Book Review #32 ~ The Alchemist

As much as I love reading, I have to say that the only reason that I read this book was because it was on my summer reading list. Although it was tedious to read at first, I thought that the book became increasingly interesting as I went on. So here goes:

The Alchemist ~ Paulo Coelho

The alchemist is a Fantasy novel by Paulo Coelho about a shepherd boy named Santiago who has a dream about finding treasure. He is compelled to follow his dream of finding hidden treasure among the pyramids in Egypt. This is all about trusting in the Soul of the World and believing that there are forces in the universe that want us to be happy. The soul of the world is a sort of spiritual unity that binds together everything in nature, from humans to even rocks. In order to find his happiness, Santiago first has to discover his personal legend (what he is meant to do in the world). In order to accomplish your personal legend, you have to learn to connect with the soul of the world. This is all about Santiago’s journey to pursue his personal legend and fulfill it. During Santiago’s travels, he meets an alchemist, who is a very rare being that knows how to turn any metals into gold. The alchemist is incredibly in touch with the soul of the world and nature around him. He gives Santiago advice on how to be courageous and trust his heart. One of the central themes of this book is the danger of fear. Fear comes up several times throughout his journey, and each time Santiago must put that aside in order to truly pursue his dreams. Fear is also a large issue in the Alchemist. The greatest obstacle that usually stands in Santiago’s way is his fear that something will go wrong. The author even includes a character in the book, the crystal merchant, who is deeply unhappy because he has allowed fear to stop him from achieving his dreams.Another theme in this book that comes up very often is achieving your dreams (personal legends). Dreams constantly come up throughout the book. Almost every character is following his or her dream, and the author is really encouraging the reader to follow his own dreams and to count on the universe to help them achieve their goals.There is also one other issue that comes up in the alchemist, and that is the issue of love and its importance compared to your personal legend. Santiago falls in love with a girl on his journey to find his treasure, and he really must battle with what is more important – continuing to work to fulfill his goals or stay with the girl that he loves.
Overall, I genuinely enjoyed the author’s style in this book. He uses very simple and easy to understand language and there’s not much that you have to sit and ponder over. He usually makes the messages he’s trying to get across very obvious. It is written almost like a biblical parable, and contains many simple yet very profound statements.Although the fact that The Alchemist is often on core reading lists might make readers veer away, it is definitely worth a read!