Book Review: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

"In alchemy, its called the Soul of the World. when you want something with all your heart, that's when you are closest to the Soul of the World. It's always a positive force."

He also said that this was not just a human gift, that everything on the face of the earth had a soul, whether mineral, vegetable, or animal -or even just a simple thought.

"Everything on earth is being continuously transformed, because the earth is alive... and it has a soul. We are part of that soul, so we rarely recognize that it is working for us. But in the crystal shop you probably realized that even the glasses were collaborating in your success."

The story starts with Santiago, a shepherd boy living in Spain. He starts having these dreams about treasures lying within the Egyptian Pyramids, and that's when he sets up his mind to travel and find those mysterious treasures. Santiago crosses the Mediterranean and the Sahara Deserts, he meets a lot of people along the way and faces various hardships along the way to the Egyptian Pyramids; all of which helped his grow and mature.

"The wind told me that you know about love," the boy said to the sun. "If you know about love, you must also know about the Soul of the World, because it's made of love."

Paolo Coelho's Alchemist was first published in 1988, and only in 1993 was it translated in English. It truly is one of his best works! Reading this book transports you to a different world, yet helps you understand our own small world even better.

"When you possess great treasures within you, and try to tell others of them, seldom you are believed"

Coelho wrote The Alchemist in only two weeks in 1987. He explained that he was able to write at this pace because the story was "already written in (his) soul." Coelho's also described The Alchemist as a self-help guide rather than literary work.

No heart has ever suffered when it goes in search for its dream, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity

These 163 pages (of the story) shed light on hope and faith; Coelho takes a look into the universal philosophy and presents it to the reader on a platter of gold. One of the most important lessons I've learned from this book is that one's journey to their destiny is just as important a one's destiny. And that once one has come to acknowledge one's destiny, all forces of the universe are there for him, backing them up, assisting them to reach their destiny.

"When you really want something to happen, the whole universe will conspire so that your wish comes true"

The boy reached through to the Soul of the World, and saw that it was a part of the Soul of God. And he saw that the Soul of God was his own soul. And that he, a bit, could perform miracles.

Short Analysis:

Book cover: (4 stars)

I have the 25th Anniversary edition of The Alchemist. It's bright and cute for a small book like this one.

Writing style: (4 stars)

Coelho's excelled with his choice of words and literary work. We also have to give credit to J.N. Smith for his impeccable translation of Coelho's unworldly work!

Story structure and content: (4 stars)

The flow of the story makes so much sense. I can't say I was disappointed, even when there were some bits that Coelho's stretched but it's not so bad. He was able to produce such a mesmerising story in less than 200 pages! Not many impressed me with such work (yet). There was a depth to the main character and the side characters, who Santiago met with along his way, and almost no unnecessary characters/events were noted. This was a very easy read with an immaculate language.

Plot: (4.5 stars)

Coelho's story was centred by Santiago and his quest to find the hidden treasures within the Egyptian Pyramids. He didn't deviate the events of the story from the main quest, and all additional characters poured into the development of it, and its main character, Santiago.

Ending: (4 stars)

A beautiful ending, I must say, to an astonishing story. Santiago realises his Personal Legend and develops a new understanding of the world!

Final rating: 4.9 stars /5

The Alchemist is a short story of hope, love with a touch on spirituality. Everyone must read this story! We all have dreams, and sometimes we just need a nudge to further our way in the right direction to make it (the dream) become a reality. This book is very inspirational, and I hope it would somehow pave the way to your very own Personal Legend!