Rating: 
Summary: A very unique book...but a little too sappy
Review: The Alchemist is actually a very simple book with an easy plot to follow...but some of the concepts that Paulo Coelho explains are very in depth...and sappy. It is very different from many of the books that I've read; most books are either realisic or nonrealistic, only this one is somewhat both. Overall, it is an ok book.
Rating: 
Summary: what is wrong with you people????
Review: this is a little bit difficult to read so many negative reviews on such a wonderful book....
hmm...
i was touched by the remark of the people dying and the children starving,yes, its horrible, but its real. and another thing:do any of you who have raised this subject do anything about it?
i think most of the answers will be a big fat NO!!!
so why are you saying such things? very simple: because all of you are these sad individuals who are afraid to go beyond this sad everyday routine of our automated life....and plus you must be very very selfish.......
i seriously pity you guys!!!!
for the rest of the readers who havent read the book yet:
its wonderful!!!!!!!!!it really makes you realize a lot of things, that maybe before were hidden somewhere at the subconscious level truely come out and you realize that life holds a lot of opportunities if you dare to be different.
yeah, thats it, i have sid my word....
enjoy every bit of it and dont bother about the rest......
ciao!!!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Slightly simplistic, but still rings true at times
Review: This book is pretty much what it says it is: a fable about following your dream. Coelho pretty much repeats this over and over and over in this book. At times, it can be pretty trite stuff...beware of sappy words like "Personal Legend," "Soul of the World," and other new-agey kind of stuff. So all that aside, the book was short and to the point, it can be read in one sitting, which is nice, considering that there really is very little plot. And at times Coelho does write a sentence that really does ring true to life and the choices a person makes. I think this book would be most appropriate as a high school graduation gift. If you're like me, 25, and pretty much not at a turning point, it will just seem trite.
Rating:
Summary: the ring of truth
Review: I think the cynics can't fail to enjoy this book if they let their over-rated critical faculties be tempered even slightly by their sense of intuition which, contrary to ideas prevalent in the modern age, is one that actually exists. I believe in the central message entirely: that we create our own future, we literally do, according to the manner in which we go through life and how closely we abide by our inner voice. There's a line in the book about the universe conspiring to help us achieve the something we want. That should be qualified. It's not anything. It's the same thing for everyone isn't it .. enlightenment. The book's spiritual message rang true for me as I have thought independently: every step I take towards enlightenment counts as three because God, this unmistakeable force, appreciates the one step effort I make and contributes two of its own - my destiny approaches me as I approach my destiny, it reaches out to me and carries me along. And that is why I think the book is so popular. It's not, as the critics imply, because the readership is simple or stupid or incapable of being 'discerning' or of deconstructing the text. It's because Coehlo is in tune with this universal song, as they are, and they recognise this parable speaking straight to their hearts, revealing truths they already know, have already experienced - yes, empirically, if you must know - right down in their breast. Or else it will strike a chord in the seekers. Those out of step with the song, on the other hand, will think it a fraud. 'A story contrived to appeal to this docile mass with its fuzzy New Age ideas, pah!' What they usually fail to realise is that the experience of God and of our own godliness is exactly that - not an idea, but an experience as real as getting brown in the sun. Once you've experienced it - or rather, you've recognised that you're experiencing it (for everyone does) - you've awoken and life is never the same. If you doubt it, just try it - follow the guiding principle evinced here, genuinely do, and a year later report back to the rationalist in you. By then I wager you'll be recommending this book to all your friends.
Rating: 
Summary: What a pile of garbage...
Review: I started this book with high hopes because of all the great reviews I saw about it and I was also a little skeptical because it was such a thin book. By the time I finished this book, I wanted to rip it to shreds. It was a little story about a boy "following his dreams" and never really gets anywhere until the last 10 pages. The same concept is repeated all the way through and I actually felt like i was reading the same pages over and over again. It was a waste of my time and a lot of paper.
Rating:
Summary: Not a book for thinkers
Review: The premise of this book is that if you believe in something hard enough the whole universe will conspire to help to attain your goals. Quaint. Perfect for anyone who is naive enough to believe all that is separating one from one's dreams is the degree to which to really want something. I guess the starving children in Africa, or India, or in your inner-city, just don't believe hard enough, or else the whole universe would have conspired to help them out of their situation. Perfect for children born into admirable situations who have more than just their beliefs to help them succeed in this world. The book's writing is above par, but the fable is poor. Praise for this book is undeserving, and it is a shame books like this are perennial best sellers and given to people starting new phases of their lives. Give them "The Stranger" or "Naive.Super" or "You Shall Know our Velocity." Anything but this, this is not writing, this is typing.
Rating:
Summary: Terse symbolism at its best. Highly recommended!
Review: Santiago's story is your story and my story. We all have dreams and "Personal Legends" that we need to fulfill. Like Santiago, some of us will venture into the unknown to fulfill their dreams while the rest will regard them as just dreams, nothing more and nothing less. I really think reading this very short (shouldn't take more than 2-3 hours to read), sweet story makes us involuntarily examine our own lives. Full of philosophical, abstract concepts woven into an interesting plot, Santiago's trip to the Pyramids in search of his treasure is the microcosm of our daily lives. We need conviction, courage, faith and determination to survive every single day of our lives no matter how banal it might be. I recommend reading this book if you are in the mood for a fast read that is entertaining and thought-provoking. The essence of the book can be summarized by the alchemist's words to Santiago, "Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself."
Rating:
Summary: very inspirational book, with lots of messages
Review: i loved this book. i read it in one sitting. it comes with so many messages that we can apply to our own lives, and is just very, VERY well written. it is inspirational, and really made me think about its messages when i finished with it. it is a fable, so it comes with a moral. it is an easy read, and i recommend this book to ANYONE who is in search of a wonderful, inspirational read. i cannot express enough how much i loved this book.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, Inspiring, Wonderful..!
Review: I happened to read "The Alchemist" 4 years ago. I finished the entire book in one sitting. Such was the message that made me so engrossed. In the last 4 years, I read this book 8 times and still reading whenever I need to pep myself up. The core message in this book "When you want to achieve something, the whole world will help you" can become a really if you are committed to your dreams. I bought 6 copies of this book and gifted them to some of my friends who are committed to their dreams. Go ahead, grab this masterpiece and Read it. Who knows, this book can make the difference to you and help you keep fighting for what you believe in.
Rating:
Summary: The Alchemist
Review: The Alchemist was, in my opinion, a great book. It is a book that teaches to not hold on so dear to the things in your life. It teaches you to be willing to sell what you hold so dear, so you can set out and reach what you really want to do in life. Santiago was just a boy when he left his parents to go travelling the world (the world at the time) as a shepherd. But he keeps having a dream that cuts off at the point when someone is about to point to where a treasure is. He goes to a gypsy, to see if she can interperet the dream...I won't say the rest (but she doesn't add on much info). It's a great book with a great ending that'll leave you smiling. It is an encouraging book, that can be interpreted in different ways. If you payed close attention while reading and asked yourself questions as you read about the characters, then you'll find it a great book, just as I have.
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