BOOK REVIEW

(The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho)

1. About the Book.

a. Title. “The Alchemist”

b. Authors Name. Paulo Coelho

c. Publisher. Rocco, Brazil (Original Publication)

Harper Collins (English Translation)

d. Place of Publication. Brazil (Original Publication)

New York, America (English Translation)

e. Year of Publication. 1988 (Portuguese language)

1993 (English Translation)

2. About the Author.

a. Introduction. Paulo Coelho is a novelist counted amongst one of
the most widely read writers in the contemporary world. A hugely popular
author, he holds the Guinness World Record for having the most
translated books by a living author. Coelho had always loved writing and
dreamed of being a writer from an early age. He was however
discouraged by his parents who wanted him to become a lawyer. It was
during a visit to Spain when he was 38 that Coelho experienced a spiritual
awakening and realized that it was high time he listened to his intuition
and pursue his dream of becoming a writer. He quit his other jobs and
started writing full-time. Today he is much loved for his books not just in
his home country, but also across the world in over 150 other countries.
 b. Awards and Achievements.
(1) Holds the Guinness World Record for having the most translated
books by a living author.
(2) Economic Forum Crystal Award in 1999.
(3) The President of Bulgaria presented him with “The Honorable
Award of the President of the Republic" in May, 2006.

c. Other major books.

(1) The Winner Stands Alone (2008)
(2) Eleven Minutes (2003)
(3) Brida (1990)
(4) Maktab (1994)
(5) The Zahir (2005)

3. Summary of Book. The Alchemist tells the story of a young shepherd named
Santiago who is able to find a treasure beyond his wildest dreams. Along the way, he
learns to listen to his heart and, more importantly, realizes that his dreams are not just
his but part of the soul of the universe.
Santiago is a humble shepherd whose desires are few–he wants to be free to roam with
his sheep, to have some wine in his wineskin and a book in his bag. Fate intervenes,
however, in the form of the recurring dream of a great treasure hidden thousands of
miles away at the base of the Egyptian Pyramids. When Santiago meets Melchizedek, a
strange wise man who claims he is a king from a far-off land, he decides to seek his
treasure. The next day, Santiago sells his sheep and embarks to Africa to pursue his
dream.
Upon arriving in Africa, Santiago is robbed and left completely alone, unable to speak a
single word of Arabic. After working at the crystal shop for a year, Santiago earns
enough money to buy a new flock of sheep and return home. At the last minute, though,
Santiago decides to risk it all and join a caravan to Egypt.
Once in the caravan, Santiago meets an Englishman who has come all the way to
Africa to seek a renowned alchemist. When they finally arrive at the Al-Fayoum oasis–
the home of the titular Alchemist–Santiago meets a beautiful girl named Fatima with
whom he immediately falls in love. He discovers that love, like the Personal Legend,
comes directly from the Soul of the World. Santiago staying at the oasis with Fatima, but
the Alchemist finds Santiago and tells him that he will lead Santiago to his treasure.
Once again on the move, the Alchemist teaches Santiago to listen to his heart. Almost
to the pyramids, Santiago and the Alchemist are taken prisoner by a warring tribe. The
Alchemist tells the tribesmen that Santiago is a powerful magician who can turn himself
into the wind. The tribesmen are impressed and will spare the lives of the men if
Santiago can do it. After three days of meditating, Santiago uses his knowledge of the
Soul of the World to ask the elements to help him. First he asks the desert, then he asks
the wind, then he asks the sun and, finally, he asks the Soul of the World. Immediately,
the wind whips up, and Santiago disappears and reappears on the other side of the
camp.\The Alchemist takes his leave of Santiago, who continues on to the Pyramids.
Once there, Santiago is attacked by robbers. Asked what he is doing there, Santiago
replies that he had a dream of a treasure buried at the base of the Pyramids. One of the
robbers laughs at him, and says that he has had the exact same dream, except that in
his the treasure was buried in Spain. Santiago realizes that the treasure was back in
Spain the entire time.
The story then jumps forward in time and finds Santiago digging a hole at the base of
the tree where he had had his first dream. Sure enough, he finds a trunk full of gold–
enough for him and Fatima to live happily for a long time.

4. Recommendations.
a. The Alchemist is one of the best-selling books in history. The story of
Santiago, the shepherd boy on a journey to realize his “Personal Legend”
has inspired people all over the world to live their dreams. The most
popular lessons to apply in daily life are as under:-
(1) Fear is a big obstacle than the obstacle itself.
(2) Break the monotony
(3) Embrace the present
 (4) Make the decision
(5) Be unrealistic
(6) Focus on your own journey
b. The author uses a rich vocabulary to take the readers across lands in
search of treasure with a special boy. A well written novel by a profound
writer in which he linked the story with different situations and lessons of
life which ultimately made it interesting for readers. The book can be made
more interesting my including pics of different characters involved in the
story. A book comprises of 208 pages is highly recommended to be read
by young people.

5. Conclusion. Much of self-help literature is about pursuing our destiny, but

dreams do not always pull us along; they speak persistently but quietly, and it does not
take much effort to smother the inner voices. Who is willing to risk comfort, routine,
security to follow something that to others looks like a mirage? It takes courage, and
dog-eared, Coelho’s classic Alchemist has become the constant companion of people
who need to make fearless decisions daily to keep true to a larger vision.