The Alchemist

This is one of those few books which has the power to make a very deep and profound change in anyone's life.

Many people who do don't have much knowledge on literature will scream that this book is over hyped and has bad prose, but the beauty of this book is in the simple language with which it tells us about how anyone who follows what their hearts say, can find great joy and happiness.

Also, to those talking about bad prose, first be properly informed. This is actually translated from the Portuguese language, the native language of the author.

Once again, I would say this is one of those books you should not die without having read. Its that good.

“When I wrote The Alchemist, I was trying to understand the reason for the existence of life. Instead of writing a philosophical treatise, I decided to converse with the child inside my soul.

To my surprise, this child was living inside millions of people around the world. With this book I wanted to share with my readers the questions which, precisely because they don't have an answer, make life a great adventure”. - Paulo Coelho

The book is a really good in terms of philosophy. The author tries to make the reader realize that we must pursue our dreams and live it. However the story-line... eh wait a sec!! There isn't any story like. Its just pure philosophy with a very small story. Kid seeks his dream.. and finally after having his entire journey he realizes that his dream was were he started. Anyway what many people will not find in the book is the fact that the hero became a Shepard only to pursue his dream of seeing the world... and visiting the pyramids also is an essential part of fulfilling his dream. In other words, the treasure is not his real dream!!

The simplicity of the words may lead one to believe that this book is not for serious readers but my advice is to read on. Sometimes the most inspiring wisdom comes in words so simple that we tend to overlook it, let this book not be such an example.

The story of 'The Alchemist' revolves around Santiago, a shepherd who, like all of us, is in search for his destiny and unlike most of us, is ready to take the risk.
His search spans over many years in which he finds people who help him through the trying times, situations both good and bad and omens, which he learns to decipher. The journey concludes with Santiago meeting the Alchemist and learning the final lessons he needs to learn from him.

The story telling is spellbinding and leaves one with an insight into the life of generations of human race, which were in search for something more. The foolishness of those who could never see, and wisdom of those who believed enough to follow the 'Maktub' or 'what was written'.
Read it and then read it again!

To start with I have to say that though i am an avid reader but i hadn't read any serious novels before this one.
Only Chetan Bhagat was the one i managed to complete.
After reading this and if you are able to implement its teachings, your life will change completely.

This book is not easy to start reading. I myself read the first few pages a few times and never went on. Once you read 30 to 50 pages, you will start appreciating the book. For those saying the story was not worth it have failed to completely understand the book.
This is not meant to be a one night read. Its something you need to read slowly, cherishing and appreciating the writing. I took a month reading it and i read only one or two pages at a time, afraid it would end.
However, i warn you this book is no magic. Expect it to be good and you will love it. If you begin expecting it to be out of this world, you won't be able to cherish it.
In conclusion : Read this! There is a reason why it has sold numerous copies worldwide. No other book can ever come close to this for me.

I purchased the alchemist with certainly no prejudices in mind, other than the fact that it is targeted at readers constantly interested in “self-improvement”.
When I was going through the Alchemist at one of the book stores it said that The alchemist opened the eyes of the editors and that reading the alchemist was like waking up to a morning lit by the sun. Crass-I tell you. It is no such thing.
But certainly the Alchemist is a book written many years back in the 1988 in a foreign language was translated into a English. It initially sold only a few copies and it was only after some marketing exercises that the book actually did sell. The alchemist is a set in a fairy tale world and that is why I must say a few people will dislike it. As I read though; it really did reflect pages from my own life. I should say that it is one of the best books that I’ve read in the self-help category. It’s complete and covers every aspect of life. Paulo Coelho’s has since then written many books ranging on subjects from life, sex to suicide. He makes excerpts from his books available on his website and says that the internet Generation must read his books. Everyone from Madonna to Bill Clinton has read The Alchemist. Paulo Coelho writes a Blog and also maintains a twitter account too interact with his readers and audiences. But in a world of increasing use of technology people are losing touch with themselves hence self-help books are bound to sell more than fiction novels.

Some “inspiring” quotes from the alchemist include “And, when you want something, the entire universe conspires in helping you to achieve it” which is astonishing because in spite of following our dreams we face unmanageable obstacles. There are many such quotes by self help writers which are motivational but are not entirely true. Finally I do suggest Jiddu Krishnamurti and Osho who are Indians but may be not well known in the global sphere to be read by everyone. Theirs is a school of thought and no Fairy tale.

We all turn to self help books at some point of our life but the school of thought that we adopt is essential. Paulo Coelho is a school of thought not as convincing and thoughtful as Jiddu Krishnamurti or Osho which are my recommendations.