قرأتها منذ عامين، وانا اقرأها كنت احس بأنني اعرف روحية النص وبأنني قرأته في مكان آخر.....

وبعد سنتين كنت اقرأ بعض الصفحات من "الف ليلة وليلة"(حكاية إفلاس رجل من بغداد)، فعرفت اين قرأت "الخيميائي" ولماذا كان ذلك الإحساس بروحية النص، فدافع البغدادي (الف ليلة وليلة) في رحلته هو الحلم (مثل سانتياغو في الخيميائي)، سافر البغدادي الى مصر (وكذلك فعل بطل كويلو)، تعرض البغدادي للمخاطر والتنكيل به (وكذلك بطل كويلو)، تكذيب الحلم والإستهزاء بصاحبه (الوالي عندما يتكلم مع البغدادي في الف ليلة وليلة، والزعيم لسانتياغو في الخيميائي وهو يحفر النفق)، الحلم المضاد (الوالي للبغدادي: هناك بيت في بغداد وصفه كذا وكذا فيه كنز (بمعناه)، والزعيم لسنتياغو: في اسبانيا كنيسة يرعى فيها الرعيان..الخ (نفس الكنيسة التي كان يرعى بها سانتياغو)، العودة وايجاد الكنز (في كلا القصتين) و "الف ليلة وليلة قبل الخيميائي بمئات السنين!!!!

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.

Welcome to the best game show on Goodreads, the pre-review game Who Said That? [Insert audience applause] Guess if the following quotes are from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho OR from a CEO/inspirational memoir:
1. The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.
2. The only thing worse than starting something and failing is not starting something.
3. Chase the vision, not the money, the money will end up following you.
4. Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.
5. Sometimes theres a sign that something really great is about to happen. You’re about to grow and learn a lot more about yourself.
6. Life is fragile. We’re not guaranteed a tomorrow so give it everything you’ve got.
7. People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.
8. A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.
9. There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.
10. Pessimists may be right in the end, but an optimist has a much better time getting there.
11. Without passion, you don’t have any energy, and without energy, you simply have nothing.
12. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.


Answers
1. Alchemist
2. Seth Godin, Founder of Squidoo
3. Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos
4. Alchemist
5. Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo
6. Tim Cooke, CEO of Apple
7. Alchemist
8. Colin Powell, former US Secretary of State
9. Alchemist
10. Samuel R Allen, CEO of Deere
11. Whoever the ghost writer is for Donald Trump books
12. Alchemist


Jokes aside, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is an endlessly quotable book. It reads like a fable, with very catchy and accessible writing that is meant to empower and make you feel good. This really works for a lot of people—I mean this was a widely successful novel—and I’m happy that so many people could be moved and inspired by a book. Especially a book that unites people around the world by being an international success. Unfortunately, for myself at least, it all comes across as a pristine facade without much behind it, offering something that can be quickly digested but isn’t actually filling. This is a book that I recall enjoying enough when I read it as a teen but haven’t thought of since, so when someone picked it as our next read for our book club I was excited to revisit it seeing as I remembered literally nothing about it. I hate to say it, but being fun but forgettable is my takeaway from it again.

‘There is only one way to learn... It's through action.’

Coelho said the book was written very quickly because ‘the book was already written in my soul,’ and in the forward he discusses how this novel was his own Personal Legend. ‘I was living my own metaphor,’ he said, being thrilled just to get it picked up by a Brazilian publisher who, in 1988, only ran 900 copies assuming it would not be a big success. The book ended up taking off, with the 1993 English translation becoming a massive hit and lead to numerous further translations. Coelho even holds a Guinness World Record for “most translations of a single title signed by the author in 1 sitting”, signing his book in 53 different translated editions at a book event in Germany. So I can really appreciate that aspect, and his own personal journey into publishing and believing in himself is honestly better than the book itself.
n  n
Fun fact: The Alchemist had a big boost in sales when then-President Bill Clinton was photographed reading it.

For those who don’t know, the story follows a young boy, Santiago, as he journeys across the desert and meets a lot of interesting people along the way. Literally every person has a pearl of positive wisdom to share it seems, and it becomes a rapid fire of empowerment quotes that could all go on one of those inspirational posters made for office walls in the 90s. Actually, I’m fairly certain I’ve seen one that quoted this book. The characters all feel like a mouthpiece for Coehlo to pass along his positive message, or wisdom, and one can easily imagine this being a self-help book had he not decided to attach a fictional narrative to it. It is a nice message, that you have to believe in yourself and in your goals and, if you truly do (“only those who are true of heart” vibes like in fairy tales) the universe will conspire to help you achieve your goal. Which is a nice inspirational message and sometimes that is what you need to hear to break free from self doubt. Particularly as another primary message is that we must overcome fear to accomplish what we need to do. ‘Don't give in to your fears,’ Coelho writes, ‘If you do, you won't be able to talk to your heart.’ So great, yea, believe in yourself. I dig that.

‘To realize one's destiny is a person's only real obligation.’

I do, however, see it as a bit of a back-patting perspective. Like yes, if you are successful it is nice to feel like it is because you are pure of heart. He tells us that those who don’t follow their dreams end up in ruin and sadness. This is sort of a success fallacy in a way, as it implies that if things are bad its because you just didn’t try hard enough. Which…ehhhhh…I mean there are a lot of forces acting in society that gatekeep and sometimes it’s more than just not overcoming adversity. And I get it, keep trying, yea, but it feels a bit like shaming? Which is honestly overthinking it though as this book is not that nuanced or deep (something I kept saying during debates over minor details during book club: “I don’t think he even considered that and its beside the point because it’s not actually that deep”). It is meant to be a fun and empowering story that paints in broad strokes and yea, I get why it means a lot to many people. For me it just seemed a bit flat and like a snack when I wanted a meal.

‘Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.’
Okay, fine, I don’t know how to write a good book or how to live my life either, but I just know this one wasn’t it for me.


I did appreciate how it was aimed at a general positive idea of spirituality that, while using different religions, was not necessarily religious. Spiritual, or mystic would seem the better term. I liked the idea of the universe, the sand, the wind, etc as conscious entities that can collaborate with you. While I really disliked the deus ex machina ending, the whole idea of the world as a spiritual presence was well done. Coelho does sort of pull an orientalism in his depiction as an outsider of the region as this wild and savage land full of wise sages and cutthroat robbers, but it does seem with the aim of capturing the feel of One Thousand and One Nights or other tales of adventure and ‘finding yourself’ in exotic locale. Which I think is a topic that people have had a more nuanced discussion on since this book was written.

‘It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting,’ Coelho writes, and this I can agree with. However, in The Alchemist, the general tone of the book is that dreams seem a thing only for men. Fatima, Santiago’s love interest, lacks much agency in the tale and is more or less written as a prize for following his Personal Legend. She is an element of his journey, while I guess he is all her journey gets to be. He tells her ‘I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you,’ which…isn’t all that romantic or great? Hey, the universe popped you into my life, guess you’ll do for a bride. C’mon, man, does she have any personality or intelligence you enjoy and don’t just tell me how beautiful she is. Didn’t vibe with any of that aspect of the book.

I also didn’t really like the ending. Sure it is riffing on the whole “it’s the journey not the destination” aspect but it felt a bit flat for me with the deus ex machina moment. It is a happy ending though, and one full of success and rewards. As a bookclub member pointed out, it sort of resonates with a quote by T.S. Eliot: ‘We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.’

So in the end, I’m mostly ambivalent to this book. I see why people enjoy it and it is admittedly pretty and sweet and uplifting. It’s a good vibe to be in. It didn’t do much for me, but that’s alright too.

2.5/5

رواية غيّرت روحي. جربت بعدها قراءة شيء آخر لباولو كويليو فتأكدت أن هذه الرواية هي الوحيدة تقريبا التي تستحق القراءة. أنصح بترجمة بهاء طاهر الصادرة عن دار الهلال بعنوان: ساحر الصحراء.

أحمد الديب
2007

damn.

"The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them."

What do I say about this book? It's simply not as great as it's talked about and not as bad as it's criticised about. 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.

I suggest reading it without any prejudice or high expectation. If you pick this book read it as a simple fictional story and take away the lesson according to your perspectives. The story is very limited to the idea of dreaming, exploring, and sacrifice et cetera, et cetera. So the takeaway can be very different for each individual.

n  You might like to check out more similar books here.n

n  I, Hegeln


I, Hegel, wrote an essay today
Comparing Jesus
And his disciples,
With Socrates,
And his.
Jesus emerges from my comparison
As decidedly the inferior teacher
Of ethics.
What does that say
About my Religion?


I, Hegel, had a dream today
In which Napoleon
Was offered
One of two paths
In a cold subterranean dungeon:
One of which led to untold riches
And the other to a lost work of Aristotle.
He took the first
Without hesitation.
What does that say
About my Hero?


I, Hegel, went on a walk today
When I heard
Two villagers arguing
About metaphysics,
And epistemology:
They talked of Jesus and of Zeus,
Of Mary and of Vampires!
But not a word was told of Kant,
Yet they reached (and easily)
The very same conclusions!
What does that say
About my Teacher?

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

A delightful, quick dose of motivational self-help, The Alchemist is full of feel-good life lessons wrapped in a parable-like story from a well-meaning, slightly overenthusiastic guru. Perfect for when you need an uplifting pep talk.

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

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.

“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 .”