The Alchemist – A subversive decryption of faith, hope, and spirituality through a simplified narrative.

 

The Alchemist – A subversive decryption of faith, hope, and spirituality through a simplified narrative.

 

About the book

 

The Alchemist is written by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho in 1988. It was initially written and published in Portuguese. It is an international bestseller and has been translated into more than 70 languages. The book is relatively short having around 161 pages only. The theme is about finding one’s destiny or purpose in life.

 

Plot

 

Santiago has a dream. A Shepherd boy from Spain embarks on a journey to the exotic markets of North Africa and an Egyptian desert to find the treasure that he always dreamt of pursuing in his life. His journey begins after meeting an old king who offers him a magic stone and advice. The book details his various encounters in the journey which in turn helps him to understand the way of life. But is this understanding enough for Santiago to find his treasure?

 

My Thoughts:

 

The first line that comes to mind when I think about the book is "when you really want something to happen, the whole universe will conspire so that your wish comes true". Unbounded wisdom and philosophy are preprogrammed, which, in combination with concrete content and a clear message gives the Alchemist the potential to be one of your must-read book for the year.

 

There are multiple instances where the Alchemist makes one relate to the storyline. It makes you wonder about your own life decisions and feel yourself relating your life’s journey to that of Santiago. It strikes a chord when you read “Making a decision was only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, he is diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he made the decision”

 

One tends to remember the evocative line “I took the road less travelled by” from The Road Not Taken by Robert frost when the story captures the harmfulness of fear which is evident from the line “Tell your heart that fear of suffering is worse than suffering itself”.

 

Although the book is of the right content, I would love to see some character development when it comes to the storyline. I would be happy to read about Santiago’s background and his transformation. That is just a personal wish but other than it is a fantastic book.

 

I firmly recommend reading Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist not only to all those interested in fiction but above all to all those interested in understanding life, journey, and destination!