Rating: 
Summary: The illusion of dream fulfillment
Review: Paulo Coelho has become one of the most popular writers worldwide. He has written 9 novels and "The Alquemist" is his second title. Written in a spur of inspiration which lasted two weeks, this novel alone has sold over 46,000,000 copies an has been translated into 55 languages. Because of its optimistic message, its simplicity of meaning and language it is easily read, quite popular amongst youngsters, all together accounting for its status as a bestseller.
It is a fable in which a young boy by the name of Santiago is called to go in search of his "Personal Myth." It is a journey of exploration, of self-discovery, narrated in a language of symbolism, dreams, and mysticism. The message Paulo Coelho wishes to share with his readers is that everyone should be able to interpret the events encountered throughout our existence and be able to follow them in search of the ultimate fulfillment and meaning in life. We should not be afraid to follow our destiny, our dreams, everything is possible as long as we really want it to happen, and what is to be avoided is to sacrifice fulfillment to conformity. The treasure is not what is to be found at the end of the journey, but the journey itself and the wisdom acquired in the process. "Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse
than the suffering itself," the alchemist replies.
"And that 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." Paulo Coelho himself is a non-conformit, a writer who himself went on a long search for his personal fulfillment. His success relies much in telling people what they want to hear (an illusive reality), using a language that does not speak to the brain but rather to the heart. His writings follow similar lines as other writers such as Livingston, Carlos Castaneda, Ben Okri, John Redfield, Deepak Choppra, Rodney Ballenden, Merrick Rosenberg, all of them in search of a way of life which will enrich the meaning of existence and bring a message of hope.
Rating: 
Summary: Good all around book
Review: When I began reading this book, I believed it to be to simple and preachy, but after thinking about it, I realized that it was a little deeper than I had first believed. It definately has some meaningful insight on life. I recomend reading it at any time. It's concise and enjoyable.
Rating: 
Summary: An Inspiring Book.
Review: By far the best book I have ever read. A truly inspiring book. I've read it three times now, and I plan on reading it many more times. The Alchemist is a perfect story for a young reader(or anybody)like myself. It will help you to understand the meaning of life and to learn how to follow your dreams.
Rating: 
Summary: Minority Report - Trite and Shallow and Silly
Review: The reader reviews for "The Alchemist" fall into two categories: a majority that admires its dazzling simplicity, its wisdom, and its inspirational nature and a minority that finds it shallow, trite, fluffy, mushy, and a bit silly. I belong to the minority. I enjoy many Latin American writers, particularly Jorge Luis Borges, Gregorio Lopez y Fuentes, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I read the poetry of Octavio Paz and Pablo Neruda. I really like the film "Like Water for Chocolate". I have come to appreciate and enjoy the mystical elements often found in Latin American fiction. I expected to enjoy Paulo Coelho's little book, "The Alchemist", but it was a major disappointment. The story is simple, too simple. Its reading level is only 6.4 (sixth grade). The dialogue is weak and the character development is quite limited. The plot offers some interest, but it is certainly not remarkable. Its moral (to realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation) is stressed through mind numbing repetition. But these points of criticism - simplistic story, simple vocabulary, minimal character development, weak dialogue, repetitious nature - are only partially responsible for my disappointment. The major weakness in "The Alchemist" is its fluffy, nebulous, feel good philosophy. We get such insights as "One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving." We are told that you will never be able to escape from your heart and so it is better to listen to what it has to say. Also, we are informed about the living soul of the world and how inanimate objects help you achieve your personal destiny ("personal legend"). We learn how the interpretation of omens is significant for achieving your personal legend. We also learn that lead will continue to be lead as long as the world needs lead and then will transform itself into gold. Gold is a higher stage of evolution. This book is really quite silly. It is trite and shallow. While I like to share my enthusiasm for a good book, I seldom review a poor book. But I could not walk away from "The Alchemist" without at least expressing my disappointment. Read it if you wish, but I suggest that you lower your expectations.
Rating:
Summary: Listen to your heart, follow your path
Review: This book was recommended to me by a friend after I graduated from college and had trouble deciding whether I should pursue my dreams and open a business or take the recommended approach and get a job with a stable income. After reading this enlightening book, I give this book as a gift to one person every Christmas who seems to battle internally with themselves on whether they are on the right path, or if they should pursue something else. I have read this book three times, and each time it reaffirms the need to follow your dreams by listening to your heart, while choosing to ignore your heart will lead to an internal struggle between the mind and spirit. Your life path is found in listening to and pursuing the dreams of your heart, regardless of how unachieveable they seem. I enjoyed how the author stressed the importance of omens and listening to the world around you for signs from the earth and the Gods. I appreciated how the author stressed the importance of relying on our instincts and intuition to make the best decisions for yourself in pusuing any aspect in your life. I recommend this book to anyone who needs reaffirmation on whether or not they are following their life path, and if they are using the tools necessary in order to be successful in all of their endeavors.
Rating:
Summary: You won't put it down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: Intensely gripping and inspiring, this fable like Jay Singh's The Butterfly or Spencer Johnson's Who Moved My Cheese, will make you want to take a step back and reflect on your life. It will make you ask yourself the essential question: Am I who I want to be? Or am I living my life for others? Coelho's protagonist will keep you reading till the end. The book has, without a doubt, expanded my understanding of life vastly. Buy this book! It will change your life.
Rating:
Summary: Will you understand the lesson given by this book?
Review: This a very interesting story where the main character is a shepherd. He wants to find a treasure and he thinks that he will find it within the Pyramids. He will have an initiatic travel and will meet very interesting characters (small masters as I would call them) and adventures. It is a kind of alchemical internal change that will happen to the hero. But the main lesson is at the end. I am not sure that everybody caught it but for those who are following a spiritual path, there is a very important clue or lesson. So do not miss it!
Rating:
Summary: A fairy tale that will capture your heart
Review: A beautiful story. Interpret the ending whichever way you like - because that probably has a link with your Personal Legend too. A beautiful story which has in a sense changed my life - I love it when books do this. What is an alchemist? A man who understands nature and the world. This might sound ambiguous and corny, but for crying out loud (literally) - buy this book. The book is based around Personal Legends - everyone's dream in life. Whether its something you want, somewhere you want to be, something you want to experience - everyone has one. Never lose focus, and never give up. You will come across omens along the way (signs that will help you), don't ignore them, and believe always - in the unbelievable. Because life is just that - impossibly hard to believe. Love this book - Rate it 5 - a beautiful story.
Rating:
Summary: Less is Most Certainly More!
Review: I don't know why it took me this long to discover this book, but I think it's wonderful. Furthermore, if it isn't already, I think that "The Alchemist" should be required reading in high school English Literature. Everyone can learn so much from this. I loved this book because there are so many life lessons in this simple story of a young man's journey to find his treasure, to fulfill his "personal legend." Written here are so many different philosophies by how one chooses to live his life. The descriptions of the desert are beautiful. As are the references to nature and its power, its ability to teach us and how we should respect nature. As opposed to the ocean, or the forest, the desert was a wonderful backdrop to this story. Paulo Coelho speaks of marveling at the beauty all around us, but never forgetting what brought us to the point of appreciating that beauty. He reminds us of how children are so honest, open, and most authentic. Children would be the only ones who know what their dreams are. Yet as children grow, they become concerned with doing "what others think they should do," and ultimately live according to someone else's rules, and sacrificing their own dreams. Another habit we lose as we grow, is listening to our hearts. Coelho illustrates so convincingly the importance of knowing yourself, and listening to your heart, thus the answers always reveal themselves to you, be it through your heart, or signs from the world around you. Similar to Homer's "Odyssey," Santiago met many characters throughout his journey, all of whom offered something special. I have to say, however, that I really enjoyed The Englishman the most. I think this section of the novel was the most humorous as well. I thought it was funny how the Englishman and Santiago were both essentially working to fulfill their personal legends. The Englishman, however, completely missed the point of his search. He often contradicted himself, never hearing subtle signs around him. He was easily irritable, impatient, focused on texts and formulas, rather than learning from the more intangible concepts. His goal was to learn alchemy literally; turning lead into gold. He was frustrated with the fact that Santiago couldn't understand the scientific complexities of alchemy, whereas "the boy" was turning out to be the true alchemist, by way of listening to his heart, and the world around him. It was a hilarious parallel actually! Also, I think it's interesting how the author always referred to Santiago as "the boy," a student of life, always learning. The character of "the Englishman" also made me wonder if he was a political reference, citing the English rule of many African territories? Could he have been a satirical reference to "the imperialist who was unappreciative of the beauty of the world outside his home?" He was described as the educated and knowledgeable one, yet in fact there was so much that he did not know! It seemed like a nice juxtaposition: The Englishman's conquering of the mystery behind alchemy vs. the imperialist quest to conquer more unknown land. However, I should remind myself that all but a few of the characters were nameless. My interpretation is that names were unimportant because the story, the journey, was meant to be applied to every person in the world. But that's another facet I like about "The Alchemist." It's open to all sorts of interpretation! It's about evolving from within, moving from ordinary to extraordinary. It's about having the faith in oneself and faith in the world to evolve! The objective is to strive to become better than what we are, and then everything around us will become better, because everything in the world is connected, or "one." In a time when we are used to instant-gratification through technology, we've forgotten, or don't even consider the language of the world, the soul of the world, the unspoken language of love and omens. It's so easy to get caught up with the day-to-day activities of our lives, "The Alchemist" is a nice reminder that we, too, can fulfill our personal legends. This novel is so profound, so completely positive, and so very kharmic. It can be applied to pretty much every facet of life! What's even better about it is that it's not hiding behind some lofty, complicated, epic of a novel. It's just a simple story. I highly recommend finding the time to read it all in one sitting. It's only 167 pages so it's not that difficult a task to accomplish!
Rating:
Summary: Wow...unbelievable
Review: i'm in eighth grade right now and for me this is a time when everything matters...but only in appearance...when i read this i was shocked and it seriously changed me...i feel like a new person now...the book really makes you reevaluate your life to the point where you have so many questions to ask and none that can be answered at that moment....this book was sooo good!! i know that i will read like 500 times again everyone who is reading this is probably thinking, "O ya it's jus some troubled teenager" no but it's not that...i'm a really really deep person and reading this has really changed my life and if i hadn't read this book i don't think the goals that i made for my life would exist today
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