The Alchemist
The Alchemist is absolutely inspiring, it's motivating; it gives one a renewed sense of hope to believe in your dreams, find your quest, and then follow it.
This novel is an easy read, just under 200 pages, but the message it carries to the heart of the reader is delightfully powerful, enchanting, even transforming. The story, simple yet profound, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who has a dream of finding treasure buried near the pyramids in Egypt. Santiago, so compelled by this beckoning vision in the night, decides to leave his homeland and cross a vast Egyptian desert in search of his treasure. Along his journey, he meets several interesting people encouraging him to pursue his dream, most prominently are an gypsy woman who can see into the future, a mysterious old man claiming to be a king, and an alchemist who can supposedly turn lead into gold.
"To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation" (from The Alchemist). What begins as a quest to find worldly treasure becomes a quest to discover the treasure within one's self. Santiago's journey, metaphorically resembling each of our own meanderings through life, is marked with omens which remind him that he must continue onward in spite of the never-ending trials and temptations to turn back. At one point, Santiago faces immense hardship when all of his possessions are stolen and he has to work for a whole year just to save enough money to be able to return home. Thankfully, by this point it seems as though the whole universe has conspired to help him achieve his dream, and he is once again compelled to continue on towards Egypt. When Santiago meets his beautiful Fatima, he presumes he has found his treasure, but even the reader is thrown for a loop here because this is not the happy ending, and there is more to the treasure than finding true love. What awaits Santiago in the distance at the pyramids? What if the price to reach his goal is to high?
A friend recommended The Alchemist to me several months ago, and I promised to read it although I had no idea when I'd find the time. Many books have been recommended to me in the past, but this one in particular stood out as my friend has always seemed to be very succesful in everything he does, and he implied to me that this, being his favorite book, had somehow changed his perspective and aided him in his own personal quest. When I'm busy in school I rarely have time to read anything other than my scholastic texts, so I was very delighted to find that The Alchemist was also a perfect fit for my required quest book. In my personal quest I have been struggling to find what I would refer to as the "right" path to be on, but reading The Alchemist has helped me to realize that I already am on the "right" path, the one God has given me. My quest, like Santiago's in the story, is to press forward, never giving up, and endure to the end with faith that the treasure lies in wait.
"To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation" (from The Alchemist). What begins as a quest to find worldly treasure becomes a quest to discover the treasure within one's self. Santiago's journey, metaphorically resembling each of our own meanderings through life, is marked with omens which remind him that he must continue onward in spite of the never-ending trials and temptations to turn back. At one point, Santiago faces immense hardship when all of his possessions are stolen and he has to work for a whole year just to save enough money to be able to return home. Thankfully, by this point it seems as though the whole universe has conspired to help him achieve his dream, and he is once again compelled to continue on towards Egypt. When Santiago meets his beautiful Fatima, he presumes he has found his treasure, but even the reader is thrown for a loop here because this is not the happy ending, and there is more to the treasure than finding true love. What awaits Santiago in the distance at the pyramids? What if the price to reach his goal is to high?
A friend recommended The Alchemist to me several months ago, and I promised to read it although I had no idea when I'd find the time. Many books have been recommended to me in the past, but this one in particular stood out as my friend has always seemed to be very succesful in everything he does, and he implied to me that this, being his favorite book, had somehow changed his perspective and aided him in his own personal quest. When I'm busy in school I rarely have time to read anything other than my scholastic texts, so I was very delighted to find that The Alchemist was also a perfect fit for my required quest book. In my personal quest I have been struggling to find what I would refer to as the "right" path to be on, but reading The Alchemist has helped me to realize that I already am on the "right" path, the one God has given me. My quest, like Santiago's in the story, is to press forward, never giving up, and endure to the end with faith that the treasure lies in wait.
As a reader, I found this book to be not only an entertaining adventure-filled escape from my own world, but a valuable and truly rich text from which I could harvest seeds of hope, motivation, and love, to plant as waymarks along my own personal quest to fulfil my destiny. As a reader, I felt as though this book had been written specifically for me, like my timing in finding it was impecable to my personal growth, and the contents were just what I needed to digest. Simultaniously, as a reader I also realized that the lessons taught in The Alchemist are universal, and while I could easily see myself strapped in Santiago's well-worn Andelusian sandals, I also could visualize his character encompassing the lives of my little brother, my mother, and my best friend.
As a writer, I love the way Paulo Coelho uses the most simple words and phrases to convey such remarkably deep and thought provoking concepts. He has clearly been given a gift from The Divine as his writing style speaks directly to the heart of man. Coelho's writing reflects that of the writing in the parables; every reader can reap and glean different meanings from the messages foretold, according to the place and time of each reader's own individual maturity in their quest through life. It's no wonder that Coelho is noted as one of the bestselling and most influential writers in the world, and that his work has been translated into over 50 languages. Through observing Coelho's style, I have learned that sometimes less is more. Also, I have had a tendency to prefer to write for myself and not give too much thought as to what other people think, but in reading The Alchemist I have been enlightened to know that the most powerful messages are the ones your audience can relate to, and if you have a gift you should strive to find that median through which you can share your talent to bless the lives of others.
I think the entire human race can relate to the story told in The Alchemist. It is a metaphorical tale of each one of God's children and our own trials, omens, and discoveries on this journey through life. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to rekindle the essential sustaining humane attributes of faith, hope, love. Pick up a copy and begin reading today. Read it with someone who needs to be uplifted; read it with someone you love.
As a writer, I love the way Paulo Coelho uses the most simple words and phrases to convey such remarkably deep and thought provoking concepts. He has clearly been given a gift from The Divine as his writing style speaks directly to the heart of man. Coelho's writing reflects that of the writing in the parables; every reader can reap and glean different meanings from the messages foretold, according to the place and time of each reader's own individual maturity in their quest through life. It's no wonder that Coelho is noted as one of the bestselling and most influential writers in the world, and that his work has been translated into over 50 languages. Through observing Coelho's style, I have learned that sometimes less is more. Also, I have had a tendency to prefer to write for myself and not give too much thought as to what other people think, but in reading The Alchemist I have been enlightened to know that the most powerful messages are the ones your audience can relate to, and if you have a gift you should strive to find that median through which you can share your talent to bless the lives of others.
I think the entire human race can relate to the story told in The Alchemist. It is a metaphorical tale of each one of God's children and our own trials, omens, and discoveries on this journey through life. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to rekindle the essential sustaining humane attributes of faith, hope, love. Pick up a copy and begin reading today. Read it with someone who needs to be uplifted; read it with someone you love.
3 comments:
Received on time! You were the first to post the review. Two other people chose this book, so I thought someone else had posted first, but it was you. Thank you very much. Comments coming soon.
I loved your review, and I've never had a true desire to read this book, but because of how profoundly it touched you, I think I'll take your advice and try to find the time tor read it. Thank you for your insights on your own personal quest. I think it's amazing how the same words touch so many people in different ways - I think that's a gift of a wonderful author. You did a wonderful job, and thanks for your insights!
Great job Kristi! Your evaluations are very thoughtful, and I enjoyed reading your review. You were able to take a very literal, specific quest and generalize it (but not too much) to a wider audience. Good job. I especially like the way you end your review. We shouldn't just read this book for ourselves--we should share it with our loved ones. It must be a really good book!
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