The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist 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 to more than 70 languages. The book is relatively short having around 167 pages only. The theme is about finding one’s destiny or purpose in life. 

The story is about a Shepherd boy from Spain whose name is 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 difficulty which ultimately helps him to learn and grow the entire way. Does he find the treasures in the Pyramids of Egypt. 

The Alchemist is a fantastic book and the storytelling is beautiful. The choice of words are impeccable, full of wisdom and philosophy. I totally loved it. The story is very enchanting and bursts with optimism which I think is very important in our lives. The book shows that the journey to your destiny is as important as the destiny itself. I love how the book emphasizes on 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 that they may come true. Overall,”The Alchemist”is a very exciting fiction novel and it deserves a space at everyone’s bookshelf. 

Favourite quotes of this book: 

•  “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.” Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist.
•  “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.”Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist.
•  “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.”Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist.
•  “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.”Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist.
•  “One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.” Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist .
• “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.” Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist.
•  “It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist.
•  “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist.