The Alchemist
Reviews
just good
read this in my quiet spaces in a forest and on the beach and i think this book was completely apt. the writing is not highfalutin, yet it has so much transformative power in its simple yet soulful writing
A lot of words to say “follow your dreams.” I would have found it deep if I was younger, and maybe it is a beautiful read for youth. Now it just feels like platitudes and obvious truths.
for some reason i thought that ‘the alchemist’ was originally written in spanish, which motivated me to start learning the language so i could be able to read it in its “original” language. however it was an absolutely false assumption. paulo coelho is portuguese. i do thank him for this book though, it’s very dear to me, and as i said, my sole admiration for its story encouraged me to learn it’s … assumed language. either way it was a good read. every now and then i pick up the book for nostalgia. perfect book to read while you’re 16 years old.
Would've went super hard if I was still 16-17, but now it reads as a very preachy book. A charming but long winded way to say that dreams are worth following even if they seem impossible because either you will succeed or be fulfilled in the pursuit.
A fun, sweet, optimistic, and motivational journey.
"The Alchemist" is brief yet will hammer its values into your mind many times over: you should listen to what your heart is telling you. You should not be afraid of life's mysteries and an opportunity passed is an opportunity lost.
Personally, I resonate with the messages displayed here as somewhat recently in life I've decided to try and be more understanding, open, and willing to try something new ("risky"). Again, Coelho's story is one of optimism and also perseverance, some of life's best qualities and a mindset that'll lead you to a happier journey. It's hard not to smile as the boy's adventure leads him from one strange occurrence to the next, it's very charming stuff.
Admittedly, the book is a simple one. It's short and sweet, and I suppose its simplicity shouldn't necessarily be a detractor, but I found some of its passages could have been expanded upon while others felt redundant. In keeping the story short, I think Coelho did a pretty great job of keeping the dialogue terse, compact.
I also liked when he spoke about the Soul of the World and how interconnected everything can be, but it felt like a bit of a cop-out to then just say it's God doing everything. I suppose I liked the journey more so than the destination for that part of the story. Considering what was happening at that point in the book, too, this was arguably "jumping the shark" quite a bit.
I enjoyed reading "The Alchemist" and I definitely recommend it.
overrated
Short but so meaningful. So many life lessons and so inspirational. It talks about how everyone has a “purpose” in life and includes so many metaphors about that journey to finding your purpose in a storytelling way.
The book takes you to a young boy named Santiago to his journey in pursuit to find his personal legend. I believe that santiago's journey can be related to all people regarding about their dreams; those who choose to follow it, those who don't, and those who still continue to dream it but never follow it.
It's entertaining and easy to read and can teach you about what it means to follow one's dreams.
The story didn't quite resonate with me. It had me at the first part... but I found myself speed-reading just to finish the book. There were some great quotes, but others I found too corny for my taste. I don't really agree with the book's philosophy. Good allusion at the end tho!
Easy and enjoyable read, clear message is stated in the book but it was a shame that it stayed superficial. Still, it was nice to read such an optimistic and hopeful interpretation of the world. I always love when the main character realises the ‘truth’ or the ‘real purpose of the world/meaning of life’ through observation and action, especially during a long treacherous journey across the world. Nothing life changing tho.
I would enjoy this book at the age of 13
I was usually reading this book in the subway and 2 ppl came up to me to tell me how great this book was so i felt kinda compelled to enjoy this one at some point?? Tbh i was a bit confused at first and not that invested, but i believed it was just because i haven’t read fiction in a long time. Many parts were interesting but am I tripping or is this book not that mind blowing ? I felt like it tried to be deep but it didn’t resonate with me that much. Made me think for sure but did not change my life at all. Nevertheless, it was short and pretty fast paced so i still enjoyed the reading experience.
This book is packed with amazing morals and lessons every human and being should know. It has a sweet and simple plot with many interesting characters. It talks about going for your destiny, valuing your happiness and reminds everyone that everything happens for a reason.
Was this written by Paulo Coelho or Al leGory?
Well, I cant write a review in few words on this book. Its an outstanding one. I dont think most readers will find it understanding. Its more of a spiritual world. Want to re-read some day!
Alright, I get it. I know why so many people recommend this book, I know why it always appears on books you should read lists. It is great. It is profound in its simplicity.
I think I needed to read this book, pretty much exactly when I read it, and I enjoyed reading it as well as gaining something from reading it.
I will definitely read this book again, and I will certainly be one to join the hordes of people who recommend it to others.
For all I enjoyed about this book I can understand it's detractors points too, I definitely won't recommend it to everyone all the time, but it is definitely the right book for everyone at some time, though that time may have passed, and in that case you likely would not like it.
This book was like reading a hidden ancient text. It taught me secrets about the world that I needed to hear at this moment. Maybe when I look back it won’t be a 5 star, but I feel like this is what I needed to read right now. It was an omen.
read this in high school for english class, but wanted to read it again on my own. easy read, some great quotes. overall wasn’t completely in love with it
Ich dachte es geht um was anderes...
Trotzdem sehr inspirierendes Buch
absolument incroyable ! Un véritable bijou de poésie et de philosophie.
DNF at halfway point.
"Aku sudah mempelajari rahasia-rahasia sang alkemis dalam perjalananku. Di dalam diriku ada angin, padang pasri, samudra, bintang-bintang, dan segala ciptaan lainnya di alam semesta. Kita semua diciptakan oleh tangan yang sama, dan kita memiliki jiwa yang sama. Aku ingin jadi seperti engkau, sanggup mencapai setiap sudut dunia, menyeberangi lautan, meniup butir-butir pasir yang menutupi harta karunku, dan membawa suara wanita yang kucintai" yaak. akhirnya setelah sekian lama direkomen oleh temen saya buat baca buku ini, akhirnya dibaca juga ama saya. akhirnya juga saya ngerti kenapa temen saya dari lama nyuruh buat baca buku ini. banyak kata-kata bagusnya. kisahnya sendiri cukup sederhana kalo kata saya. tentang seorang anak gembala yang bermimpi menemukan harta karun di Piramida. Tapi prosesnya tidak sesederhana itu. ia berkelana dari padang-padang Spanyol hingga gurun pasir Sahara Afrika demi mimpinya, yang membawanya kepada jiwa dan bahasa dunia, takdir, maktub, cinta, alkimia hingga sang alkemis itu sendiri. overall, saya bisa bilang ini novel yang relijius. filosofis, dan relijius. karena kontennya mantap dan penuturannya juga mantap, jadi saya kasih bintang lima. bukan bintang tujuh ato bintang sobo Silahkan baca bukunya! ;) mari bermimpi, mari mewujudkan mimpi dan mari mencari 'Fatima'
need i say anything?
Highlights
I love you because the whole universe conspired to help me find you.
awh
And when each day is the same as the next, it’s because people fail to recognise the good things that happen in their life every day the sun rises.
hm.
If you start out by promising what you don’t even have yet, you’ll lose your desire to work towards getting it.
-and better still to be alone with one’s books- they tell their incredible stories at the time when you want to hear them. But when you’re talking to people, they say somethings that are so strange that you don’t know how to continue the conversation.
oh well real
Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should live their own lives, but none about his or her own.
It’s the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary. Only wise men are able to understand them.
You came so that you could learn about your dreams, and dreams are the language of God. When he speaks in our language, I can interpret what he has said. But if he has spoke in the language of the soul, it it’s only you who can understand.
“Every second of the search is an encounter with God." the boy told his heart. "When I have been truly searching for my treasure, every day has been luminous, because I’ve known that every hour was a part of the dream that I would find it. When I have been truly searching for my treasure, I've discovered things along the way that I never would have seen had I not had the courage to try things that seemed impossible for a shepherd to achieve."
Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure. You’ve got to find the treasure, so that everything you have learned along the way can make sense.
The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better. Forget about the future, and live each day according to the teachings, confident that God loves his children. Each day, in itself, brings with it an eternity.
Since the miner sacrificed everything to his Personal Legend, the old man decided to become involved. He transformed himself into a stone that rolled up to the miner's foot. The miner, with all the anger and frustration of his five fruitless years, picked up the stone and threw it aside. But he had thrown it with such force that it broke the stone it fell upon, and there, embedded in the broken stone, was the most beautiful emerald in the world.
Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.
"What's the world's greatest lie?" the boy asked, completely surprised.
"It's this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie."
There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.
The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better. Forget about the future, and live each day according to the teachings, confident that God loves his children. Each day, in itself, brings with it an eternity."
"Your eyes show the strength of your soul"
Each day, in itself brings with it an eternity.
🌞
And when two such people encounter each other, and their eyes meet, the past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written by one hand only. It is the hand that evoked love, and creates a twin soul for every person in the world. Without such love, one’s dreams would have no meaning.
💛💛💛
»Denke nicht an das, was wir zurücklassen«, sagte der Alchimist, als sie durch den Wüstensand ritten. »Alles hin- terläßt unauslöschliche Spuren in der Weltenseele.«
»Die Menschen träumen mehr von der Rückkehr als von der Abreise, meinte der Jüngling, der sich schon wieder an die Stille der Wüste gewöhnte.
»Wenn das, was du gefunden hast, rein ist, dann wird es nie vergehen. Und du kannst eines Tages zurückkehren. Wenn es jedoch nur ein Lichtmoment war, wie die Explosion eines Sternes, dann findest du beim Wiederkommen nichts mehr vor. Aber du hast eine Lichtexplosion erlebt, und das allein hat sich bereits gelohnt.«
»Denn Mut ist die wichtigste Gabe für denjenigen, der die Sprache der Welt sucht.«
Wenn die Leute mich aufsuchen, dann sehe ich nicht ihre Zukunft, sondern ich erahne sie. Denn die Zukunft gehört Gott allein, und er offenbart sie nur unter gewissen außergewöhnlichen Umständen. Und wie kann ich die Zukunft erahnen? Durch die Zeichen der Gegenwart. In der Gegenwart liegt das Geheimnis; wenn du der Gegenwart Beachtung schenkst, dann kannst du sie verbessern. Und wenn du sie verbessert hast, dann wird das Nachfolgende auch besser sein. Vergiß also die Zukunft und lebe jeden Tag deines Lebens nach den göttlichen Gesetzen und im Vertrauen, daß Gott für seine Kinder sorgt. Jeder einzelne Tag trägt die Ewigkeit in sich.
"Every search begins with beginner's luck. And every search ends with the victor's being severely tested."
This book appears on the shelf anthology
This book appears on the shelf short-stories
