The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho: - Book Review

This is the book many told me to read once and I read this taking my time, slowly as this is the way I love reading these kind of inspirational novels.

First of all the first line on the cover attracted me, I guess anyone would love to read this on their book too. 65 million copies sold, this is a fantastic number. This made me more eager to read this as I wanted to know what’s there in this book that people have read it this much. I asked for review in one word but people, as they usually do, confused me. So I decided no more suggestions needed and let’s read this straight.

The story: - Santiago is an Andalusian shepherd who has big dreams of finding treasure and has an appetite for travel. Believing that finding this treasure is his ‘destiny’ he leaves the comfort of home and travels into the desert to find it. In order to realize the best that his destiny has to offer, he travels from his home in Spain, through the markets of Tangiers, and into the great Egyptian desert. He gets duped, experiences love, loses and makes money, learns a different language, meets different people, finds himself in good and bad situations. His journey is full of adventure and lessons, while he also finds the privilege of meeting a king, a desert woman and an alchemist, each adding to his life new turns.

Paulo Coelho: - Coelho grew up in a middle-class family in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His father wanted him to follow in his footsteps and become an engineer but after stating his wish to be a writer, Coelho was put in and out of mental institutions for three years. He became a hippie traveller, joined a cult in Italy for a while and was held and tortured by the Brazilian police after a stint writing ‘subversive’ lyrics for a rock band. Coelho is one of the world’s best-selling authors. The Alchemist, which was inspired by a tale in The Thousand and One Nights, has sold 20 million copies (his first publisher dropped it after selling fewer than 1,000 copies but Coelho managed to find another one).

My Thoughts: - I am totally in love with this book. No matter what other people are saying or will say, I am definitely going to read this in every 2 months and don’t be so shocked, I will tell you why too. First thing, this book really inspires you to judge your own self, what you are doing and what you should do instead. It helps you to confirm you are on your right path. It makes you keep going for what you really love. It tells you that you need to step out from your comfort zone in order to explore this beautiful world and get these experiences. And I think these reasons are enough to make this book a favourite. My personal reason to read this again would be, it makes me think about myself more precisely. The world really need more positive vibes and this books totally successes in spreading that.

This book will test your patience sometime in the chapters as it seems a bit descriptive about the places but it gives you that factual effect that you too are a part of the shepherd’s journey. It does make me feel to be a new me with full of positivity and happiness. I have no more words to describe what I feel about it but I will share few lines from the book which I really like.

“The soul of the world is nourished by people’s happiness and also by unhappiness, envy, and jealousy.”

“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

“Someone in the world awaits you, whether it’s in the middle of the desert or in some great city. And when two such people encounter each other, and their eyes meet , the past and the future become unimportant.”

“Remember that whether your heart is, there you will find your treasure.”

“Life attracts life. “ 

“Love never keeps a man from pursuing his destiny. If he abandons that pursuit, it’s because it want true love.”

“Listen to your heart. It knows all things, because it came from the soul of the world, and it will one day return there.”

“You will never be able to escape from your heart, so it’s better to listen to what it has to say.”

“NO heart has ever suffered when goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with GOD and eternity. “

“All people who are happy have GOD within them.”

“Everyone on earth has a treasure that awaits him. “

“We simply let life proceed, in its own direction, toward its own fate. But unfortunately very few follow the path laid out for them-the path of their destinies, and to happiness. “

“Your eyes show the strength of your soul.”

“Anyone who interferes with the destiny of another thing never will discover his own. “

“Don’t give in to your fears.”

"Usually the threat of death makes people a lot more aware of their lives. “

“Love is the force that transforms and improves the soul of the world. “

These are few lines I really loved reading in this book. I think everyone should have this book on their book shelves and in their lives too. Check out the link for the purchase of this book and do let me know what you like about this book after reading this. I would love to hear that. I will appreciate your different views too. 

Take Care

Love Yourself!