Like the one-time bestseller Jonathan Livingston Seagull, The Alchemist presents a simple fable, based on simple truths and places it in a highly unique situation. And though we may sniff a bestselling formula, it is certainly not a new one: even the ancient tribal storytellers knew that this is the most successful method of entertaining an audience while slipping in a lesson or two. Brazilian storyteller Paulo Coehlo introduces Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who one night dreams of a distant treasure in the Egyptian pyramids. And so he's off: leaving Spain to literally follow his dream.

Along the way he meets many spiritual messengers, who come in unassuming forms such as a camel driver and a well-read Englishman. In one of the Englishman's books, Santiago first learns about the alchemists--men who believed that if a metal were heated for many years, it would free itself of all its individual properties, and what was left would be the "Soul of the World." Of course he does eventually meet an alchemist, and the ensuing student-teacher relationship clarifies much of the boy's misguided agenda, while also emboldening him to stay true to his dreams. "My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy confides to the alchemist one night as they look up at a moonless night.

The Alchemist

Darion White
English
June 9, 2005

The Alchemist


Have you ever had a dream that you tried to follow and figure it out? Well, reading The Alchemist will tell you all about following your dreams and your personal legend. The Alchemist has one hundred seventy three pages worth of reading. The genre of The Alchemist is fiction and is written by Paulo Coelho. In the book Santiago the main character, is a character that's trying to follow his dream, which is trying to find a treasure that he dreamed for two days about. The theme of The Alchemist is following your dreams.
In The Alchemist, Coelho writes with style. Paulo Coelho style is very effective. Paulo Coelho has his characters talking just like they would talk to other characters. For example, " I am following my personal legend. It's not something you would understand." (Pg 111) That their shows that the author Paulo Coelho has style and that he's effective as well.
Santiago, which is the main character, is the protagonist. This story goes around Santiago. Santiago is a dynamic character, because he experienced a lot of changes during the course of the story. Also, there isn't any person in The Alchemist who's the protagonist; but nature shows the force in conflict with the protagonist.
One reason why I recommend The Alchemist to other readers is because the book teaches not just teenagers, but adults also to follow your dreams and your personal legend. "It's what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is."(Pg 21) Also, I recommend this book because the Author Paulo Coelho uses a lot of imagery, which is effective that could put the readers in the book to make it seem real. " They went to drink the tea,
which was served in beautiful glasses." (Pg 59)
Finally, I recommend this book because it tells you to be what you want to be, and not what someone else wants you to be. Santiago wanted to travel while his parents wanted him to become a priest, but Santiago followed his own mind." His parents had wanted him to become a priest, and thereby a source of pride for a simple farm family." (Pg 8) " Amongst us, the only ones who travel are the shepherds." Said his father." Well, then I'll be a shepherd." " His father said no more." (Pg 9) As you can see Santiago made his own decisions, and that's why I recommend this book to anyone who wants to follow their dreams to be what ever you want to be in life.
In conclusion, I will like to say to all the readers that this is one of the best books I've enjoyed so far. This book The Alchemist has taught me to follow what I want to be in life and don't give up my dreams. And if The Alchemist can help me follow my dreams and personal legends it can help you as well.

Follow your Heart!

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Another inspiring and uplifting fable type story about a young man following his dreams. A country boy becomes a shepherd because he wants to travel and see new places in the countryside of Andalusia. Then he dreams of riches to be found in the Pyramids of Egypt.

All the while the book makes the reader think about many ideas or seeds of success. There must have been 25 positive seeds or ideas that are worth writing down as you come across them.

When I read a book that I truly enjoy and it mentions another book I always jot it down and pick it up. This often sets up a chain of events that leads to one great book after another. Sometimes the chain goes 3,4 or even 5 books deep. I ended up at the Alchemist this way. It started out like this:

Berkshire Hathaway's letter to shareholders by Warren Buffett
then
The Smartest Guys in the Room
then
The Fountainhead and the Alchemist

Glad I ended up here!

(...)

Quasi-religious, psuedo-inspirational seriously inane drivel

Contrived. Pretentious. Juvenile. That's just the introduction, in which the author discusses his amazement at the popularity this book has gained. It is equally astonishing for any reader who is able to endure more than five pages of: "The Soul of the World spoke to the Heart of the Boy as he prayed to the God of the Dessert who commanded the Spirit of the Wind..." I found myself praying to the God of Literature that the boy's beloved sheep would stampeded and trample him to death, sparing me from the Demons of Boredom. If you liked the Celestine Prophecy you'll love The Alchemist. You can read it while you're waiting for the mothership to return. Otherwise, take a pass and read something more intellectually engaging, like the tax code.