The moral of this story is absolutely intrinsic!!!!!!

I highly recommend reading this short novel and opening your eyes to more than just the world in front of you. This is the kind of read that leaves you pondering about life and the choices we make, well after you’ve finished reading. It’s the kind of book you read more than once.

Written exceptionally well, it’s an effortless and comfortable read that warms you like a cozy blanket. It left me thinking silently for quite awhile after I closed the book. I honestly just lost myself in thought and how we can so easily lose sight of what’s important in life. How we can be quick to assume instead of coming from curious.

This isn’t just a novel, it’s a lesson. If you like books that leave you enlightened, this is a good one to read.

This book is a miraculous piece of writing that created the kind of devoted fans that you find only to holy books. I think simplicity has its way of getting into people's mind.

n  

n    “When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”n  

n

~ Rating- 1 star ~

Content/ Trigger Warning- Poverty, Sexism, Desert

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is an extremely hyped up book. I picked it up in the hopes of finding an interesting read that I could gain something from, but I hadn’t expected to be so thoroughly disappointed.

The Alchemist isn’t a terrible book, rather I am the wrong kind of reader for this book. The message of The Alchemist is to essentially find the true meaning of life and follow your heart all the time. While I agree with it to a certain extent, I didn’t like the way it was portrayed in the book. It made not following a ‘personal legend ’ a bad thing and people who don’t abandon their fairly happy life in pursuit for a greater goal a bad thing, which I disagree with. Apparently if you don’t leave your life to search for a ‘personal legend’ then you are either unhappy, afraid, or both. That makes no sense. It is not a bad thing to keep living your life the way it is, in fact it is an admirable thing to find happiness in what you already have.

There were some sentences in The Alchemist that were quite cliche, like-

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

Yes that is true, but it is never the only factor that is responsible. Sometimes people may not have enough resources to achieve their dreams, or sometimes they may not have the ability. Sometimes people can’t abandon their life only for the sake of a dream that might not be achieved. I’m not saying that we should never make an effort to pursue our dreams, but we should also be practical and plan it properly. The fear of failure is more of a mental aspect, but overcoming it does not guarantee that your dreams will be fulfilled.

The main character in The Alchemist is a shepherd, Santiago, who is earning enough income, has a passion for reading. He has plans of getting engaged to someone and is content in his life. When he is offered the opportunity to pursue something, (which by the way, he doesn't even know what at this point) he jumps right at it for absolutely no reason. The character doesn’t think it through properly. Someone tells him to go in search of some hidden treasure and pursue his ‘personal legend’ and he listens. It is so impractical, irrational, and something that wouldn't exactly work out in real life. If everyone abandoned their life and went to a desert to pursue a ‘personal legend’, the world would collapse, and there would be no one to ensure it functioned.

What bothered me a lot more than this though, was the fact that the male characters are the only ones who are allowed to pursue a ‘personal legend’. The female characters in this book are expected to wait around at home, while the male characters leave everything behind.

We have sentences these-

*Mild Spoiler alert*

n  “The desert takes our men from us, and they don't always return. We know that, and we are used to it. Those who don't return... they become part of the Soul of the World. Some do come back. And then the other women are happy because they believe that their men may one day return, as well. I used to look at those women and envy them their happiness. Now, I too will be one of the women who wait."

And, "The boy fell to his knees and wept. He thanked God for making him believe in his Personal Legend, and for leading him to meet a king, a merchant, an Englishman, and an alchemist. And above all for his having met a woman of the desert who had told him that love would never keep a man from his Personal Legend."n

Now I get it, this book was written years ago. I also get the fact that this is Santiago’s story, and I don't expect anyone else to tag along with him on his personal legend. But that still doesn’t make me want to ignore this, as it was just upsetting and something I hadn’t expected in a book hyped so much.

In short, The Alchemist was a thorough disappointment. I like the general message of the book, but I wish it was discussed in more depth and I wish the other side (and more practical side) wasn’t completely ignored and tagged as ‘bad’.

Before people argue that this is fiction and I should not take it so seriously, I picked this up expecting a life-changing read, so I suppose I can complain if it didn’t meet the mark. If you are debating whether you should read this, my advice is to read through the quotes. If you find them inspiring, I’d recommend reading the book!

Audiobook Comments
The narration was alright. Nothing extraordinary, but not bad either. It would be good for beginners I’d recommend it. Audiobook Rating- 3/5 stars.

n  

n    “Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.”n  

n

n  n    Review written on September 10th, 2021.n  n

DISCLAIMER-All opinions on books I’ve read and reviewed are my own, and are with no intention to offend anyone. If you feel offended by my reviews, let me know how I can fix it.

How I Rate-
1 star- Hardly liked anything/ was disappointed
2 star- Had potential but did not deliver/ was disappointed
3 stars- Was ok but could have been better/ was average / Enjoyed a lot but something was missing
4 stars- Loved a lot but something was missing
5 stars- Loved it/ new favourite


..........................................

Finished. Didn’t really enjoy this. In short, good message but poor execution. Probably 1.5 stars. Review to come soon. I’ll try to write it by tomorrow.

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.

tl;dr - important message, disappointing execution.

for this to have been described as a story that changes lives, im a little let down. whilst this certainly had the potential to be ‘life changing,’ i felt there were many aspects which kept the story from delivering what could have been a meaningful experience.

firstly, this is told like a parable. i would consider this story to fall more along the lines of religious allegory than philosophical text. that, in itself, is neither here nor there. however, i read somewhere that effective parables should comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. unfortunately, this book does neither of those things - it pampers to the egos of the self-righteous and chastises those who dont adhere to certain values. which is a shame, because this was supposed to be a story about following ones heart by chasing dreams and passions. too bad that message got lost somewhere along the way.

secondly, i didnt connect with the any of characters, as i found them to be very two-dimensional. for a story that was meant to be about personal growth, i did not get any sense of emotion in the writing. a boy sells his entire livelihood, sets sail for distant continent, and crosses an entire desert in search of something he desperately desires - and yet, i couldnt care less about his journey. also, the portrayal of women in this is frustratingly poor.

anyways, i liked the idea. i personally try to live my life by many of the lessons and teachings in this book - i believe it is important for one to follow their dreams, to always listen to their heart, and to never give up on something they are passionate about (as much as realistically possible). but i think the effectiveness of those messages was lost in this story.

↠ 2.5 stars

If books were pills, Alchemist would be a sugarcoated placebo with no real effect. Let's call it a feel-good homily. I have never read a book as meretricious as this one. Many reviewers have pointed out the problems with this 'celebrated' novel so I'd rather not expend any more words. Suffice it so say that this is a good example of portentous writing that is best avoided if your benchmark is quality literature.

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.

SPOILER ALERT!

This book is very inspiring and what I really need right now to motivate myself with my everyday endeavors. In the end the boy in the story who was searching for his treasure, despite the long travels and experiences, find his treasure not in the place where he suspected it to be, but in the place where he came from. It's just pretty ironic that what have you looking for is in the end is just beside you right from the beginning. It's just that what he learned and discovered from his travel is another treasure that he should realize in order to appreciate himself and the things around him.

A very inspiring and positive book, it actually gives me hope that the things that I aspire for will in the end I would achieve if only I strive hard and don't lose hope until I get it. Sometimes the detours and the problems that we face now were later on in our life will make sense and when you remember that moment especially if you had overcome it you will know that you are thankful for that to happen because in the end you would learn something from it.

Δεν θα σας πω ψέματα. Όταν το είχα διαβάσει (στα 13-14) με συνεπήρε. Μετά ήρθε η ζωή.

I'm sure there was a message hidden in this book somewhere that went completely over my head. Oops! And I very much enjoyed the fairytale style in which it's written.

إن كل رجل سعيد كان هو ذاك الذي اعتنق الله في داخله
وأنه يمكن للسعادة أن تكون موجودة في حبة رمل بسيطة في الصحراء
لأن حبة الرمل هي لحظة من عملية الخلق
وأن الكون قد كرّس ملايين وملايين السنين في خلقها


إنّني أخاف إذا حقّقت حُلمي
ألّا يتبقّى لي بعد ذلك سبب للعيش



يوجد شخص ينتظر شخصاً آخر
سواء أكان هذا في وسط الصحراء
أو في قلب المدن الكبرى
وعندما يلتقي هؤلاء الشخصان
وتتقاطع نظرتاهما
فإن الماضي والمستقبل لا أهميةلهما
ولحظة الحاضر وحدها هي التي تبقى