The Illustrated Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream

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Since its publication in 1993, Paulo Coelho's magical novel has enchanted millions of readers around the globe. Now, the following is sure to grow with the release of this stunning edition featuring 35 illustrations from renowned artist Moebius.The Alchemist follows Santiago, a Spanish shepherd boy who leaves his home in search of treasure. What he discovers - about himself and life - as he travels over the continents to the alchemist is more rewarding than any object he ever dreamed of.

198 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1,1988

This edition

Format
198 pages, Hardcover
Published
November 1, 1998 by HarperCollins
ISBN
9780060192501
ASIN
006019250X
Language
English
Characters More characters
  • Santiago

    Santiago

    An adventurous young Andalusian shepherd determined to fulfill his personal legend, which is to find a treasure at the foot of the Egyptian pyramids. He is the books protagonist.more...

  • Alchemist

    Alchemist

    ...

  • Melchizedek

    Melchizedek

    Melchizedek was the priest-king of Salem who lived during the time of Abram and at that time was one of the kings involved in the war against Sodom and Gomorrah. Melchizedek was the first of the priestly Order of Melchizedek (of which is an eponym of him)...

About the author

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The Brazilian author PAULO COELHO was born in 1947 in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Before dedicating his life completely to literature, he worked as theatre director and actor, lyricist and journalist. In 1986, PAULO COELHO did the pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostella, an experience later to be documented in his book The Pilgrimage. In the following year, COELHO published The Alchemist. Slow initial sales convinced his first publisher to drop the novel, but it went on to become one of the best selling Brazilian books of all time. Other titles include Brida (1990), The Valkyries (1992), By the river Piedra I sat Down and Wept (1994), the collection of his best columns published in the Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo entitle Maktub (1994), the compilation of texts Phrases (1995), The Fifth Mountain (1996), Manual of a Warrior of Light (1997), Veronika decides to die (1998), The Devil and Miss Prym (2000), the compilation of traditional tales in Stories for parents, children and grandchildren (2001), Eleven Minutes (2003), The Zahir (2005), The Witch of Portobello (2006) and Winner Stands Alone (to be released in 2009). During the months of March, April, May and June 2006, Paulo Coelho traveled to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostella in 1986. He also held surprise book signings - announced one day in advance - in some cities along the way, to have a chance to meet his readers. In ninety days of pilgrimage the author traveled around the globe and took the famous Transiberrian train that took him to Vladivostok. During this experience Paulo Coelho launched his blog Walking the Path - The Pilgrimage in order to share with his readers his impressions. Since this first blog Paulo Coelho has expanded his presence in the internet with his daily blogs in Wordpress, Myspace & Facebook. He is equally present in media sharing sites such as Youtube and Flickr, offering on a regular basis not only texts but also videos and pictures to his readers. From this intensive interest and use of the Internet sprang his bold new project: The Experimental Witch where he invites his readers to adapt to the screen his book The Witch of Portobello. Indeed Paulo Coelho is a firm believer of Internet as a new media and is the first Best-selling author to actively support online free distribution of his work.

Community Reviews

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March 26,2025
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ترجمة "جواد صيداوي" ذات الهوية البصرية الخاصة بالطبعة الثالثة لدار "هاربر كولينز", بعنوان "الخيميائي" والتي كتب على طرفها: "الطبعة العربية الأصلية", وطبعت لتنتشر في كل ربوع مصر. في مقابل ترجمة "بهاء طاهر" التي يحمل غلافها الهوية البصرية للطبعة الأولى من نفس الدار بلون رمل الصحراء يبرز أعلاها كلمتا "ساحر الصحراء" أضيف فوقهما كلمة "السيميائي" بداية من الطبعة الثالثة.



وإني أتذكر جيداً ذلك الفتى الغِر, وهو ينظر إلى يده التي كانت تمسك بعدة كتب عتيقة, وعيناه تلمعان حماساً. فقد حصل لتوه من أحد أقرباءه على صفقة جيدة من الكتب النادرة
وكان الاستثناء الوحيد هو كتاب صغير ذو غلاف أحمر لم يمانع في استعارته لكثرة ما سمع عنه.
ومن فرط حماسه, لم تزغ عينيه عن كتبه عندما استدرك قريبه ناصحاً بترجمة أخرى من ذلك الكتاب الأحمر, ولم يتذكر الغِر اسم المترجم الآخر لاحقاً سوى بصعوبة شديدة وبعد محاولات عدة على فترات مختلفة للتذكر. ولربما لم يكن ليتذكر الاسم لولا أنه كرر الاسم بصوت عالي, وهي طريقة كان يتبعها الفتى ليظهر لمن أمامه أنه يفكر في الشيء الذي يردده. ردد كثيراً لكنه لم يستطع حينها التذكر, فهز كتفيه محاولاً إقناع نفسه بأن التذكر لم يكن ليفيده بشئ, فلديه كتاب ورقي في مقابل آخر يحتاج لبذل مجهود للبحث عن نسخة ورقية منه, ولشد ما كان يكره ان يبذل مجهود دون داعٍ لذلك. والنسخة الورقية أفضل حتماً من نسخة إلكترونية قد يجدها على الانترنت. كلها ترجمات وكله ماشي.

ظل هكذا حتى أفقدت كلمات الصفحة الأولى الفتى الغِر عذريته الساذجة, وتحت وطأة أولى كلمات الكتاب الأحمر والتي ترامت كهجوم لأحد عمالقة هاجيمي إيساياما, بلهاء على غير هدى. تحول الحادث لأحد كوابيسه, حتى أن الفتى قد قرر تسمية تلك التجربة بفتنته الصغرى.

ذات ليلة تذكر الفتى الغِر ذا العيون الناعسة دائماً, أنه لربما كان نائماً حينما حدث ذلك, ففي الأحلام لا يستطيع الإنسان قراءة كتاب جديد, فهو يرى مجرد حروف مبهمة. ولكن الفتى سرعان ما نفض عنه تلك الأفكار التي بدت له تفسر الكثير. أغمض عينيه ليريحها قليلاً ولعن الأفكار التي سقته إياها دي سي كومكيس: "اللعنة, فالفتنة لا يمكن أن تكون وهماً, فهي حدثاً مستمراً, وتمت على مراحل كثيرة"

كانت الفتنة تحمل ملامح كثيرة, غروب الشمس على غلاف الرواية, ولونها الأحمر, وثقة الناشر العربي المفرطة, وحيرة الفتى أمام الكلمات التي كانت تبدو مبعثرة علي الورقة. والملمح الأكثر غرابه كان إصرار الفتى لاستكمال ما بدأه في هذه النسخة الورقية وأبت الفتنة أن تحفظ له أياً من ماء وجهه.

فبعد جهده الجهيد لتذكر اسم المترجم, استخدم الفتى الاسم ليبحث عن الترجمة على الانترنت لكنه لم يستطع الوصول لها. وكان هذا هو الرفض الأول من ترجمة طاهر.

ماذا عن نسخة ورقية؟ لقد كان هذا مستحيلاً عليه؛ فالترجمة قديمة. لثاني مرة تتمنع ترجمة طاهر عن وصال الفتى.
وما كاد يتخلى الفتى الغِر ذا العيون الناعسة المجهدة عن البحث, حتى برز له صدفة أحد مراجعات الكتاب التي أخبرته بسر التجلي الخاص بها. فلقد كان لها اسم آخر تخفيه عن الفتى, اسم لديه ما يكفيه من الإغراء: "ساحر الصحراء".

قام الفتى بتحميل الترجمة, وشرع في قراءتها حتى انتبه على صدمه لم يكن ليتوقعها, لقد اندمج الفتى في القراءة من الكتاب الإلكتروني الذي يقرأه على شاشة الحاسب, في حين أنه لم يستطع قراءة أكثر من صفحة من النسخة الورقية التي كان لها طعم القيء. إذاً أين هو السحر الذي يميز قراءة الورق والذي طالماً آمن به بصدق ويقين!!
لقد كانت معتقدات الفتى تتهاوى أمامه, ولكنه لم يكن ليستسلم بسهوله, فتح كتابه الورقي محاولاً إمساكه باعتزاز. لكن الأمر كان أسوأ من المرة السابقة, لم يصادف جملة واحدة رضي عن طريقة ترجمتها, مقارنة باللغة السلسة لنسخة طاهر, كما أنها كانت مليئة بالأخطاء.
وهنا اشتعل قبس من نور داخل الفتى, شعلة جديدة تزيد الأجواء سخونة. معتقد آخر, وعالم جديد من الكتب الإلكترونية

أكمل الفتى باقي الرواية من ترجمة طاهر, رغم أن الشك والحيطة كانتا تتناوبان عليه أحياناً, فيعود للترجمة الحمراء لعمل مقارنة بين الترجمتين

وفي نهاية الرواية, كان الفتى قد انتقل لمذهب جديد, مذهب البي دي اف, وهي صيغة الكتب الإلكترونية الأكثر انتشاراً حينها!.


وبعدما أنهى الفتى الكتاب, أراد نشر أحد الاقتباسات التي أعجبته, ولكن يا للدهشة أصابه الكسوف والخجل منه. فبحث عن المقطع الذي أراده في نسخة باللغة الأصلية, واكتفى بنشر الاقتباس بالنص المبهم, بجانب جملة بالعربية نصها: "صدق اللي قال عنها إنها رواية ممكن تحول مسار حياة أي حد يقرأها :)", مع تقييمه لها بخمس نجوم. لقد كان فتى طيباً ومتفائلاً جداً في ذلك الوقت, كان الفتى غراً وأغراه الكنز. وإن سألتم الفتى الآن عن رأيه في الكتاب, لرد بامتعاض واستخفاف بأنه مجرد هراء تنمية بشرية في غلاف رواية مسلية, ولن تفيدك بشئ إذا لم تكن متفائلاً من البداية. فالعالم لا يتآمر ضدك ليوصلك للكنز.
March 26,2025
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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.
March 26,2025
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ORIGINAL REVIEW REMOVED (by me) 10/23/23
_________________________________

The review I wrote of this book and posted on Jun 16, 2010 has, as of today earned 4,264 likes and has a comment thread of 50 pages. Based on this activity, it is the first review shown of the more than 114,000+ reviews on this site.

I regularly get friend requests based solely on this review and likes and comments are added almost daily.

I would like to take some pride in that, but I really don't. This review is (was) an anomaly in terms of the kinds of books I generally read and the kinds of reviews I generally write. For that reason, I don't accept friend requests from people who've extended them based solely on reading this review.

Back in 2010, goodreads was in its infancy. It had not yet instituted some really questionable content policies which we later learned were part of the lead-up to the site's purchase by amazon in 2013. It had not yet leveraged our freely-given, user-generated content – products of our passion for books and for talking about them with others – for a higher valuation in the M&A game. The technology and user experience was, if not smooth, idiosyncratically, almost charmingly, glitchy. Now, it's beyond broken, beyond frustrating, and clearly beyond repair (or anyone caring to invest in it).

Back then, in the pre-amazon days, the culture of reading, reviewing, and interacting was freer, more generous, and wayyyyyyyyy less serious. Satirical reviews were not just tolerated, they were encouraged. People recognized and weren't threatened by irony (which, ironically, was one of my beefs with this book: its zealous humourlessness combined with vapid, too-earnest, moralizing).

Some of my favourites of these types of reviews are "Jason's" single-line 2009 review of The Road and Paul Bryant's 2010 send-up of Murakami's The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. But there were so many, and apologies to all those still here and active who have written them.

In the early days of goodreads there was plenty of room for fanciful, wildly creative, hilarious reviews that were not reviews but instigations to playful and joyous banter about books and engagement with playful and joyous readers.

I mourn the demise of the goodreads I once loved. This review, and the daily notifications I get telling me that people have read it, are sad reminders of what – and who – has been lost.
March 26,2025
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My father recently sent me an email offering to buy me a book as a birthday present, and asking me if there was something in particular that I wanted. He does this pretty much every year, and every year, I’ll send him suggestions and he’ll reply “I saw your list, but what about these other books that *I* loved and that I think you should read?”. OK, I’m paraphrasing, but you get the idea. It was after one such conversations that I ended up with a copy of “The Alchemist” – when I had rather clearly expressed my desire for something else entirely. To be fair, my father’s taste is not always terrible: he introduced me to Christopher Moore, for one thing. But very often, he hits awkwardly far from the mark in his attempt to convert me to his literary tastes.

“The Alchemist” is painfully representative of his style, and this recent interaction led me to realize how ironic that is. Dad likes his books poetic, inspiring, challenging (but not too much). And the most annoying part is that he very earnestly feels inspired by the sort of sentimental drivel that he persist in peddling at me. I’m too literal-minded to be as affected as he is by books like this: I understand he just wants me to listen to my heart, go after my dreams and do things I am really passionate about. Just like the book, his intention is really good, but the ham-fisted delivery, full of unrealistic and impractical advice, is just painful.

This book is an un-subtle, preachy New Age story about a Spanish shepherd named Santiago who dreams of a treasure buried by the pyramids of Egypt. So, naturally, he dumps his flock, goes to Morocco, falls in love, travels to Egypt and realizes the treasure was love all along. There is something sweet about it, sure, but also something aggressively illogical, and my cynical brain couldn’t stop thinking how much of a selfish little shit Santiago was. Easy for him to follow his dreams, as he has no family to take care of, no rent to pay, no one to be accountable to. I was also mildly disturbed by this idea that if you are true to the quest for your “personal legend”, things will unfailingly work out in your favor. This brand of delusional magical-thinking is actually incredibly damaging, because it encourages people not to worry too much about the consequences of their actions – why would you care if you are deeply convinced everything will work out well for you?

Needless to say that dad’s present ended up at the used bookstore that year. Hopefully this year, he follows my list and doesn’t try to get me more Paolo Coelho...
March 26,2025
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I made it through a few pages before throwing it across the room. Then I picked it up, skimmed a few more pages and threw it in the bin. Then I washed my brain, eyes and fingers with bleach. Belongs with things like The Secret in the deepest depths of Book-Hell.
March 26,2025
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Yoruma değmeyecek kadar lüzumsuz buldum, yemek tarifi bırakıyorum, enfestir. Yapıp yersiniz.

Patates Musakka (Göçmen Usulü)

4 adet patates
Yarım kg kıyma
1 adet soğan
1 yemek kaşığı salça
Tuz, karabiber, nane
Zeytinyağı

Sos için;

1 yumurta
10 yemek kaşığı dolusu yoğurt
Tuz


Kıymamızı soğanla kıyma tek tek ayrılıncaya kadar güzelce kavuruyoruz. Patateslerimizi küp küp doğruyoruz. Daha sonra ayrı bir kapta patateslerimizi kavuruyoruz. Çok kavurmaya gerek yok 10 dk yeterli. Daha sonra kıyma ve patatesleri birleştirip salçamızı ekliyoruz. Bir yandan yoğurt, tuz ve yumurtayı güzelce çırpıyoruz. Fırın kabımıza patates-kıyma karışımını yaydırıp en son üzerine yumurta ve yoğurt karışımını kaşıkla düzgünce sürüyoruz. Üzerine nane serpip, kızarıncaya kadar pişiriyoruz. (200 -180 aralığında)
March 26,2025
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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
March 26,2025
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This was one of those books that I never would have picked out myself if my book club had not chosen it for us to read. Being the only guy in the club, I have to say that they all loved it. To me it was one of those books that I kept asking my wife, "How on earth did this become so popular?" I was thinking that it was one of those 'fad' books that everyone reads because 'everyone' else is reading it. But to be honest, I did finish it and there were even moments when I had to read just one more page. It did teach me a lot about the life in the desert and such, so it wasn't a waste of my time. Would I recommend it? Depends on the audience. It is easy to read and you feel good reading it. Military History buffs would be bored.
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