The Alchemist

By: Paulo Coelho

Translated by: Alan R. Clarke

Scott County Library paperback 171 pages plus preview of Warrior of the Light

Published: 1988, 1993, 2014

Genre: novel, drama, fantasy fiction (I had to look these up because I was struggling to classify it!)

A friend recommended this book to me. I had heard of Coelho, but had not read any of his books before. This story seems like a philosophy or allegory to me. Coelho is Brazilian and has written quite a few books.

Wikipedia's nutshell description: "The story follows Santiago, a shepherd boy, in his journey across North Africa to the Egyptian pyramids after he dreams of finding treasure there."

 

There's much more to it, of course, but Santiago is a wonderful protagonist.

 

Page 18: "Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own."

 

Ooh! My sister Ann and I have talked about this before! It's much, much too easy to identify what other people "should" do to "fix" their problems, but much harder to focus on and work on one's own "stuff."

 

Page  24: "'It's a force that appears to be negative, but actually shows you how to realize your Personal Legend. It prepares your spirit and your will, because there is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on earth.'"

The old man is teaching the shepherd about this (what I call) philosophy of life. In Christianity, I would call this finding God's purpose for your life. 

Page 27: "The old man looked disappointed. 'If you start out by promising what you don't even have yet, you'll lose your desire to work toward getting it.'"

I found that an interesting observation. The shepherd boy has told the old man that he will give him one-tenth of his treasure after he finds it. The old man knows a thing or two about motivation and drive.

Page 30: "He was sure that it made no difference to her on which day he appeared: for her, every day was the same, and when each day is the same as the next, it's because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises."

Santiago is thinking about the merchant's daughter, but I like his observation that people fail to recognize the good things. I love that my husband has a very positive, optimistic, appreciative attitude. I try to live with gratitude and joy.

Page 38: "If God leads the sheep so well, he will also lead a man, he thought, and that made him feel better. The tea seemed less bitter."

Coelho weaves imagery from many faiths, including Christianity. The parallels of Santiago as a shepherd and the Bible's description of the Lord as our Shepherd were delightful. This especially resonated for me since reading W. Phillip Keller's A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23.

Page 42: "But now I'm sad and alone. I'm going to become bitter and distrustful of people because one person betrayed me. I'm going to hate those who have found their treasure because I never found mine."

I don't think most young people who have been hurt as Santiago was hurt would be this self-aware. It's true, though. It's easy to become bitter and distrustful when you're alone and have been wronged.

Page 43: "Now he understood why the owner of the bar had been so upset: he was trying to tell him not to trust that man. 'I'm like everyone else - I see the world in terms of what I would like to see happen, not what actually does.'"

 

Poor Santiago! To be robbed of everything he had so soon after arriving to find his treasure is sad. Again, his self-awareness of how unaware he was just a little earlier . . . I think it takes longer for most of us to have these kinds of realizations.

Page 45: "As he mused about these things, he realized that he had to choose between thinking of himself as the poor victim of a thief and as an adventurer in quest of his treasure."

Yes! We have to choose how to see ourselves! Victim or adventurer? Lost or chosen? This is an important point.

Page 60: "'I don't want to change anything, because I don't know how to deal with change. I'm used to the way I am.'"

The crystal shop keeper was keeping it real! There are times I resist change and just want to stay in my familiar comfort zone. Lord, help me to be open to the changes you want to see in me! I love how Santiago made changes to improve the man's business and Santiago's own situation.

Page 86: "The boy went back to contemplating the silence of the desert, and the sand raised by the animals. 'Everyone has his or her own way of learning things,' he said to himself. 'His way isn't the same as mine, nor mine as his. But we're both in search of our Personal Legends, and I respect him for that.'"

 

The Englishman who wanted to be an alchemist was a good foil for the wisdom of "the boy" Santiago. (I wonder how old Coelho imagined him to be.)

 

Page  146: "'If a person is living out his Personal Legend, he knows everything he needs to know. There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.'"

The real alchemist is coaching and challenging Santiago. This section gets kind of weird because Santiago has to "turn himself into the wind" to prevent being killed by Arab soldiers. I do agree that fear of failure can make it nearly impossible to achieve your dreams.

Page 155: "'That's what alchemists do. They show that, when we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.'"

Interesting take . . . when I hear "alchemist," I think like the Englishman - someone who turns common metals into gold. I like the idea of improving oneself and impacting others around us positively.

Coelho has the alchemist tell the boy a story (pages 161-163) about a soldier during the time of Emperor Tiberius in Ancient Rome. I quickly caught on to the point of the story. The excerpt below is the angel telling a man about his son the centurion.

"'Your son went to serve at a distant place, and became a centurion. He was just and good. One afternoon, one of his servants fell ill, and it appeared that he would die. Your son had heard of a rabbi who was able to cure illnesses, and he rode out for days and days in search of this man. Along the way, he learned that the man he was seeking was the Son of God.'"

 

I love this story within a story. The man thought his son's poems made him immortal, but the angel pointed out that "when the reign of Tiberius ended, his poems were forgotten." It was his interaction with Jesus that was remembered.

 

I enjoyed reading this book and would gladly re-read and discuss with others. It will not replace my belief in Jesus as my Lord and Savior, though. And I do not want to pursue a "Personal Legend."