THE ALCHEMIST - Paulo Coelho

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The Alchemist is one of the more beautifully written books of our times. Though the book was originally written in Portugese, the translation in English still manages to bring out the essence of the original story and its message. It is a simple story of a young shepherd who follows his dreams of treasure and encounters many experiences and people, learning wisdom and life lessons along the way.
Santiago is a shepherd boy who lives in Spain leading an ordinary life. He is simple and innocent, but craves for excitment and adventure. Believing a recurring dream to be prophetic, he starts on his journey to discover the treasure he believes is hidden in the Pyramids of Egypt. The book follows this journey, the people he meets, the dreams he has, the omens he encounters, and the nature he speaks to.
Paulo Coelho’s work is a delight to read. All the things mentioned in the book are that we can relate to, things that we've either forgotten about or simply dismissed as childhood fantasies. It contains some wonderful teachings, like:
The journey is what counts, not the destination;
Treasure lies in our own hearts and not in the outside world;
Live every moment in the moment and follow your dreams.
Although it is an extraordinarily optimistic tale and might be a little too simple for some people, it is also thought provoking and inspires you in its own way. As it is written in very simple language, it is easy to read and makes for a decent way to spend time. The only concern about the book is that some of the speeches get too long and give the impression of patronising. I sort of skipped through a few such dialogues as it felt like the flow of the story was being disrupted.
On the whole, I found the book both entertaining and inspirational. Though I neither had a spiritual re-emergence after reading it, nor did the book completely change my life, I liked the story for simple reasons. I particularly liked the simple messages spread throughout. Moreover, it is not demanding and can be read and understood by all. It is recommended but you might not like it if you are not particularly interested in the genre.

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