The Alchemist

Every few decades a book is published that changes the lives of its readers forever. The Alchemist is such a book. With over a million and a half copies sold around the world, The Alchemist has already established itself as a modern classic, universally admired. Paulo Coelho's charming fable, now available in English for the first time, will enchant and inspire an even wider audience of readers for generations to come.

The Alchemist is the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure as extravagant as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the markets of Tangiers and across the Egyptian desert to a fateful encounter with the alchemist.

The story of the treasures Santiago finds along the way teaches us, as only a few stories have done, about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, above all, following our dreams.

Customer Reviews:

Great Read

Loved this book and I am having my boy teenage boys read it. Just wish I had read it when I was there age. A must for anyone on the side lines !

2008-08-15

Everyone should read this book

My best friend recommended that I read this book, so I bought it, read it. I love it! I wish schools would recommend students to read this book.

2008-08-11

Simple. Classic.

This makes a great graduation idea. A simple, timeless, classic about the fact we're always searching when what we need is right where we are.

2008-08-11

I missed the alchemist...Light self-help novel

If you want to read about a search for the self in easy to read short stories, Hesse's "Siddharta" or "the Pearl" by John Steinbeck are far better (both are Nobel Prize winners). Hesse's "Narcissus and Goldmund" is a lot better even than Siddharta, but it is a novel, not a short story. If you like the the story presented in a fairy tale format Michael Ende's "The Neverending story" and "Momo" are far more entertaining.

It is obvious I did not particularly liked this book, despite all the high recommendations I got from it. The good thing is you read it in a weekend. I found nothing resembling an alchemist in this book (a mix between scientist and magician). The character presented in this book sounded more as a spiritual Guru.

2008-08-10

BOUGHT AS GIFT

I bought 2 of these books as a gift for students entering college as part of a required reading before the semester starts. Purchase price beat all the local bookstores.

2008-08-08