Rating: 
Summary: Simple yet complex and excellent
Review: This book was assigned reading in an english class i took, and at first i thought it would suck. After all, who wants to read a story about some kid from Andalusia who follows his dream to egypt? Once I picked it up and started reading, however, I found that I genuinely enjoyed it. It is one of the better pieces I have read concerning the interrelation of God, luck, omens, coincidence, destiny, and one's part ina ll this. However, readers who do not want to view this book as more than a simple story will miss out on the bigger messages; whether the messages mean anything or not is a personal choice. I recomend this book to any prospective buyers.
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Summary: The single most life changing book i have ever read......
Review: Before i read this book, i was all over the place. I had no idea what i wanted to do with my life or where it was going. It was almost as if time had ceased for me and life was just happening all around to everyone else. When i completed it, i realized a lot of the things that were preventing me from moving forward. I think of Santiago and his adventures every time that same feeling makes its way back into my brain. It reminds me to be patient and stick it out. The Alchemist has changed the way i view life. I recommend it to anyone who needs a little push to get things started for themselves--and also to those who just want to read a wonderful story. Enjoy. :O)
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Wonderful
Review: This book tells a simple story, with extremely powerful messages. It is a book about finding your path in life and following your dreams. I could not put the book down. I have given it to friends and family as a gift because I find it so powerful and inspirational. It is a book that will remain on my book shelf and that I will read over and over again.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrible don't buy this.
Review: If I were able to I'd award this minus 10. I bought this book to read on holiday, on the beach on southern Europe. I've not read such a book of this bad quality as this in years. For god's sake don't waste your money. Buy Hermen Hesse instead, or William Golding.It's trite, silly, gormless, infantile, cliched. Buy it for someone you REALLY want to annoy or condescend to.
Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable tale that has much to say to the heart
Review: Since humans first tried to make sense of their lives, the basic medium for this exercise has been the story. All the great religions begin with a story. It is the power of those stories that has touched the hearts of countless generations and allowed each genertion to discover meaning. You can preach for hours on God's love, a gracious universe, grace, the power of a kind act, courage in facing fears and the only way it will be remembered is if you place your message in the context of a story. Such a story speaks not to the intellect of the audience but to their hearts. Such is the importance of fables. The Alchemist is such a tale. As described in every other review, it follows the wanderings of a young man named Santiago, as he journies across North Africa in seacrch of his dreams. It is a journey of transformation and discovery. The tale is exotic, mysterious, and often suspensful. Like all such tales, it has a generous portion of wisdom to be passed on as the reader follows the experiences of young Santiago. Very little of the wisdom contained in the story will be entirely new to anyone, but then, that is not the point of a fable. The author reminds us of things that we already know, giving us a new story upon which to frame our heart's wisdom. Coelho's wisdom is not theory but draws on experiences that have deeply touched his life. He has pursued his dream and wandered enough to know the associated frustrations and joys. It is evident in the book. I'm quite happy with the result. Coelho's fable joins a small number of similar tales that have been both financial and inspirational successes in recent decades. The genre evokes strong reactions. Fables like the Alchemist, The Prophet, or Jonathan Livingston Seagull are either fawned over or ridiculed as so much hot air. To consider the genre to be so much hot air (as does the Kirkus reviewer) betrays an ignorance of the genre that should move the wise critic to refrain from offering his or her uninformed opinion. However, neither should the reader treat such tales as divine revelation. The course of wisdom is somewhere in between. This genre speak to the heart and not necessarily the intellect. The logic of these stories is that of dreams not the intellect. Even then, not all fables are of equal value. The message being shared is important. Does the story ring true to life, offering practical wisdom? Or, is it simply platitudes being offered in hushed tones and carefully marketed? As I read through The Alchemist and other works by Paulo Coelho I was pleased to discover numerous insights hidden away in off handed comments. Many of these insights are not new but were reached on my own over the years. I take this as confirmation of the substance of Coelho's message and the fact that he has traveled the path himself. The Alchemist is neither sacred scripture, a philosophical treatise, nor a post-modern deconstruction of contemporary social values. Rather, it is an enjoyable tale that has much to say to the heart.
Rating: 
Summary: Unfullfilling
Review: I am not one for reading thick books but this one could have done with some more detailed storylines. Still, not a bad read for 177 pages. Found it a bit contradicting at times, but that just makes you think. Do you have a night to lay around and read a nice book? Then this is the one to get.
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Summary: Once upon a time....
Review: "And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it" - King Melchizedek to Santiago pg. 23 This short story by Paulo Coelho will certainly be a source of encouragement for those who are following their dreams and hopefully will rekindle the embers of those who have settled for something less than hearts TRUE desire. The story is simple enough for a child to understand and yet memorable enough to put its principles into daily practice. The story is about a young Spanish shepherd boy Santiago's desire to follow his heart. The young lad has a reoccurring dream and seeks to understand it and follow it where it may lead him. Selling all that he has, the lad takes a journey from the comfort of his known world to the hostile and alien world of the Northern Sahara Desert. The journey will take him thousands of miles across the Sahara Desert to his final destination, the pyramids in Egypt. Along the way, the boy meets those for various reasons, have abandoned their hearts desires or settled for something less. Some have exchanged their dreams for money, creature comforts, family, etc. Others are "afraid that if my dream is realized, I'll have no reason to go on living", or "I'm afraid that it would all be a disappointment, so I prefer just to dream about it", while others, "seek the treasure of their destiny, without wanting actually to live out the destiny." The book has numerous practical teachings including, synchronistic events, and chance meetings with people and even painful and dangerous situations, which all eventually help him to achieve his dream. One of the boy's final encounters is with a man who is an Alchemist who teaches the boy how to transform his life into a real treasure. True alchemy is manifesting your dreams in the real world of physical reality. "Where your treasure is, there also will be your heart". Pros: This is an easy story line whose principles will stick in your memory, which makes it easy to apply and remember in your daily life. Cons: Oversimplified and strait forward plot doesn't make for a very exciting book. Everything is explained for you so there is nothing to think about except for possibly how it applies in your life.
Rating: 
Summary: How about a little reality testing?
Review: This book came to me highly recommended by an Argentinian friend. What a disappointment. Half way through I thought, "Oh no! Another Jonathan Livingston Seagull!" I loathed JLS. I have trouble with books that espouse everything is possible and life doesn't involve compromises and choices. Romantic love is experienced instanteously. Within 5 minutes the main character is ready to commit his entire life to a woman he has just met. She is so detached that she allows him to leave forever while claiming she will love him passionately til her death. Follow your dream and only good things will happen. What pap!
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Summary: A Simple Fable With A Profound Message
Review: When I finished reading my library's copy of this book (checked out based off some little tidbit I read off the internet) I immediately returned and bought 3 copies of it so I can give it away. I have already reread it several times which is a very rare thing for me to do with a book. It's about one man's encounter with what he is supposed to do with his life, the spiritual disciplines behind the search and the ever presence of God's hand in our life. I suppose anyone can take the story which ever way they want...it just deeply affected me. I plan on giving this away over and over again.
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Summary: DARE TO DREAM AND REACH FOR THE STARS!
Review: Who among us does not enjoy the magical wonder of a fable. This fable is one I actually heard many years from a writer in Spain who wrote a book on fables. It is the story about going is search of your dreams and never losing sight of your goals. In this book you will meet an Andalusion shepherd boy, Santiago, who leaves Spain in search of an Egyptian treasure. On his journey, Santiago meets an alchemist and expresses to him his fear of suffering. Much of this fable reminded me of principles based on Buddhist philosophies and the Four Noble Truths. It is a short, simple story with a powerful message that says far more than words can express. If you are looking for a short inspirational book, put this one at the top of your list.
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