My Thoughts on ‘The Alchemist’ — by Paulo Coelho
I’m a lover of books (actually half-crazy over books). Out of all my monthly reads, I try to come up with some teachings from one of the books and write such an article for you. Self-development books are my favorite because I yearn to be a better version of myself and influence the same. Those who know me will tell you that Robin Sharma and Paulo Coelho are my all darling writers. Anyway, they say “Beta is booktifully beautiful” (Don’t worry where that phare comes from, it’s cute)
This round, I am here with Paulo Coelho and his book, The Alchemist. See what I have to say about it.
Paulo Coelho’s enchanting novel has inspired many around the world. This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and soul-stirring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried near the Pyramids.
Along the way, he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago toward his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will surmount the obstacles in his path.
But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasure found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts. Basically, that all from the shallow point of view of the book.
Inked by Brazilian author, Paulo Coelho, in 1988. It was initially written and published in Portuguese. It is an international bestselling book and has been translated into more than 70 languages. The book is relatively short having around 167 pages only.
Its theme is about finding one’s destiny or purpose in life.
An overview of the book
The story is about a shepherd boy from Spain named Santiago. He keeps getting the same dream about treasures that are lying in the Pyramids of Egypt. He embarks on a journey to follow his dream after meeting an old king who offers him magic stones and advice. Santiago crosses the Mediterranean and Sahara to find his treasures in Egypt and also accomplish his personal legend, which is his purpose in life. The book details his journey and the various encounters that he experiences when following his dream. Throughout the journey, Santiago meets many new people and a lot of difficulties which ultimately help him learn and grow the entire way. Does he find the treasures in the Pyramids of Egypt?
Each character in the book is unique, as each one has helped the main character in their own unique way. The gypsy woman let Santiago see his dreams and what were the possibilities. The old king taught him about omens and gave him a pair of rocks, black and white, to read omens. The Englishman introduces the young shepherd to what he was researching. The alchemist lets the young boy know more about omens and the boy’s future.
What we learn from this book is to pursue our dreams and not to abandon them. The book talks about the way the universe will help those who chase after their dreams, as it helped Santiago. The challenges Santiago had encountered helped him advance in his journey. We can see this as the universe helping Santiago. The book is telling us that the people we meet are people that will help us achieve our dreams.
In the book, Santiago talks to his heart about the girl he fell in love with and staying by her side. Santiago confronts the alchemist about his problem, whether to follow his dream or stay behind with his loved one. The alchemist then tells the young boy that his heart is alive, talking to him, and it’s alright to have conflicts as long as you stay true to your goal and what you left behind will wait for him. This tells us we should listen to our hearts and stay true to our goals as this will help us overcome any obstacle in our path.
The Alchemist is a literary book that tries to give us a general idea of personal development. It is a brilliant book for all who read books on literature and personal development, and it’s perfect for those who aspire to follow their dreams.
The book shows that the journey to your destiny is as important as the destination itself. I love how the book emphasizes the importance of faith, hope, and spirituality through the story of an ordinary boy. I think this book appeals to everyone because we all have dreams and sometimes we just want someone to tell us they may come true. Overall, “The Alchemist” is a very exciting fiction novel, and it deserves a space on everyone’s bookshelf.
My thoughts
The Alchemist is a fantastic book, and the storytelling is beautiful. The choice of words is impeccable, full of wisdom and philosophy. I totally loved it. It is very enchanting and bursts with optimism which I think is very important in our lives. (I love this book so much, I may have repeated some phrases here and there, never mind)
Excerpt quotes you can learn from.
- “One’s Personal Legend (destiny) is what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend….whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do when you really want something, it’s because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It’s your mission on earth.”
- “Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity.”
- “If someone isn’t what others want them to be, the others become angry. Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.”
- “Love is not to be found in someone else but in ourselves; we simply awaken it. But in order to do that, we need the other person.”
- “One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.”
- “You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own. It’s just a matter of paying attention to this miracle.”
- “It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”
- “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
- …..this book has so many quotes that you’ll fall in love with. Mention yours in the comments section.
Goodreads reviews on this book
I very much enjoyed reading this book. It contains a lot of wisdom embedded in simple narratives. — Firdaus H. Salim
All I can say is; it’s not all hype! This little book 📙 will turn you into a huge optimist with life! — Bimri
(Many people have written golden reviews on this book. You should probably read it!!!)
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Just to spike your interest, see this
