The Alchemist - Paul Coelho > Reviews

Advantages: There are a few lessons of life within this easy to read story.
Disadvantages: It's a very short book and is perhaps a little too simplistic.

...was guided by omens along the way. He eventually found what he was looking for and lived happily ever after. OK, so that's the plot of the book, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, taken care of. All I have to do now is give my opinion on whether I liked it or not. Easy peasy! Well did I? No, not really. The End. Wish everything in life was as simple as this. Must say the book has a nice orange cover, hmmm, what's this blurb on the back? 'Every ... Read review

Advantages: Inspirational, encouraging, delightful
Disadvantages: Don't expect a novel as such

...as a manual for life, The Alchemist has become a modern classic since it was first published in 1988. The genius of the story is in its simplicity and its relevance to everybody – it is so reminiscent of a legend that it’s easy to lose track of the fact that it was actually written just 2 decades or so ago. The tale follows the adventures of Santiago, a Spanish shepherd boy who is content with his life but intrigued when a gypsy woman tells him that ... Read review

Advantages: The reflection that he(she) provokes you to read
Disadvantages: ---

...". I bought it on the following day, when I saw it in the kiosk, it was included in a new collection of Planet DeAgostini, the collection is a ' Paulo Coelho's library ' in Spain, and in the first number there were included the titles, ' The Alchemist ' and 'Maktub'. ' The Alchemist ', narrates the adventures of a young shepherd of sheeps who leaves everything what has to manage to realize his dream, his Personal Legend. The boy, has to ... Read review

Advantages: Thought-provoking
Disadvantages: None

...definitely worth a look. It is the story of a young shepherd boy who has a dream of finding treasure by the Egyptian Pyramids. At the time of his dream he has a very simple but easy life. He wonders whether he should give this up to follow his dream. He is tempted to simply carry on, living his very ordinary life - not having to make too much effort and to just let life pass on by. Several events happen (I will not spoil the story for you) ... Read review

Advantages: Means well
Disadvantages: but to no avail

Warning: This opinion contains the entire plot of the book. This opinion discourages you from buying and/or reading the book. Either you trust me and read the opinion, OR you read the book and find out for yourself. Don’t come back to complain – I did warn you! The story Santiago from Andalusia decides not to follow his father's example and to become a shepherd, as he wants to see the world. He proceeds to see the world (well, Andalusia) as well ... Read review

Advantages: Thought provoking....
Disadvantages: Too harmless for any!

...would have picked up of the bookshelf as my next absorbing read but, as chance would have it my sister dropped it into my lap and said '....before you do anything else you MUST read this book - and don't forget to give me it back'! Hmmm....so what was all the excitement about? We generally like the same books so, henceforth, it became the next book on my reading list. I had no idea what to expect as I had never heard of Paulo Coelho before so ... Read review

Advantages: Short, simple language, easy to read.
Disadvantages: Some may scoff at the ideas and images the book evokes.

...I hastily borrrowed it. The Alchemist is Brazilian born Coelho's most famous works although he has written many others including 'The Pilgrimage' and 'The Fifth Mountain'. The book is short, with just 177 pages and I read it quickly in just a few hours. According to the back of the book over 30 million copies have been sold world wide in 56 different languages, since it was first published in 1988. The Alchemist has receieved numerous prestigious ... Read review

Advantages: Interesting alternative read, few good concepts, easy reading
Disadvantages: Vague charecters may not suit all,

...or even just to escape the monotony of getting up going to school or work blah blah....BUT rare is it we read a book with the scope of changing our lives but the Alchemist i did just that. The book follows Santiago an Andalusian shepherd more than content with shearing his sheep, moving from place to place, when an encounter with a mysterious gypsy whom reads dreams takes him on a new path spawning continents to find his treasure and learning to ... Read review

Advantages: A truly inspirational book - it's a cliche but it WILL change your life
Disadvantages: none

...or maybe you should read the book and then come back. I was lent the book by my closest friend when I was at a very low point in my life with very little self-esteem and when I was fumbling about with no real direction in my life. And reading the book enabled me to start looking at things differently and to take charge of my life. The story is about a young Spanish sheepherder who has a dream one night about a treasure buried under the pyramids. ... Read review

Advantages: short book, easy to read, life changing :)
Disadvantages: none! you'll be left with a feeling of hope

...face value, and not recognise the deeper meaning - which is quite easy to understand if you apply a lot the happenings in the book to yourself. The Author wanted to write a book about the spirituality and 'soul' of the world. Paulo Coelho spent his life studying the meaning of life, he didn't want to write a book blunlty explaining it all - as many self help books do. So he wrote a symbolic fictional book. It's only simplistic in narrative, not in ... Read review

Advantages: Paulo provides a simplistic and unique style of writing, which captures the readers attention so easily, its hard to put the book down!
Disadvantages: If only the book would go on forever!

...with Paulo Coelho's books for the passed few months, I have written a review on The Valkyries for you people a short while ago and The Alchemist proved to be my second read, so here we go. What can I say, it was certainly a book well written and delivered in a truly simplistic way, for anyone to understand the messages the author is trying to send across. The way in which Paulo addresses certain issues, which each and everyone of us think about ... Read review

Advantages: people will think you're all centred if they see you reading it
Disadvantages: it's either very deep or not deep at all

I've just finished The Alchemist and I really don't know what to make of it. I had it foisted on me by a friend of mine who saw it at the second hand book stall at the west pier in Brighton. She said it was the best book she'd ever read, and she's read quite a lot, so I flexed my fingers and folded back the cover. It's orange (like Sandra Bullock's 'past' in 'While You Were Sleeping) and starts 'The boy's name was Santiago' (incase that ever comes ... Read review