/05/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 05/05/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

***spoilers and bitterness ahead--be forewarned**

I'm not sure that I can capture my utter disdain for this book in words, but I'll give it a shot. I read this book about three years ago and just had to re-read it for book club. It was a steaming pile of crap then and, guess what?, it's a steaming pile of crap now. The main reason I hate this book: it's trite inspirational literature dressed up as an adventure quest. You go into it thinking that it's going to be about a boy's quest for treasure. If you read the back, there are words like "Pyramids," "Gypsy," "alchemist." Turns out, this is just The Purpose Driven Life dressed up with a little fable. It's Hallmark Hall of Fame territory set in an exotic locale. Which pisses me off to no end as I normally try to dodge that sort of thing, but here it is masquerading as the type of book I normally like. It's cliche, didactic, and poorly written.

Just as with Aesop's Fables, there's a moral to the story. And Coelho keeps backing up and running over it just to make sure that we get it (and he capitalizes important key words necessary to understanding it, lest we overlook their significance). If there's one thing Paulo Coelho can do, it's flog a dead horse.

Essentially, boy thinks he's happy in life. He's a shepherd who gets to travel the world, has all of his needs met, and owns a book which he can always trade for another book when he goes to market. What more can a boy need? Boy is then told by a mysterious stranger that he's not happy at all. Why not? He has failed to recognize his Personal Legend. Everyone has a Personal Legend, which is life's plan for you. However, most of us give up on our Personal Legend in childhood. If you are fortunate enough to hang onto and pursue your Personal Legend, then The Soul of the World will help you obtain it. All of nature conspires to bring you luck and good fortune so that you can fulfill your destiny, whether it's to be a shepherd on a quest for treasure at the pyramids, a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker, or, one would assume, a prostitute, drug dealer, or porn star. Hey, we're all fate's bitch in The Alchemist. But I digress. Boy seeks out his Personal Legend and finds it's a long, hard road to obtaining what you want in life. But with faith, perseverance, and just a little goshdarnit good luck, the boy learns to speak the Language of the World and tap into The Soul of the World and fulfills his Personal Legend. And what does he learn? That what he sought was back home, the place he started from. Oh, silly boy.

So, in summation, here is what you should learn from The Alchemist:

1) Dream. And, while you're at it, dream BIG
2) Follow your bliss
3) Don't be surprised if you find obstacles in your way, but you will overcome
4) It's good to travel and encounter people from other cultures
5) What we most often seek is right in front of us, but sometimes we have to leave home to realize it

To all of these important life lessons, I can only say, "Well, no shit, Sherlock." If Coelho knew anything about alchemy, he would have been able to transform this crap into gold. Alas, it's still crap.

Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder