Rating: 
Summary: A story that leads you on and on and on...
Review: When I saw the back flap of this book, I was attracted almost instataneously. Being a conservative book reader, it was not easy to attract me to modern age authors and a foreign one at that!
Well, I had considerable hopes for this book once I started flipping through its pages. It talks about a shepherd whose only intent in life was to be content with what he knows and what he does in life and is downright satisfied when all he needed to know was that he had utter control of his life, Life, however had different plans for him. He was lead on to seek out his personal legend, and then follows his journey of reaching that end.
It is a light read book, interesting enough to let you keep reading page after page, and I have to confess that the end of this book, my face was coaxed into breaking out in gleeful grin.
It's not an amazing book, but it's a book worthy enough to fill that space inside your heart that you never use.
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent book
Review: This is a must-read for anyone who wishes to pursue their dreams till the very end. It explains as a simple fable, a great moral. Never give up on your dreams, no matter what problems you may face. What i liked very much was the excellent analogies the author derives from the fable to everyday life!
Rating:
Summary: A lasting, inspirational story
Review: If you are just starting out on your life's journey, faced with a difficult decision, or unhappy with your life and feel a faint longing for something, somewhere, waiting for you, if you feel restless and unsure of what to do next - this book is for you!I read it for the first time a few years ago, and found it to be one of the most inspiring and magical stories ever told. It is a fable: its lessons are not obscure, it is easily accessible to anybody, even someone who has never read a single book in their life. And at the same time, it is written with such artistic taste and wonderful restraint that any avid reader and literature lover will surely appreciate its authentic beauty. The lessons it teaches are simple: most of us already know these truths in our hearts, but it takes a book like that to remind us of them. The Alchemist is a story about personal journey, about following your dream in spite of all the obstacles that life inevitably puts in your way, about believing in your destiny and listening to your heart -- ALWAYS. There have been several editions of this book, including paperback, and my personal favorite is The Illustrated Alchemist. But regardless of edition, it will definitely become one of those books that you'll treasure all your life.
Rating:
Summary: amazing amazing
Review: I absolutely love this book- I have read it at least seven times, and every time I get some new insight. After I'm done, I get this kind of 'spiritual high' and I feel centered and ready to confront the obstacles of my life. I've given this book to everyone I know, and they tell me the same thing- this book is amazing. Don't let those other reviews fool you. Pick it up- it will take you a handful of hours, and it will stay with you for the rest of your life.
Rating:
Summary: Like a myth
Review: The Alchemist is written in a symplistic style -- more of a fairy tale or myth than a story meant more literally. It follows the travels of Santiago from Spain to parts of Africa. It's an allegory about finding your personal path and knowing when to let go of whatever holds you back. If you're looking for a realistic story, you might be disappointed. But I found such exaggerations (like finding an omen through hawks in the sky) as symbolic and charming additions to the story. Of course the book doesn't suggest that we should read everything in our lives as "signs." But the obvious signs Santiago encounters are supposed to represent the less-obvious signals in our own lives. I highly recommend the story. It's captivating and hard to put down, and it just might make you rethink some of your own choices.
Rating: 
Summary: Little room for imagination
Review: A shepherd boy named Santiago travels from his homeland Andalusia to the Pyramids of Giza to achieve his dreams (or, as the author puts it, his "Personal Legend"). Along the way he faces difficulties, overcomes them, and acquires the ability to speak the "Language of the World" (the ability to communicate with sentient beings of the world). As a modern day fable, the book possesses neither the compendious quality of R. Bach's "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" nor the warmth and imagination of Saint-Exupery's "The Little Prince." The indicative mood employed by the author leaves readers with almost no space for imagination. It comes to me as a surprise that this book has been such a hit. Perhaps we are all ears when it comes to fables.
Rating:
Summary: too simple
Review: i agree with some of the other reviewers who have been disappointed with this book. it was recommended to me as a life-changer. while sweet and magical, it is the kind of book i would perhaps read to my child (if i had one) at bedtime. it is a fairy tale. there is nothing wrong with that in and of itself. however, it lacks substance. for example, it may say (and i'm paraphrasing) that "over time the boy learned to listen to his heart". how? what happened? another reviewer mentioned that he never makes mistakes and this is true. the boy always seems to have revelations at just the right time and never has to learn from mistakes, only realizes the truth before it is needed. coelho leaves out all the meaty bits. it almost seems like a summary of itself. like the cliff notes for a very good book.
Rating:
Summary: A good story
Review: This is a fascinasting little book which can easily be read in a couple of hours. We follow the journey of a shepherd boy from Andalusia to Egypt and back in search of his dream - which is a dream of hidden treasure at the pyramids.On the way he finds wisdom and help from a King, a chrystal seller, an english intellectual and, of course, an alchemist. He speaks to the wind who listens and answers. He finds love. Finally he finds his treasure. I must confess that the many references to 'finding your treasure because you want it' reminded me, at first, of Charlie and the Factory. But there is a subtlety in the storyline and characterisation that draws you in.You begin to wonder where you own treasure lies and where you are looking. It is not necessarily life changing but a good read which does make you think.
Rating:
Summary: wonderfully written and inspiring
Review: Wonderful prose of this book takes you on a poetic journey of a man searching his purpose in life and meanwhile you discover yourself thinking about your own purpose in this world. Easy and light at the same time deep and thought-provoking.
Rating:
Summary: There are 2 kinds of people in the world..
Review: People who enjoy The Alchemist and those who don't. And that's ok. So far its obvious the types of people who do enjoy it...those that are already somewhat spiritual, enjoy the simple things in life, still possessing some child-like qualities, are generally positive thinking, somewhat trusting, a dreamer... I can venture to say that if you are cynical, sarcastic, jaded, overly pragmatic or skeptical by nature, you won't enjoy it. And again, that's ok. I obviously fall into the former group. Admittedly, the book is simple but, to me, that's the beauty of it. And even tho most of the "lessons" that were taught in it, I already knew, it was still great to be reminded of them in such a beautiful, adventurous way. This is the kind of book that is meant to be given to someone who is struggling trying to figure out what they want to do with their life..a person who is putting the wrong things (and people!) in the center of their lives. Or just someone who you really think would want or need the lessons that are contained within. The book was given to me and i've already passed on 3 more copies of it.
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