...
I picked up The Alchemist at the insistence of my friend who said she'd pay me the whole sum back if I didn't like it. I liked it and How!
It's about the story of a young shepherd who gets recurrent dreams about a treasure waiting for him in the pyramids of Egypt. Like so many of us who've ... Read review
Like the one-time bestseller Jonathan Livingston Seagull, The Alchemist presents a ... more
simple fable, based on simple truths and places it in a highly unique situation. And though we may sense a bestselling formula, it is certainly not a new one: even th...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Like the one-time bestsellerJonathan Livingston Seagull,The Alchemistpresents a simple ... more
fable, based on simple truths and places it in a highly unique situation. And though we may sense a bestselling formula, it is certainly not a new one: even the an...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Like the one-time bestseller Jonathan Livingston Seagull, The Alchemist presents a ... more
simple fable, based on simple truths and places it in a highly unique situation. And though we may sense a bestselling formula, it is certainly not a new one: even th...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Like the one-time bestseller Jonathan Livingston Seagull, The Alchemist presents a ... more
simple fable, based on simple truths and places it in a highly unique situation. And though we may sense a bestselling formula, it is certainly not a new one: even th...
Postage & Packaging: refer to website Availability: Check Site.
Like the one-time bestseller Jonathan Livingston Seagull, The Alchemist presents a ... more
simple fable, based on simple truths and places it in a highly unique situation. And though we may sense a bestselling formula, it is certainly not a new one: even th...
Postage & Packaging: refer to website Availability: Check Site.
Advantages: Unlike most other philosophy books, very understandable for a layman. Disadvantages: I felt it was a pretty heavy read took me much longer to read than most other books the same size.
...boring. I picked up The Alchemist at the insistence of my friend who said she'd pay me the whole sum back if I didn't like it. I liked it and How! It's about the story of a young shepherd who gets recurrent dreams about a treasure waiting for him in the pyramids of Egypt. Like so many of us who've got dreams but tend to often ignore the signs, that the universe offers to realize them, carrying on with our humdrum life and end up with ... ...we are missing something. The story will touch a chord with anyone who's had a dream (i hope each one of us has had at least one) and failed or succeeded in realizing it. The shepherd who is young and not fashioned by social circumstances heeds the voice of the universe and at every step finds the higher being helping him to take that step ahead to fulfill his dream. After reading this book, I went on to read The Zahir by the same author, ... more
I am personally not into reading philosophical books and Paulo Coelho's books are as philosophical as they come but his are much more readable and not at all boring. I picked up The Alchemist at the insistence of my friend who said she'd pay me the whole sum back if I didn't like it. I liked it and How! It's about the story of a young shepherd who gets recurrent dreams about a treasure waiting for him in the pyramids of Egypt. Like so many of us who've got dreams but tend to often ignore the signs, that the universe offers to realize them, carrying on with our humdrum life and end up with the feeling at the end of our journey of life that we are missing something. The story will touch a chord with anyone who's had a dream (i hope each one of us has had at least one) and failed or succeeded in realizing it. The shepherd who is young and not fashioned by social circumstances heeds the voice of the universe and at every step finds the higher being helping him to take that step ahead to fulfill his dream. After reading this book, I went on to read The Zahir by the same author, though it's a great book I didn't feel it matched up to The Alchemist. Oh yes, one more thing, I gave the copy I had to a lady of 84 at the old age home I am volunteering and she simply loved it. She's told me to get as many books of the same author as i can and so did my 15 yr old young cousin. It sure cuts across ages.
Advantages: improve reading experience, helps with visualization, great optimistic creation Disadvantages: not so many conflicts, disappoints a little at the end
...sheperd who dreams about seeing the piramids. He is guided on his way by kings and witches and true love. The Alchemist is the master he teaches him not to surrender in front of anything and to follow the dreams, wethever it takes. You find yourself inside of this young man and his thoughts. I read it in a few hours and I strongly recommend it to you! A must-read! The trip that the sheperd takes is the our life, our future, the things that we fight ...
Erolkus 23.11.2008
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
Advantages: beautiful story Disadvantages: I can't see
The Alchemist is the best book I have ever read and the best book of Paulo Coelho. The tale push me to think about my life and what is important in my life.How can I change and get what I want. It is a deep book, full of faith, God and magic. The Alchemist opens the door to our soul. It let you dream, take a risk and fight with obstacles. This is a story about a shepherd,who is looking for a treasure.it changes him and let him to understand himself. ...
kosmosekk 27.02.2009
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
Would you read it again?
Story
Characters
Readability
How does it compare to ...
How does it compare to ...
Similar reviews »
Reviews which might be of interest for "The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho"
Advantages: None Disadvantages: Absolute tripe of the lowest calibre
The Alchemist, by PauloCoelho, is billed as a modern classic, yet I find it difficult to discern why. It has the feel of a fable; from a time as hazy as the desert in which it is set, and carries the lessons on life one would expect from such a parable. The feelings of distant memory that it creates, however, fashion a gap between the book and the reader.
It begins with Santiago, a shepherd boy, who gives up his customs to follow a dream he has, a vision of treasure found at the Egyptian pyramids. Along the way he meets a king, a crystal merchant, an Englishman, and an alchemist; all of whom, with their passing involvement, provide him with a piece of the spiritual jigsaw that is his life. Finally, when he arrives at the Egyptian pyramids, he learns a lesson in life that brings him happiness.
The novel is short, and, while it gets ...
Advantages: Short, simple language, easy to read. Disadvantages: Some may scoff at the ideas and images the book evokes.
Last week I came across PauloCoelho's 'The Alchemist' on a friend's bookshelf. Having never read it and given that it is a book of great aclaim 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 awards inlcuding The Crystal Award and France's Legion d'Honneur.
The main character is 'Santiago' although he is commonly referred to throughout simply as 'the boy'. The Boy is a shepard in Spain in the Andalusian mountains. He became ...
Advantages: Inspirational, encouraging, delightful Disadvantages: Don't expect a novel as such
is rumoured to be able to turn base metal into gold and to produce the elixir of life, both using the legendary Philosophers Stone (very familiar to those of us who read Harry Potter!) and the Englishman hopes to learn how to do this himself. Santiago, meanwhile, doesn?t know what his destiny is and only has vague notions of treasure.
As he follows his dreams, Santiago encounters many setbacks and a lot of wisdom. He is tempted to give up, but perseveres. The book is extremely quotable and even the wisdom that seems almost clichéd is undeniably true; it could be viewed as a self-help book, such is the sheer amount and quality of advice. As enjoyable as the story is, it is this wisdom that propels The Alchemist from a pleasurable read to an indispensable piece of literature. PauloCoelho?s writing style is blissfully succinct but ...
Product Information for "The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho" »
Product details
EAN
9780722532935
Type
Fiction
Genre
Modern Fiction
Publisher
HarperCollins Publishers
Title
The Alchemist
Author
Paulo Coelho
ISBN
0722532938
Manufacturer's product description
The Alchemist is a global phenomenon selling over 30 million copies worldwide. This exciting new edition includes exclusive content such as a new forward to the book by the author an interview with Paulo Coelho and much more providing an in-depth look at this much-loved title. Every few decades a book is published that changes the lives of its readers forever. This is such a book - a magical fable about learning to listen to your heart read the omens strewn along life's path and above all follow your dreams. This is the magical story of Santiago an Andalusian shepherd boy who dreams of travelling the world in search of a worldly treasure as fabulous as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the markets of Tangiers and from there into the Egyptian desert where a fateful encounter with the alchemist awaits him. With Paulo Coelho's visionary blend of spirituality magical realism and folklore The Alchemist is a story with the power to inspire nations and change people's lives.
Compare The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho to other similar Modern Fiction Books »
