The Alchemist: A BubbleLove Review

Title: The Alchemist

Author: Paulo Coelho

Rating: 5/5

Book 12 of 100: (The 100+ Reading Challenge)

Synopsis:

Every few decades a book is published that changes the lives of its readers forever. Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist is such a book. With over 30 million copies sold worldwide, The Alchemist has already achieved the status of a modern classic.

This is the story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who dreams of travelling the world in search of a treasure as extravagant as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the exotic markets of Tangiers and then into the Egyptian desert, where a fateful encounter with the alchemist awaits him.

The Alchemist is a transforming novel about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read omens strewn along life’s path and above all following our dreams.

Shoot me for being the last person to read this book. It’s a very worthy read - hands down. Which is probably the reason why I had a hard time finding a copy.

I really like this book. Oh, no - scrap that. I love this book. It’s just mesmerizing, you know? And I am sure you would agree with me, if you’ve read it, that this is absolutely the very book you would need to get on with your life after a nasty fall.

When a person really desires something, all the universe will conspire to help that person to realize his dream.

In my case, it did. It made me get on with my life, I mean. There’s this thing about putting in some life lessons and whatnot in books. But Paulo Coelho is just ever so clever at involving divinity in it which, I believe, is where it all comes down to in the end. It’s wonderful. I have never really thought of how everything in life is interconnected the way the desert, the wind, the sun and, of course, God made it all possible for Santiago to disappear from where he was standing and just apparate to another location.

From the church where he used to spend the night with his sheep up to the point when he reaches the Pyramids of Egypt, it is very clear how Santiago grows up to be a man of honour and bravery. He learns about life by actually living it. It’s ironic how people sometimes complain about what they have, or lack thereof, but if truth be told we do have everything we need already. And in realizing one’s dreams, it is not unusual to encounter obstacles along the way. It’s what makes the journey worthwhile.

Maybe God created the desert so that man could appreciate the date trees, he thought.

I do not think I would forget about this book. Ever. It has really deepened my understanding of life and dreams. From it I’ve learned that there is no such thing as problems - they are simply challenges. To overcome them, we are required to be one with our hearts and with the natural world.