Description
Book Review
Title:
The AlchemistAuthor:
Paulo CoelhoCategory:
Fiction
Subject Matter:
travel, quest, treasure, legend, meaning
Whenever people hear that I'm an avid reader, their next question is: What should I read?
This is, of course, idiotic. If I tell people I eat a lot of food, they don't wonder what they should eat. Reading, or eating, or watching movies, or listening to music, has to do with likes or preferences. So, when people ask "What should I read?" I have to follow their question with ten of my own, figuring out what they actually like to read. If I point my younger sister to some brooding Russian novel because I happened to like it, she'll hate it. She doesn't like brooding Russian novels. And, I'm rambling.
So, what I do is simple: I recommend The Alchemist.
Why do I recommend this book. Simple: I can't think of a single friend or acquaintance who wouldn't like it. Maybe an android, or someone without any soul at all, but I don't know anybody like that (fortunately).
If you've read The Alchemist you probably know what I mean. If not, go to your nearest bookstore or library now, get a huge cup of coffee, and read it. It's short, so it'll only take a sitting or two.
The story itself follows an Andalusian shepherd boy who dreams of going to the Pyramids to find his treasure. Along the way, he meets a king, a gypsy woman, and an alchemist who push him forward on his search. It is a sort of Everyman story, as those who come into contact with the boy either urge him to meet his deepest dreams, or hinder his path. Coelho adds a spirituality to the story, but it is not forced or formulaic: "Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And 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." The spiritual aspects are - as all good spirituality is - signposts that point the boy toward transcendence and connection with Something Greater. It is a spirituality of listening: to the desert that the boy crosses, to the wind, to his heart.
I keep thinking of a quote by a second century saint: "The glory of God is man fully alive." Or, obviously, woman fully alive. This is the thrust of Paulo Coelho's novel - or perhaps his fable or parable. There is a clear message, but one that gives permission more than it instructs didactically.
So, read The Alchemist. The straightforward prose and straightforward characters will not challenge anyone, but the message may just cause you to stare into the distance, listen, and wonder more than you have in a long time.
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