Rating: 
Summary: "Inspiring reading, but not theologically sound."
Review: Although written with creativity and warmth, this work will not be theologically sound to conservative Christian readers. The tale's premise is that the universe seeks to aid us in achieving our dreams and goals, and that our heart is always right. These are incompatable with even basic Christian theology regarding sin's devastation of the world of man and nature.A much more realistic representation of achieving success through fundamental principles that are theologically sound would be "Mizraim Principles", which follows Joseph the Hebrew from the pit to the pinnacle. A nice inspiring read if one leaves it at that.
Rating: 
Summary: Listen to your heart.
Review: "The Alchemist" is the second book I have read by Paulo Coelho, the first being "Eleven Minutes". As with "Eleven Minutes" I found this book to be a quick read, and hard to put down. It is the story of a Spanish shepherd boy named Santiago, who goes in search of his "Personal Legend". He is started on his quest by a Gypsy woman and a man who calls himself king. He runs into many people and obstacles along the way, and always his desire to obtain his Personal Legend sees himself through. One of the people he meets is the Alchemist, from which the book gets its title, and he is instrumental in helping Santiago reach his goal. This book is different then "Eleven Minutes" in many ways. The style is lighter, and it is clearly not meant to be a true story. The reader never doubts that Santiago will succeed in his quest, nor feels suspense at the dangers he encounters. However, suspense is not the purpose of this book. This book is about dreams, and listening to one's heart, and in that it does its job very well.
Rating: 
Summary: Looking to follow your dream?
Review: If you are looking to follow your heart in a chosen path or seeking the truth then this book is for you. The book contains great insights and spiritual awareness but is written in a very easy to read style. I would strongly recommend that before you read this book to follow the principles listed in the Fit for Life books by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond. This cleansing of the body will take several months but it is worth it, as then you can experience the insights and spiritual guidance for yourself. Another book I would recommend following the detoxification process is The Kingdom of God is Within You by Leo Tolstoy. Good luck and God bless.
Rating: 
Summary: Oprah, please!!!!
Review: It it high time Oprah picked a Paulo Coelho. It is so much like the pseudo intelectualism she likes. This is highly recommended for whose have a lot of time to waste. I don't get why people read it with so many good choices to read instead... that's the ugly truth.
Rating: 
Summary: Herman Hesse Wannabe
Review: If nothing else, The Alchemist provided stimulation for me to search out more authentic sources on the topics it endeavored to attack (Buddhist philosophy, Arabian desert lifestyle, etc). And because it WAS a source of stimulation, and because I could not allow myself to group it with the 1-starred Stephen King or Danielle Steele 'novels', I give Coelho 2 stars for his effort. Basically, this is a simple story of a man on a journey through Arabian deserts; on his way he meets mystics, women, takes up odd jobs in glass blowing, caring for sheep, and such soul searching enterprises. Suppossedly by the end of his adventurous journey (which leads him to a "treasure") he 'learns'/attains the meaning of life. I do believe Coelho was a little theologically confused at the time he wrote this story. His main messages are:
"Follow your heart", and "Learn the Language of The World"; but see, Coehlo and his main character are Christians; the boy travels through a (mainly) Muslim land, and though he ends up at the Egyptian pyramids, the preachings seem to be quite "eastern" in take (buddha comes to mind). But of course, the whole POINT of Eastern philosophies is that they cannot be described in words (Coelho constantly preaches about how things cannot be told, they must be experienced). For all that, Coelho does a lotta telling. The language is quite simple, which can be beautiful (read: Herman Hesse); however it comes off as quite redundant and sermonic. Every other sentence contains at least one reference to either "The Soul of the World", or "The Personal Legend", or "Follow Your Heart" with a big fat capital H. By the end of the novel I am skimming most passages. The characters are flat (I didn't really "feel" them, what they were going through, and there was no character development), and the storyline resembled that of a children's folktale (I like folktales). Overall, it was a worthwhile read given that it only took a couple hours, presented some interesting ideas (albeit, without illustrating any of them satisfactorily), and removed me to the Spanish countryside/Arabian desert for a bit (I am a sucker for folktales, and if this book is nothing else, it would make a BEAUTIFUL illustrated children's book-- I like that). NOTE TO ALL Reviewer-Reviewers: Please consider rating the reviews as helpful if they contain pertinent information on the item under discussion, not if you agree with what the reviewer has to say. I've noticed unhelpful one-liners get "helpful" votes (when the reviews were positive), and other, more full/explained (but more negative) reviews get NO helpful votes -- this IS NOT A VOTE on how much you agree with the other reader! Be FAIR :o)
Rating:
Summary: just as enjoyable the second time round...
Review: The second read through this book. I enjoyed it just as much as the first time! Good story, interesting philosophy and intriguing Biblical allusions.
This work appeals to me on many levels. Certainly I enjoy the adventures of the boy's life. I find myself more of the man in the crystal shop dreaming of adventure, rather than living the dream. But perhaps this the greater appeal of the book itself. One is able to see themselves in many ways, whether it be strengths or faults, throughout the course of the adventure unfolding. The book is full of quotes and ideas that cause one to stop and ponder for a moment (or at times longer). The reader is drawn in by the idea of simple complexity. The twist at the end even brings a smile to my face as I read it, simply delightful.
As much as I enjoyed this work, I still find it second to another Paulo Coelho work titled "The Fifth Mountain." I love Biblical fiction that portrays Biblical figures as real people (as such that they were). "The Alchemist" has several such musings of the author on Biblical people. This was my only complaint, if it can be counted as such, that those allusions were too few!
I look forward to reading more from this author and would highly suggest it, giving it four out of five stars!
Rating:
Summary: A True Favorite
Review: "The Alchemist" is an odd contrast to "My Fractured Life" and "Secret Life of Bees" which are my other favorite books that deals with ragingly sad and emotionally drained characters. "The Alchemist" has a surreal aspect: If you believe hard enough the world will change to make your beliefs real. Yet the story isn't a fable. It is told with a pulse on reality. "Secret Life of Bees" and "My Fractured Life" are more believable, but not necessarily better. Then again, I would be hard pressed to name "The Alchemist" as decisively better either. The three treat the same themes entirely differently. Each one is special and unique. I think you could make an argument for any of them being the best, but the uniqueness of "The Alchemist" is it's surreal quality that is calming.
Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: I read the other reviews before I wrote this, and thought that many of them were very judgemental (especially the one made the assumptiom that "a personal legend is more like getting a good job and earning lots of money).
To me, everyone's personal legend (dream) will be different, and that is what this book teaches. It teaches that you should follow your heart and your dreams, and you will be fulfilled and happy. It is light and easy reading (which is personally why I really liked it). It got me away from those tedious mundane 1000 page novels with words that not even the most educated person would understand.
If you're looking for a literary masterpeice, this is not it. But on the same note - it is what it is - fun, easy and a great filler if you have a spare few hours.
Rating:
Summary: A fable - yes... A classic - hardly...
Review: I picked up this book while I was traveling, and due to its brevity and fairy-tale language, it was a mere two-hour read. And I was thankful for that - I was thoroughly disappointed, and I kept wondering how this book could have been so warmly recommmended to me...
The truths about humanity and life "revealed" by this tale is not that much different than what an average episode of Oprah would conclude. The plot, the language and the message were overly simplistic - there is hardly any real character development (although the protagonist is supposed to go through a life-changing event), and all the pseudo-intellectual descriptions of alchemy bordered on the banal. (I was also quite surprised to read in the afterword that the author has actually been a follower of this age-long practice...)
I must conclude that I am still a bit stunned about the popularity of this book. While growing up I loved fairytales and fables, and this story reminded me of those; however, I fail to recognize the significance beyond typical fairytale fare...
Rating:
Summary: Looking to follow your dream?
Review: If you are looking to follow your heart in a chosen path then this book is for you. The book contains great insights and spiritual awareness but is written in a very easy to read style.
I would strongly recommend that before you read this book to follow the principles listed in the Fit for Life books by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond. This cleansing of the body will take several months but it is worth it, as then you can experience the insights and spiritual guidance for yourself (see www.feeltheforce.org).
Another book I would recommend following the detoxification process is The Kingdom of God is Within You by Leo Tolstoy.
Good luck and God bless.
| 
