Rating: 
Summary: Life Changer
Review: "The Alchemist" is one of those few literary works that change the way you look at your goals and direction in life. It's unbelievable that such a simple little parable can teach us so much about how to get the most out of our lives. Beware, though, because after reading it, you'll be hard pressed not to throw caution to the wind and chase that seemingly impossible dream of yours. This is the book that first hooked me on Paulo Coelho, and I've been a fan ever since.
Rating:
Summary: The bible of LIFE understanding
Review: Like the bible itself, it's not easily understood.I'm very sad about misleading comments being written by people unable to understand the meaning. This book is for adults, not children. Children and not yet prepared to understand. Even among adults, like it says in the book, it's not to be understand by everyone. And it's not to be taken literally. You need to interpret the book deeply. In very general terms, LIFE is the search of what makes you happy and the success greatly depends on the effort you give to accomplish this. <<Maktub>>.
Rating:
Summary: Required reading for everyone!
Review: I needed this book! I am at a time in my life where I am deciding between my own personal dream and what I am currently doing. Santiago recalls the candy store owner, and compares him to himself. The candy store owner is one because that is his personal legend, but it is Santiago's personal legend to seek his treasure. This book will test your faith to yourself! It is latent with beautiful words of wisdom and ideas that you might have thought before, but never realized were true. If you are a dreamer, and you have not read this book, you are missing something really amazing.
Rating: 
Summary: Transports you a little, and plops you back down
Review: If you'd like something light to read to provoke a little thought about paths not taken and goals not pursued, why not try The Alchemist as an easy first step toward evaluating your own life? Santiago is a shepherd living a fairly ordered existence, yet intrigued by a recurring dream of a child playing with his sheep, who then transports him to the Pyramids, and shows him a spot where a great treasure is hidden. He seeks out a dream-interpreter, who agrees to tell him the meaning of the dream for one-tenth of the treasure. Santiago then sets out on a journey toward the treasure. The journey is long, and involves many hard decisions between action and safety, and whether to trust his instincts or to do the "responsible" thing. He makes mistakes, gets sidetracked a little, and finds more than he bargained for on his journey, which makes a great fable about persistence and seeing priorities. Okay, it's a fable - you have to be pretty forgiving to glean any hard tips about pursuing dreams from a story about a shepherd. Anthony Robbins it's not, but it's pretty well written, and uplifting - I don't know that a book that you can finish in one afternoon can be held to that strict a standard. This book can be a kind of relief if you have some soul -searching to do about what you're doing with your life. In a time and economy where every iota of common sense dictates no unnecessary risks, this simple fable can help to reframe much of the fear and uncertainty we all have as we see some of our dreams retract from us due to neglect or every day life. This type of book won't offer the same type of guidance as the bullet-pointed self helpers littering the Bestseller rack, yet reading books like The Alchemist can give you the inspiration and the emotional energy to keep on keepin on - which is nothing to sneeze at. If you read Illusions, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, or even One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, you'll find something in The Alchemist.
Rating: 
Summary: A MYTH RATHER THAN A FABLE
Review: Believe it or not, the author of this book starts his narrative by recounting how he lost and then FOUND his way seeking truth in alchemy. All straight-faced. Anyone who was taught elementary chemistry is left dumbfounded. But the first pages of 'The Alchemist' are just an indication of what's to come: this book is a mixture of supposedly apocryphal wisdom, recycled spiritual teachings and fantasy. All delivered in a tranquil, friend-to-friend (not to say Master-to-novice) manner which adds a false sense of credibility to the storyteller. Coelho must either be a misguided fool with a talent for words or an expert exploiter of peoples' need for a purpose. Possibly the latter. That's why he calls his tale a fable. But that it ain't, unless we mean to re-write the rules of the genre as set down by its father, Aesop, more than 2500 years ago. Short as it is, 'The Alchemist' is still way too long to be rightly called a fable. That nice term though is smooth cover for Coelho's chosen means of delivering his moral: the story unfolds in a twisted imitation of '1001 nights' (too bad Aladdin-type heroics have to be mixed with recent day Englishmen, one almost misses a couple of mad dogs). But maybe Coelho's moral needed this kind of imaginary setting: how else can you justify a hammering of 'If you follow your dream the whole Universe will conspire in your attaining it'? In 'The Alchemist' we read of the wind, the sun and other elements assisting the hero (Santiago, a boy shepherd and, doubtless, a future Master Alchemist) overcome all odds in his quest. Which is?... None other than finding a treasure in the Pyramids... That, we're told, is Santiago's 'Personal Legend'. This catchy phrase presumably denotes what we too are supposed to look for in our lives (and then follow, no doubt). Coelho though is a gifted writer. All the folly is remitted in a slick, deceptively enjoyable bedtime story style. This has prompted many a reviewer to suggest this book is great for kids. I think not; I would be very wary of any material that suggests to my children it's OK to become soldiers of fortune if the whim takes them. All said, this book does not live up to its illustrious reputation. Moreover, to this reviewer it appears a phoney. If you like the mystics I would suggest you seek 'The Book of Mirhad'; if you are after spirituality go for the real thing, 'The little Prince'; if you want fantasy 'The Lord of the Rings' will offer it to you aplenty minus the didactic overtones; and if you're looking for a good children's story Rowling's 'Philosopher's stone' is the vastly preferred choice. With 'The Alchemist' you may think you're going in for a fable. But in reality you'll be going in for a myth.
Rating:
Summary: You will enjoy it.
Review: I keep this book around and really enjoy reading it from time to time. It's simple, wise and relaxing. There is nothing special you have to do to understand it - but it's a real buity and you should give it a try.
Rating:
Summary: An Extraordinary Piece of Literature!
Review: I guess when something is of an extraordinary quality, its critics always go from one extreme to another, as is the case with this book. Some love it and others hate it with passion. There is nothing mediocre about it.This book is surely not for everyone. Not for people who are looking for some easy-read entertainment. Some reviewers have stated that this book is intended to "brainwash" readers, but I don't think that's the case. This book is not meant to be taken literally. It is meant to inspire us to think about spirituality and our own lives and it leaves enough space for everyone to interpert it in the way it applays to them as individuals.
Also, the fact that this book was written in such a simple manner only adds to its beauty. Many readers have complained that this book is more suited for kids than adults, but to truly achieve greatness is to reduce complicated ideals, theories and beliefs to simple, to express them in simple terms. This book is intended to make a point, and that's exactly what it does. This is truly an extraordinary piece of literature!
Rating: 
Summary: A book you breathe your own life into
Review: Even as I write this, I'm havign trouble justifying doing so to myself. I feel that this book should be handed from person to person, not bought. I first read it when a special aunt of mine loaned it to me the summer after my freshman year in high school. I loved it then, but forgot its title later.
Somehow, I forget the exacts, I remembered it was The Alchemist ths spring.
I read it again, I am now a junior in college, in september. I've loaned it out to lots of friends since. Re reading this book was a magical experiance for me. The simplicity of it is wonderful. I know that there are lots of criticisms that could be made about it, but it is a truely beautiful story. Buy it, read it, loan it to those you love, or even leave it on a park bench for some stranger to find and enjoy. Become a part of the magic.
Rating:
Summary: It's time to hear the other side of the story!
Review: It is time to hear the other side of the story. There is more to life than what you may think ... and there is proof!
Read "The Alchemist" because you won't be sorry,
you will enjoy it,
and you will recommend it to a friend.
It is one of those books that will make you think about what you are thinking every day, how and why you make plans the way you do, and most of all it reminds you that everybody has something important to achieve and to accomplish in life.
Rating:
Summary: very shallow... in comparison
Review: Reviewer: A reader from Germany
This is a very shallow tale disguised as a deeply spiritual fable. Sorry. I know that it has helped many people to start on a spiritual journey (that's why it gets two stars not one) but that doesn't change things at all. Anyone with a gift for words could have created this story just by skimming through the world's mystical literature. If you want depth, go to the truly mystical works such as "The Book of Mirdad" (sadly out of print!) or any of the genuine msytics in any of the world religions - for example Ramana Maharshi, St Francis, the Sufi mystics, Zen masters. Or even the Bible, read with a an open mind. All have much more depth than the Alchemist. And of course the ending of this book was ridiculous. A material treasure is tinsel in comparison to the real spiritual treasure - why then should this be shown to be the ultimate goal and fulfillment? It's a very dangerous premise put forward that spiritual wisdom will lead to material wealth - even if the material wealth is only a by-product.
| 
