The Alchemist
Ratings1,664
Average rating3.5
Oh man there were so many great lines in this book. This one was the best I think:
“We, people's hearts, seldom say much about those treasures, because people no longer want to go in search of them. We speak of them only to children. Later, we simply let life proceed, in its own direction, toward its own fate.”
Or this one?
“I'm afraid that it would all be a disappointment, so I prefer just to dream about it.”
I think the sad, honest and brutal truths about life is what makes this book so beloved.
The only thing I did not like was the ending it just isn't as magical as the rest of the book I felt unsatisfied with it. So almost a perfect book for me, it is written in a simple manner like all fables are and it's mostly set in Egypt in it's deserts, dunes, pyramids, oasis. Among my favorite settings to imagine.
This simple fable is a strangely mesmerizing read. I've had it recommended numerous times and seen it highly praised, which always makes me a bit wary, but I think it has some merit to it's popularity.
With all books that claim to share some kind of ‘wisdom', you need to sift through it a bit with your own critical eye, but I do think there are a lot of gems to glean from Paulo Coelho's story.
The simple premise is about a young shepherd who leaves behind everything to follow his dream and about the lessons he learns along the way about finding purpose in your life, about faith and about learning to follow your heart. Of course there are much deeper concepts connected to those, but you'll have to read it to find out about them, but needless to say it will definitely have you thinking about your own life and your own journey and does provide some positive encouragement to follow through on your dreams.
Despite the heavy themes, it's a short, quite easy read and was simple to follow.
I definitely enjoyed it and will take a lot away from it. It's not a handbook on how to make your dreams come true, but rather an encouragement to pursue your dreams despite obstacles and comfort zones that would prevent you from them. Definitely inspiring and insightful.
The Alchemist is one of those books which will engulf you into itself and make you wonder; a lot.
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I've read some of the reviews and they're talking about the quotes in the book and how they make their eyes roll. I just want to say this: There will be some things in the book that the reader might think is cliche but its not about those quotes. Look at the big picture. It is about the perspective the author is talking about. That... is what matters.
This is the fictional version of “The Secret.” Which, truly, is also fiction. Saying that anything you want can be achieved by simply believing it is dangerous and wrong.
The first half of the book leading up to the desert was much better because it depicted a boy striking out into new lands and doing well by working hard. Once we get to the desert section, I found the book ridiculous.
Welp, at least this short title got me one more book closer to my annual reading goal!
Adorei esta leitura. Com mensagens muito fortes e positivas que nos inspiram e nos mudam a nossa perspetiva relativamente ao mundo e à vida. É um livro muito espiritual, mas que de certa forma também pode ser considerado um livro de auto-ajuda.
Paulo Coelho é um autor que nunca me desilude, pelo contrário, consegue surpreender-me cada vez mais a cada obra.
No decorrer desta leitura, dei por mim a pensar que é preciso ter uma mente brilhante para conseguir escrever uma obra de ficção tão mágica.
Aconselho vivamente, especialmente a quem se interessa pelo mundo espiritual.
4,5/5
I first thought this was an allegorical read and then realized it's more philosophical. Some bits of wisdom from the Koran, some from the Bible, and other bits of wisdom from the author in the form of the “old king” and the “alchemist.”
Life is about the pursuit of dreams. In the pursuit of dreams, you achieve many, seemingly-unrelated milestones. Those milestones are all stopping points (meaning, places you could stop and say “This is an achievement in and of itself. I'll stay here.”). But if you use those milestones as lily pads to jump closer to your dream, you realize a couple of things:
* You would never experience the milestones (treasures) of the journey if you never took the journey. The milestones, in and of themselves, are beautiful treasures.
* The further you push, the more treasure you realize.
* The treasure was there all along, but you don't recognize it without taking the journey.
In closing, don't skip the prologue. So much is changed by perspective...
I listened to the audiobook book with Jeremy Irons as the narrator. I very much enjoyed it and was able to listen to the whole thing in just 1 afternoon!
Makes you think what's your purpose in life.
A good book I recommended this to my friends.
I'm giving it 3 stars but I would likely only give it 2.5. I already knew that I wasn't a fan of the author, just didn't attract me too much. His style of writing doesn't really play into my style, but I had a few friends recommend the book and thought of giving it a chance and keep an open mind. I was right, there are interesting passages and things you can apply to your life, but as many have said, it's basically a fiction self-help book, so it's always open for interpretation. The ending was vague and confusing. I honestly think its a bad attempt of The Little Prince. (now that's an awesome book) I guess I had to read it to formulate an opinion. Conclusion: Aren't we happy that there are so many authors and books in the world to please everyone! :)
The book is short and simple, but the philosophy behind is fascinating and inspiring. I think the effect of this book is going to last long in my brain.
Have you ever yearned to do something in life so bad that it became an obsession? That obsession hits you in your early years when you have clarity of purpose. As you grow old, things become less certain, your inner drive gets replaced with your inner demons, the lies we tell ourselves about what we can and cannot do. This book is a journey to your inner-self, about what it means to step back and listen; about following your Personal Legend and pushing forward. It's a great book for anyone trying to do something hard and keeps thinking about giving up.
After reading several reviews for this book, I was a bit unsure of this read. It's one I've had on my TBR forever and as it was coming up in our Library Book Club, the first of the year...I couldn't resist. I dove in not really knowing what to expect, and was surprised and relieved by the feels I experienced during and even after (during my reflection) the book. I would highly suggest this book to anyone wanting to reflect on life's purpose, I would further not suggest this to someone who does not recognize the simple joys in life. Many of the negative reviews I read here on goodreads completely missed the mark on this one, I found them cynical, and completely unrealized. Like a man in a desert whose had a vision and chooses not to find his treasure.
Felt like it was a mix of ‘The Little Prince' and ‘Jonathan Livingston Seagull' (although maybe I need to go back and reread Jonathan Livingston Seagull).
Enjoyed Jeremy Iron's narrations.
A lovely, very quick read (maybe a couple hours?). Simplistic language tending towards aphoristic works well as the reader follows the journey of the Shepard boy from Spain who crosses the dessert to achieve his Personal Legend. A deeply spiritual book, it inspires us to tune into the universe in the pursuit of our own legends, to claim our space in the world that's been carved out for us.
Underwhelming. Or, I entirely missed the point? It certainly has a reputation for being a life-changer, and maybe it is, in its simplicity. Maybe it reflects my own worldview so neatly the message is lost on me, and I can only see the over-simplified story rather than having a revelatory experience about journeys versus destinations?
Maybe this is a good one for an early secondary school English class on fables or parables, in an easily-consumed package.
Once I finally started, I could not put this book down. The Alchemist is the story of a boy named Santiago. He is content as his life as a shepherd until he meets a king that tells him to find and follow his personal legend. His legend was revealed to him once in a dream. One day he would travel to see the great pyramids in Egypt. There, in the sand, he will find a great treasure.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Many will find it preachy. Many will find it dull. Either they already have achieved their personal legends, they have tried and failed or they are too afraid to even start pursuing it.
A reader could look at this book and say “of course things will work out for him in the end. It's a story. Life isn't really like that.” I wholeheartedly disagree. Santiago has stopped and listened to the world. We often forget that there is a whole other world out there. One we need to stop and listen to. How many times have you stopped what you were doing and decided to just live in the moment? Listen to the waves crash. Feel the sun on your face. Breathe the scent of wind. Watched the bee collect honey for its hive.
The alchemist is more than a boy pursuing his legend. It's a reminder to enjoy the smaller things in life. It is to live in the moment, but never forget where you're headed. It's a reminder to keep going in the face of adversity. The worst that can happen is death. Would you rather die in pursuit of your goals and dreams, or would you rather die knowing you never even attempted them?
This book was immediately engaging, and I really enjoyed reading it. Probably the only thing that kept me from giving it 5 stars was the repeated religious theme...but it's a solid 4 1/2 in spite of that. Seriously well-written, and I loved the ending. =)
Reads like a self help book, but the principle of the story is admirable. A good, quick read.
What a strange, contentious little book! I must own up to the baggage I brought to it. On one hand was contemptuous dismissal by some highly intelligent, educated people in my life (perhaps coincidentally, they were also dull and without poetry). On the other hand were some of my heroes of radical individuality, Brene Brown, Krista Tippett, Elizabeth Gilbert, that seemed to revere Cohelo and this book. What was I going to think?
I think that a half allegory is a difficult thing to love. Why bring in religious language when Cohelo seems to believe that the forces of destiny he writes about are beyond religion? Why engage with Orientalist fantasies of warring tribes, bandits at the pyramids, fertile oases, if they ultimately do not carry meaning? With this eye, The Alchemist is too long, and not a short book after all.
Maybe I can be this jaded because the message of fearless self-actualization that Cohelo preaches has permeated into the culture. I'm just not sure that this is going to melt the heart of a cynic any longer, if it ever did.
One small minded quibble: for a book that paints its story with such a broad brush, has there ever been such a tin-eared phrase as “personal legend”? I can't decide if Cohelo was deliberately writing around the word destiny, or whether it's just a clumsy translation from the Portuguese.