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The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
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The Alchemist (original 1988; edition 2006)

by Paulo Coelho, Alan R. Clarke (Translator)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations / Mentions
38,920103057 (3.56)2 / 591
An Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasures found within.… (more)
Member:TheAlternativeOne
Title:The Alchemist
Authors:Paulo Coelho
Other authors:Alan R. Clarke (Translator)
Info:HarperCollins (2006), Edition: 2nd, Paperback, 197 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:****1/2
Tags:Literature

Work Information

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (1988)

Recently added byRini55, private library, smhharp, redmama68, ewansmommy, HaleyMae, MVogue, kronixboox
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    Petroglyph: The Alchemist reads like a fairy tale version of Teilhard de Chardin's much more grandiloquent work. Coelho’s “Soul of the World” is very similar to de Chardin’s noosphere, a collective consciousness that all humans are immersed in and that ultimately resolves into God Omega. All is one, all is Love (even valence bonds at an atomic level).… (more)
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» See also 591 mentions

English (937)  Spanish (24)  Dutch (15)  French (8)  Catalan (5)  Swedish (5)  German (4)  Finnish (3)  Italian (3)  Portuguese (Portugal) (3)  Lithuanian (2)  Portuguese (2)  Greek (2)  Arabic (1)  Hungarian (1)  Czech (1)  Danish (1)  Piratical (1)  All languages (1,018)
Showing 1-5 of 937 (next | show all)
Did not read consistently so maybe would have liked it more if so. Overall not too exciting and not relatable. ( )
  Zach-Rigo | Mar 3, 2024 |
A well writ book, a good story, if it just stopped there and wasn’t taken as some sort of magical universal metaphor by his uber-fans. ( )
  yates9 | Feb 28, 2024 |
Anyone looking for life-enhancing wisdom should not have high expectations of The Alchemist but I liked it. My daughter sent it to me and I would have rated it 4 stars except for a few small discontents. What I liked most was the style. I love a good fable and I love the kind of style that comes with a fable. Coelho's style has a timeless, universal quality that hints at wisdom and profound archetypal knowledge in a sentient world where Jung's synchronicity prevails and order can be uncovered.

My discontents belong first to the words 'Personal Legend' which are probably a translation issue. Perhaps this points to the paucity of the English language to express dimensions of alignment with primal forces? The second, and, as I write this I realise it is related to the first, a moment in the book which I had to re-read several times because suddenly the narrative seemed to change track and we saw the world through the eyes of the Englishman.

While the idea that alchemy was a spiritual quest for the gold of the self has been the subject of much speculation, The Alchemist has a foot in both camps. I liked the circularity at the end but ultimately I hoped for something more profound. That said, it was such a wonderful and enchanting journey that I'll seek out some more Paulo Coelho. ( )
  simonpockley | Feb 25, 2024 |
Fun book ( )
  ben_r47 | Feb 22, 2024 |
2.5, It had its inspiring moments but overall was full of farce. ( )
  Aidan767 | Feb 1, 2024 |
Showing 1-5 of 937 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (46 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Coelho, Pauloprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
İnce, ÖzdemirTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
亜希子, 山川翻訳secondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Calleja, SeveEstsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Cisneros, JesusIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Clarke, Alan R.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Jansen, PietTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Lemmens, HarrieTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Maître, PascalPhotographersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
MoebiusIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Ohlbaum, IsoldePhotographersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Sheahen, LauraContributorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Swoboda Herzog, CordulaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Original title
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People/Characters
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Epigraph
Dedication
Til J.
Alkymisten, som kender, og som anvender Det store Værks hemmeligheder.
PAULO COELHO
First words
Introduction by Coelho:  I remember receiving a letter from the American Publisher Harper Collins that said that: "reading The Alchemist was like getting up at dawn and seeing the sun rise while the test of the world still slept."
The alchemist picked up a book that someone in the caravan had brought. (Prologue, trans Clifford E. Landers)
The boy's name was Santiago.
Quotations
We are told from childhood onward that everything we want to do is impossible. We grow up with this idea, and as the years accumulate, so too do the layers of prejudice, fear and guilt. There comes a time when our personal calling is so deeply buried in our soul as to be invisible. But it's still there.
He still had some doubts about the decision he had made. But he was able to understand one thing: making a decision was only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will take him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.
"Always heed the omens", the old king had said.
Maktub (it is written)
To realise one's destiny is a person's only real obligation. All things are one. And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it', the old king said.
Last words
Disambiguation notice
Publisher's editors
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References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (2)

An Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasures found within.

No library descriptions found.

Book description
A young man named Santiago is on a quest to the Pyramids in Egypt following his "Personal Legend" to find a treasure. His adventures and experiences with the people he meets eventually help him discover where the true treasure is in his life.
Combining magic, mysticism, wisdom and wonder into an inspiring tale of self-discovery, The Alchemist has become a modern classic, selling millions of copies around the world and transforming the lives of countless readers across generations.

Paulo Coelho's masterpiece tells the mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. His quest will lead him to riches far different—and far more satisfying—than he ever imagined. Santiago's journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, most importantly, to follow our dreams.
Haiku summary
Santiago, shepherd,
gets told by King of Salem:
Follow your heart, boy!
(passion4reading)
Pseudo-profound dross
lures millions into parting
with their hard-earned cash.
(passion4reading)

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