Community Reviews

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March 31,2025
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تنبيه :في مراجعة الرواية هذه لا يوجد حرق للرواية. في هذه المراجعة يتم استعراض عقدة الرواية الأساسية. كل ما كٌتب هنا بدا لي أنه سوف يجعلك تقرأ الرواية بشكل أفضل. هذه المراجعة كٌتبت خصيصاً لأولئك الذين لم يقرءوا الرواية بعد.

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من مدونتي: ثمانون كتابا بحثا عن مخرج


https://saudomar.wordpress.com

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“الخيميائي” رواية عن راعي أندلسي يسافر طلباً لكنز مدفون في مكان قريب من الأهرامات الفرعونية. يقابل الراعي العديد من الأشخاص الذين يساعدونه, أو يلهمونه, أو يقفون ضده, في طريقه للكنز. ويواجه الراعي أيضاً الكثير من المواقف الصعبة, والأفكار المحيرة, واللحظات التي تتطلب شجاعة, واللحظات التي تتطلب بصيرة.

رواية مغرقة في البساطة والحكمة .. كعادة كل روايات باولو كويلو ..

باولو كويلو أديب برازيلي ولِد في مدينة ريّّو دي جانيرو عام 1947, له روايات عديدة ناجحة, وقبل أن يكون روائياً, كان مخرجاً مسرحياً, وممثلاً, وكاتب أغاني, وكاتب صحفي؛ لكنه قرر في النهاية أن يكرّس حياته للأدب.

واجهت رواية “الخيميائي” فشلاً في البداية؛ فلم يوزع منها في أول الأمر سوى 900 نسخة, بل إن الناشر اعتبرها عملاً فاشلاً لدرجة أنه أعاد لكويلو حقوق النشر, بعد ذلك نشر كويلو الرواية عند ناشر أخر لتصبح الرواية حينها الرواية الأكثر مبيعاً في الأدب البرازيلي في القرن العشرين, وتتصدر قائمة الأكثر مبيعات في ثمانية عشرة دولة, ويباع منها فوق الأربعين مليون نسخة في مئة وخمسون دولة, وتترجم لأكثر من ست وخمسون لغة, حتى أنه في عام 2003 ( بعد خمسة عشر عام من نشر الرواية ) كان ترتيب الرواية السادس على العالم في مستوى المبيعات.

ورغم أنه عادة يشار لرواية “الخيميائي” بأنها ثاني أعمال باولو كويلو بعد “حاج كومبوستيلا”, إلا أنها في الحقيقة رابع عمل له؛ فالعمل الأول له كان (أرشيف الجحيم)؛ وهو العمل الذي نفذت طبعته الأولى ولم تعاد طباعته حتى الآن, وقد قال كويلو في أحد المقابلات أنه فخور جداً بهذا العمل, وسوف يعيد طباعته في الوقت المناسب. أما بالنسبة للعمل الثاني ( الدليل العملي للفامبيرية ) فقد سُحب لأنه بدا لكويلو أن العمل لم ينجح في إيصال الفكرة المنشودة.

المكان الذي تبدأ منه رواية “الخيميائي” هو في جنوب أسبانيا, في سهول الأندلس, بالقرب من مدينة “طريفا” الواقعة عند مضيق جبل طارق, والتي لا يفصلها عن مدينة “طنجة” المغربية سوى 14 كيلو متر, والوقت, الذي تأخذ الرواية فيه مجراها, هو في أوائل القرن العشرين, أو أواخر القرن التاسع عشر؛ ورغم أن زمن رواية, عموماً, غير واضح فيها, إلا أننا نستطيع القطع بهذا الوقت؛ لأننا في بداية الرواية نرى خيميائياً يقرأ قصة ” التابع” ( The Disciple ) للأديب الأيرلندي “أوسكار وايلد”.

وقصة وايلد هذه عبارة عن تعديل على أسطورة نرسيس (نرجس) الشهيرة؛ فالأسطورة تقول أن نرسيس أٌخذ بجماله, وكان يتأمل نفسه في البحيرة كل يوم, حتى سقط في البحيرة ومات غرقا. لكن أوسكار وايلد يستطرد بعد هذه النهاية, ويقول بأنه بعد وفاة نرسيس تنزل ربات الغابات لتسأل البحيرة عن جماله, لكن البحيرة تقول أنها لا تعلم عن جماله شيئاً؛ فهي كانت تنظر لجمالها هي في عينيه. في الحقيقة أنه اقتباس رائع جداً من كويلو, وقد ألقى هذا الاقتباس بظلاله على فكرة الرواية, حتى أن أحد دور النشر قد جعلت لوحة “نرسيس” للرسام الإيطالي “كارافاغو” غلافاً لرواية الخيميائي.

وفكرة الرواية هي كالتالي:

فكرة الرواية تقوم على مبدأ ( الوحدانية ), فكل الأشياء هي تجليات لشيء واحد؛ وكل الكون خلقته ذات الذات, وبالمثل, فإن كل ما نقوم به في حياتنا هو للقيام بشيء واحد, ولإنجاز مهمة واحدة, وتضيف الرواية, أن أيضاً ما نتمناه ونرغب به هو جزء أصيل من هذا الكون ووحدته.

الكون كائن حي, له روح, وفيه حياة, هذه الروح تتغذى على سعادة البشر ( وأحياناً على تعاستهم ), ومن ( روح الكون ) يتولّد ما تسميه الرواية ( ألأسطورة الشخصية ).

الأسطورة الشخصية هي الواجب الوحيد المفروض على كل شخص, أي مهمته في الحياة, ودائما ما تصير هذه المهمة هي حلم وطموح الإنسان, ودائما ما تراود الإنسان رغبة عارمة وقوية لتأدية هذه المهمة التي جاء من اجلها, وعندما تتملك الإنسان رغبة قوية لتحقيق هذه الأسطورة الشخصية فإن الكون كله يطاوعه لتحقيقها؛ ذلك لأن الكون يتغذى على سعادة البشر, وأيضاً لأن هذه المهمة هي جزء أساسي من الكون, انبعثت من روحه.

ومن أهم أشكال مطاوعة الكون للإنسان في تحقيقه أسطورته الشخصية هي ( المبدأ الملائم)؛ فلأن الكون يريدنا أن نحقق أسطورتنا الشخصية فهو يعمد لأن يجعل (الحظ) بجانبنا في أول الأمر.

كي نعرف ما هي المهمة التي جئنا من أجلها, وكيف نؤديها, يجب أن نصغي للغة الكون, والكون يتحدث بالإشارات, والإشارات هذه تحدث أمامنا على هيئة ما اعتدنا أن نسميه (حظ) أو ( مصادفة), هذه الإشارات هي طريقة الله – حسب وصف الرواية – في إخبارنا بالطريق الذي يجب أن نسلكه, حتى تتعلم لغة الإشارات الكونية يجب أن تتطور حدسك وتثق فيه, وكي تتطور حدسك يجب أن لا تخاف من ارتكاب الأخطاء, ويجب أن تعرف أن لكل شيء معنى ومقصد.

أيضا تقدم الرواية بعض الأفكار الخيميائية القريبة من الأفكار السابقة, ففي علم الخيمياء هناك مصطلح ( روح العالم ), ويقصد به المبدأ الذي يحرك كل شيء, وهو قائم على تحول الأشياء وتغيرها من شكل لأخر, وهو دائماً ما يعمل لصالح الإنسان, ويقترب الإنسان من روح العالم كلما تزايدت رغبته بشيء ما, ونستطيع إدراك روح العالم من خلال لغة الإشارات أيضاً, وهي هنا تسمى (لغة العالم), اكتشاف مبدأ (روح العالم) سمي بــ ( الإنجاز العظيم ) وهو اكتشاف خيميائي مكون من جزأين, أحدهم سائل وهو ( إكسير الحياة), والأخر صلب وهو ( حجر الفلاسفة).

دائما ما نجد نزعة روحية, وصوفية, وأحيانا باراسيكولوجية, في روايات كويلو, وهذا هو طبع كتابات كويلو, وهذا أحد أسرار نجاحه, فأحيانا يحتاج القراء من يعيد المعنى لوجودهم, ويخبرهم أن لحياتهم هدف, وأن عبثية وبرود الحضارة الحالية ليست نهاية المطاف. أيضاً يشتهر كويلو ببساطة أسلوبه الشديدة وببساطة مفرداته, تلك البساطة التي يرافقها دائماً عمق غير عادي في الطرح, ومن ما يتصف به أسلوب كويلو, هو انه لا يصف كثيراً البيئة البرازيلية, وربما يعود ذلك لكونه رجل يحب السفر؛ لذلك يهتم بوصف المكان الذي ذهب إليه أكثر من اهتمامه بوصف المكان الذي جاء منه, ويذكر أنه من أهم أسباب شهرة رواية “الخيميائي” عالميا هو سحر الشرق الموجود في الرواية, وعزز كويلو هذا السحر باستعراضه بعض أوجه التراث العربي والثقافة الإسلامية في الرواية.

من الشخصيات التي جاءت في الرواية هي شخصية “ملكي صادق” وهو رجل عجوز يقول أنه ملك منطقة أسمها “سالم”, يتضح من الأحداث أنه كائن فوق طبيعي, فهو يعرف الأسرار والسرائر, لكن كينونته لا تتضح تماما في الرواية, مهمة “ملكي صادق” هي مساعدة الناس الذين يكونون على وشك العدول عن الجِد خلف أسطورتهم الشخصية, وهو يظهر للكل في هيئات وصور مختلفة. في الحقيقة “ملكي صادق” هو اسم ملك ورد ذكره في التوراة وذكر أيضاً بأنه ” ملك سالم “, و”سالم” اسم قديم للقدس, وقد كان “ملكي صادق” ملك لها في عهد النبي إبراهيم عليه السلام. في الحقيقة لم أجد أي ارتباط بين الشخصية التاريخية والشخصية الموجودة في الرواية.

أن أكثر ما يميز رواية “الخيميائي” هو بساطة المواقف التي ترافقها دلالات عميقة, وهو ما يجعلني أبالغ نوعا ما, وأعتقد أن رواية “الخيميائي” كتبت بفكرتها, أعنى أن الرواية نفسها التي قدمت فكرة الإشارات الكونية, تحمل نفسها إشارات – تظهر في مواقف أو شخصيات أو جُمّّل – قد تبدو للبعض هامشية, وطفولية, وبلا أي معنى, وقد تبدو للبعض الأخر أنها دلالات مهمة, ومعاني عميقة, وإضاءات ضرورية, تماماً مثل الإشارات الكونية التي تحدثت عنها الرواية, وكأن باولو كويلو مبرمج قرر أن يكتب كتاب عن التشفير فكتب الكتاب مشفراً؛ فيكون الكتاب بهذه الطريقة كتب بفكرته.
March 31,2025
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I've been meaning to read this for years; I probably should have left it a mystery because it irritated me no end. At one level it is a pleasant enough little tale of a spanish shepherd who seeks to fulfil his destiny/follow his dreams/seek his fortune. He meets a bloke from the Old Testament (Genesis to be precise) called Melchizedek (lots of symbolism surrounds this guy) who says he needs to go to the pyramids to find his dream/fortune. He sets off, spends some time in Tangier and then sets off with a desert caravan. He arrives at an oasis, falls in love and meets an alchemist who teaches him about the soul of the world and how to listen to his heart. He finds his treasure after some ups and downs.
On one level a simple heart-warming story of how to get your hearts desire by listening to your own inner voice and the world around you; it's that simple! So why did it wind me up so much?
A brief aside; the best review I have read of this book is a one liner;

"Jonathon Livingston Seagull meets Lawrence of Arabia"

Actually I thought the philosophy was more akin to Ayn Rand, it is very individualistic and you are the master of your own destiny. Of course, that only applies if you are a bloke; the women in the novel (very few), didn't do a lot. Fatima the love interest lived in an oasis and was content to stay there whilst her love was off having adventures and finding destinies. It was enough for her to wait for her man, knowing that he would return for her one day (if he wasn't daft enough to get himself killed, die of thirst in the desert, forget her or just get bored of her). An excellent role model for all modern women?
What really irritated me was the implication if you didn't manage to fulfil your destiny, it was your fault. Obviously those in grinding poverty or dying young of cancer really need to get a grip of themselves.
March 31,2025
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Coelho’s finest?

Andalusia, Spain. Young poor shepherd Santiago has a very vivid dream in which he finds some lost treasure in a remote unknown location. After consulting a fortune teller, he learns that in order to find it he may need to travel as far as the Egyptian pyramids. A practically impossible task, since he doesn’t have a map, any rational reason, or even the means to fulfil it. This is the story of his fantastic journey, and how he attempts to fulfill a wild quest, that could potentially change his life.

Coelho’s most acclaimed masterpiece and famed work hands down; a very short allegorical tale about listening to your heart, and following your dreams, no matter what. I particularly enjoyed the exchanges with the mysterious old king, the time spent with the crystal merchant, and meeting Fatima, the desert girl. The oasis and the encounter with the Alchemist was good, but felt a bit farfetched, and his teachings somewhat repetitive. Still, a considerable amount of quotes and moments to remember by; with some very nice plot twists, a sublimely satisfying ending, and a spiritually uplifting message. I remember enormously enjoying this novella back in the day, the wowing feeling sadly gradually diminishing over the years. Still, I don’t regret reading it; this was overall a worthy read, and memorable, despite de glaring self-help vibes. I liked learning about the “Personal Legend”, among other curious esoteric concepts. Recommendable, for the right audience.

Personally I must admit I enjoyed  Veronika Decides to Die a lot more; but if you ever had in mind picking up Coelho someday, this is a good choice too. A highly uplifting story with a very memorable message, for those willing to listen to it.

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n  PERSONAL NOTEn: The introduction also mentions this story is plagued with symbolisms. I wouldn’t be able to point out a single one, but that’s because I simply don’t register them. Yes, I’m that stupid; for certain things.
[1988] [182p] [Classics] [3.5] [Recommendable] ["When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it.”]
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★★★★★  Veronika Decides to Die
★★★★☆  The Alchemist  [3.5]
★★★☆☆  The Fifth Mountain  [2.5]
★★★☆☆  The Pilgrimage  [2.5]

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¿Lo mejor de Coelho?

Andalucía, España. El joven y pobre pastor Santiago tiene un sueño muy vívido en el que encuentra un tesoro perdido en un remoto y desconocido lugar. Después de consultar una adivinadora, descubre que para hallarlo necesitaría viajar tan lejos como hasta las pirámides egipcias. Una tarea prácticamente imposible, ya que no posee un mapa, ni una razón racional, o los medio para completarla. Esta es la historia de su fantástico viaje, y cómo intenta lograr una alocada misión, que potencialmente podría cambiar su vida.

La obra maestra más aclamada y famosa de Coelho por lejos; un muy corto relato alegórico sobre escuchar tu corazón, y seguir tus sueños, sin importar qué. Particularmente disfruté los intercambios con el misterioso viejo rey, el tiempo que transcurrió con el mercader de cristales, y el encuentro con Fátima, la chica del desierto. El oasis y el encuentro con el Alquimista fue bueno, pero se sintió un poco demasiado increíble, y sus enseñanzas un tanto repetitivas. Aun así, una considerable cantidad de citas y momentos para el recuerdo; con unas muy interesantes vueltas de trama, un sublimemente satisfactorio final, y un mensaje espiritualmente elevador. Recuerdo disfrutar esta novela corta enormemente en su día, la maravillosa sensación de asombro lamentablemente gradualmente disminuyendo con el correr de los años. Sin embargo, no me arrepiento de haberla leído; esta fue por sobre todo una valiosa lectura, y memorable, a pesar del llamativo tinte de autoayuda. Me gustó conocer la “Leyenda Personal”, entre otros curiosos conceptos esotéricos. Recomendable, para la audiencia correcta.

Personalmente debo admitir que disfruté  “Veronika Decide Morir”  mucho más; pero si alguna vez tuviste en mente leer Coelho algún día, “El Alquimista” es también una buena elección. Una historia altamente elevadora con un mensaje muy memorable, para aquellos dispuestos a escucharla.

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n  NOTA PERSONALn: La introducción también menciona que la historia está plagada de simbolismos. Yo no podría señalar ni uno sólo, pero eso es porque simplemente no los registro. Sí, soy así de idiota; para ciertas cosas.
[1988] [182p] [Clásicos] [3.5] [Recomendable] [“Cuando realmente quieres una cosa, todo el universo conspira para ayudarte a conseguirla.”]
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March 31,2025
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DÜNYANIN EN ÇOK ABARTILAN KİTABI

Neden Simyacı dünyanın en çok abartılan kitabı?:
https://youtu.be/lFYm2W7uV0o

Goodreads'de inceleme yapması içimden gelmeyen nadir kitaplardandır Simyacı.

"Ha şimdi sen bu kadar popüler ve beğenilmiş bir kitabı eleştiriyorsan kesin prim yapmak için yapıyorsundur bunu." mantığıyla gelinebilir bunu anlarım fakat zaten dünyada büyük etki bırakmış bu tür eserleri böyle eleştirmek, kötülemek vs. biraz ilginç ve hadsiz hissettirmiyor da değil. Keza bu durumun tersi olarak, bu zamana kadar epey popülerleşmiş 1984 ve Kürk Mantolu Madonna gibi eserleri de çok sevmiştim mesela. Bu incelemeyi de sadece kitabı okuyup bitirdikten sonra oluşan duygularımı dürüstçe açıklamak istediğim için yazıyorum, zaten bu sitede de yaptığım puanlamaları elimden geldiğince gerçek okuma deneyimime dayanarak vermeye çalışıyorum.

Kitabı okuyanlar için spoiler entry'si : https://eksisozluk.com/entry/24419002
Kitabın konusu aslında birebir Takkeci İbrahim Ağa hikayesinden alıntıdır diyebiliriz. Okumadan önce haberim yoktu bu hikayeden fakat kitapla birleşemememin sebebi de bu değil zaten. Basit bir kişisel gelişim kitabı mantığına da katılmamakla birlikte, kitabın konusunu ve anlattığı şeyleri epey sade buldum. Aslında dünyada da genel olarak bu sadeliğinin güzelliğinden dolayı seviliyor olabilir. Fakat, Simyacı bana bu sadelik, detaysızlık ve konunun katmanlı değil tek bir yönde ilerlemesinden ötürü bir tuzsuz pilav yemiş etkisi yaptı. Evet, okuduktan sonra okudum ve bu kitabı hayatıma kattım diyebiliyorsunuz ama ben kendi adıma tat alamadım bu kitaptan.

Hiçbir kitabı zaman kaybı olarak görmeyen ben, bu kitabı da keza zaman kaybı olarak görmedim. Sadece popüleritesinin yerini alabilecek çok fazla sayıda başka kitap var iken bu kitabın neden bu kadar popüler ve kıymeti abartılmış, gereğinden fazla değer verilmiş olmasını sorguladım kendi adıma.

Hayatın sürekli devam ettiğini, kendini tanımanın ve "kişisel menkıbe"nin önemini, evrenin işaretlerini, evrenin dilini, sözcüklerin ötesinde bir dili, yolculukların, gelişimin ve güzelliklerin önemini ben de biliyorum fakat bu bir romana yoğrulunca bende bir kişisel gelişim kitabıymışçasına algı bırakıyor sanki.

Dediğim gibi benim için hala tuzsuz bir pilav, şekersiz bir tiramisu, ekşisiz bir mandalina, acısız bir çiğköfte etkisi bırakan kitaptır.
March 31,2025
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Utter drivel. The book was badly written, righteous, condescending, preachy, and worst of all, the ending was morally questionable. All the fables and stories are stolen from elsewhere, religious ideas and spirituality are badly mixed, and everything is so obvious.

The book harps on about tapping into the Soul of the World, the Language of the World, about your one true path and other nonsense. The basic idea is that if you really want something and "listen to your heart", the whole universe will help you achieve it if you only look for omens. A questionable idea in a world where people no longer want to work hard and achieve independently.

It reads like a really bad self-help book written for 8 year old children and disguised as a symbolic parable. I read a lot of books and I can safely say this is the worst book I have ever read. It's only saving grace was that it was mercifully short.
March 31,2025
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I give this book two stars instead of one because I live by a lot of the messages Paulo Coelho puts forth in The Alchemist. I identify with the themes of prioritizing values over fear, pursuing your personal myth, and savoring every moment instead of getting lost in the past or the future. But I could not invest myself the prose or the story of The Alchemist. Coelo's simple writing makes this book a quick, easy read. It also drains the life out of the book, rendering it an allegory with little emotional impact. While one might expect fiction to combine deeper messages with quality storytelling, Santiago's flatness as a character and the one-dimensional world of The Alchemist did not come close to touching my heart. You can get all of the insight of this book and more, as well as ways to apply such knowledge, from wonderful self-help books like n  Self Compassionn by Kristin Neff and n  Daring Greatlyn by Brene Brown.

Also, I detested the portrayal of romantic love and women in this book. Santiago falls in "love" with Fatima just by looking at her (he did the same with another character earlier in the story and she just disappeared without a trace.) And when Santiago leaves Fatima to pursue his journey, Coehlo turns her into a lovesick girl with no interests, desires, or passions other than waiting for Santiago's return. She serves as his romantic interest and nothing more. Their relationship had no substance, and Fatima, as the main female character of the story, deserved so much more development (i.e., any development at all).

Overall, I feel glad that The Alchemist can inspire introspection and conversation about deeper life issues like the journey to personal fulfillment and how to thrive in the face of fear. My little cousin, who I love, wrote a stellar essay about this book. The Alchemist, to my great disappointment, just did not work for me.
March 31,2025
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The problem with this book is not just that it's bad, which it certainly is, but that there are so many people out there who want to corner you at parties and tell you how it's totally changed their lives. In a way you might as well read it just so you can see how feeble-minded they must be to get any kind of philosophical nourishment out of this inexhaustible stream of clichés. The profound lessons you'll learn from this book amount to nothing more than several variations on the theme of "only the very ugly is truly beautiful, only the very stupid are really intelligent, only black is white, only up is down" etc etc.

The writing is too simple to be really bad, but it's the content that gets you. By the end of the book you'll want to track down the philosopher's stone yourself and carefully beat Coelho to death with it.
March 31,2025
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***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
March 31,2025
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To tell the truth, this wasn't as fantastic as i expected it to be ... Perhaps because it is too famous i was so -you know- so eager to read it and this thing exactly disappointed me 'cause it didn't reach my expectations ...
March 31,2025
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The Alchemist is a book quite similar in style to Life of Pi. Although there is no connection between the 2 books, and they tell entirely different stories, their spiritual pursuits are highly similar: destiny, faith, ideals, and beliefs. Different people can find their own answers within them.

How to find one's destiny?

In the plains of Andalusia, Spain, the shepherd boy Santiago originally led a simple and straightforward life. He liked to read, had a flock of sheep, could freely travel around grazing, and liked the merchant's daughter. He felt that this was enough until he had the same dream twice in a ruined church, dreaming of a treasure hidden near the Egyptian pyramids.

He sought out an old Gypsy woman to interpret his dream. She told him that he would reach the pyramids and find the treasure, but he did not believe her. Later, he met an old man, the King of Salem, who asked himto fulfill his destiny and directed him to the pyramids to find the treasure.

Destiny is a core concept in the book.

What is destiny? There is a passage in the book that describes it:

”Destiny is what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible to realize their destiny.”

I like this passage very much. It tells us a simple truth: when we realize what we must do in our lives, as long as we have faith, as long as we desire, and as long as we act, the entire universe will help us achieve it. This is not mere motivational talk; after sufficient reflection on the world, one can see their destiny. If you do not believe in this, it is simply because you have not yet understood the world clearly enough.

Confucius said: "At thirty, I stood firm; at forty, I had no doubts; at fifty, I knew my destiny." The "destiny" Confucius spoke of is different from what Coelho refers to as "destiny." When we are no longer confused about the meaning of life and its value, that is when we discover our destiny.

What does your dreams mean to you, then?

The shepherd boy embarks on his treasure hunt. He sells his flock, crosses the Mediterranean to Tangier, a small town in Africa, only to be cheated out of all his money in a bar. To afford the trip to Egypt, he works in a crystal shop. It is then that he learns that the journey from Tangier to the pyramids involves crossing thousands of miles of desert, a journey ten thousand times more difficult than he imagined. He experiences profound despair. Eventually, he decides to give up on Egypt, stay in the crystal shop, save money, buy sheep, and return to his homeland.

A conversation between Santiago and the crystal shop owner is very enlightening.

The crystal shop owner is a devout pilgrim. His dream is to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca but has spent his life in the crystal shop.

Santiago asks him, "Why don't you go to Mecca now?"

The crystal shop owner replies, "Because Mecca is what keeps me alive. It allows me to endure these ordinary days, the silent crystals, and the dreadful meals in that terrible restaurant. I'm afraid that if I realize my dream, I'll have no reason to go on living. I have imagined countless times crossing the desert, reaching the square where the sacred stone is located, walking around it seven times before touching it. I've imagined people standing beside me, in front of me, our conversations, and shared prayers. But I'm afraid of being disappointed, so I prefer to just keep the dream."

The crystal shop owner represents the majority of us. Everyone has dreams. Some shout them out loud; others keep them deep in their hearts. In our youth, we often scoff at older people who seem to have given up on their dreams, thinking they live meaningless lives. Little do we know, we too might bury our dreams in our hearts, repeatedly pondering them in our midnight reveries, reminding ourselves that we still have directions to pursue in life.

Is it fate or coincidence?

Using his intelligence, Santiago earns enough money to return home. As he is about to leave, he realizes that Tangier is no longer a strange city to him. He feels confident that he can conquer the world the same way he conquered this place. So, he embarks on his journey to Egypt again, joining a desert caravan and meeting an Englishman searching for an alchemist, delving into alchemy himself.

Paulo Coelho, an alchemy enthusiast, mentions the core of alchemy: the Philosopher's Stone, also called the Soul of the World. It is the world's basic element, allowing communication among all things, much like the Five Elements in Chinese alchemy. Coelho tells us that the closer we are to fulfilling our destiny, the closer we get to the Soul of the World, and the universe will help us achieve our destiny.

Santiago finds love and almost stops his journey. Later, he encounters bandits in the desert, narrowly escaping death. He overcomes various difficulties and finally reaches the treasure's location.

Instead of finding gold, Santiago is beaten half to death by a group of refugees. After hearing his story, the refugee leader says something that enriches the entire tale. He says, "People cannot be stupid. Nearly 2 years ago, right where you stand, I too had a dream. I dreamt that I should travel to the Spanish fields, look for a ruined church where a shepherd and his flock spent the night. There was a fig tree at the place where the sacristy was, and if I dug at the roots of that fig tree, I would find a treasure. But I am not so stupid as to cross an entire desert because of a recurring dream."

Santiago returns to the church in Spain and digs up the treasure, which had always been buried beneath the spot where he dreamt. Had he not made the long journey, he would never have known this and never met his beloved Fatima. Both received the same dream revelation; Santiago found the treasure while the refugee leader did not. This is the difference between pursuing one's destiny and remaining complacent.

This is a powerful book full of life's wisdom. Through the story of a shepherd boy searching for treasure, Coelho weaves thoughts on life's value, the nature of the world, existentialism, and other profound topics.

Reading it at different ages yields different insights for me, which I think is the reason why this book is highly acclaimed worldwide.

4.3 / 5 stars
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