The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Review
Lauren Simpson // Blog Writer
“People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.”
Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
The Alchemist is an introspective and symbolic piece that articulately presents its story and meaning through a tale of adventure and personhood. Told with a voice that wouldn’t be described as dissimilar to that of a fairy tale, The Alchemist reads almost like a children’s book at first, avoiding more textured prose and straying away from in-depth descriptions. Despite this more simplistic style, there is a plethora of underlying themes that are hinted at throughout the book. As the story progresses, there seems to be a more philosophical approach as Coelho embodies a voice more adjacent to classic scripture. Artfully, Coelho combines philosophy, wisdom, and the simplicity of language to tell this story. Masterfully told and somehow deeply personal while maintaining a comfortable distance from the reader, The Alchemist is a story everyone should enjoy and learn from at least once. This book seems to invoke passion from all readers—either being a story that readers completely and entirely fall in love with or are abhorrent to and infuriated by. This review is written from a reader who had the former reaction.
“No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn’t know it.”
Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
The story itself follows a young shepherd, Santiago, who leads a herd of sheep in Spain. After several recurring dreams of treasure and the pyramids of Egypt, Santiago ventures away from the life he knows in search of his personal legend. Meeting several interesting characters along the way and hearing their stories and personal legends as well, Santiago retains the wisdom he is shown and applies it to his own journey. In this way, The Alchemist pushes forth the idea that all individuals should live in singular pursuit of their dreams as the only way to achieve a satisfying life, also called a “personal legend” in the story. Santiago faces several seemingly insurmountable obstacles such as thieves, dangerous travels, and the pursuit of love, but continues to seek balance and contentment.
“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
The Alchemist has the power to shift the reader into a world apart from their own, one that is home to wizards and ancient kings, and one where you can explain what love is to the wind and ask the sun for help. The Alchemist is simultaneously a story of one’s individual journey and one about connecting with the world around you because everything was created from the same hand, and you are never truly alone. Coelho never condescends the reader with his philosophical approach: he is straightforward, as concise as he can be, and adds a whimsical edge to life’s problems that seem so out of grasp. This story has the power to cultivate hope for readers who are sincere with their intent to listen and contemplate Coelho’s words. This book resonates with people all over the world, transcending culture and language because it encapsulates so much of what being human and finding contentment is.
“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
There is, at times, a religious edge to this story and individuals with strong religious beliefs may find themselves disenchanted if they disagree with these aspects of the story. As an individual that does not identify as religious in any way, I was not deterred by the religious aspects and didn’t find that they distracted from the main messages of the book.
“So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you.”
Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
The author himself, Paulo Coelho, had a similar journey to his protagonist while publishing this book. Reading it with this context in mind, the story itself becomes more meaningful and profound. The desperation and hope that the protagonist, Santiago, feels while pursuing his personal legend is not only his or the readers’, but the author’s, as well, raw and sincere. Coelho said, when describing his book after his first publisher dropped him after only two copies were sold in the first six months since publishing, “I never lost faith in the book or ever wavered in my vision. Why? Because it was all of me in there, all of me, heart and soul… I was following my Personal Legend, and my treasure was my capacity to write. And I wanted to share this treasure with the world. As I wrote in The Alchemist, when you want something, the whole universe conspires to help you” (Coelho, 2014). After being dropped by his first publisher following his debilitating debut, Coelho continued pursuing other publishers until one gave him a chance. Through word of mouth, The Alchemist spread and soon the book was selling thousands of copies. HarperCollins then translated the book and brought it to America where it spent more than three hundred weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. The Alchemist is now translated into more than eighty different languages, and it is the most translated book by any living author. It is also widely considered one of the ten best books of the twentieth century.
“People continue to ask me if I knew The Alchemist would be such a huge success. The answer is no. When I sat down to write The Alchemist, all I knew was that I wanted to write about my soul,” Coelho said in a 2014 interview.
“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.”
Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
For those who are lost, seek contentment, comfort, or reason, I highly recommend The Alchemist.
“We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.”
Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist