~~ How The Alchemist Is Precious ~~
As I'm writing this, my mind is constantly telling me that I don't know where to start. There are just so many things that are noticeable and really inspiring about the book that I can write here. Long contents tend to get boring, otherwise I would've made a masterpiece out of this review.
Ever since I've read The Alchemist, I've developed this respect for Paulo Coelho as I have for no one else. I had always been looking for that one 'perfect writer' that I'd call my favorite; I found it in Coelho. The way he puts his sentences just in the perfect places, and keeps you waiting curiously for the end, is what impressed me the most. Believe me, I'm a true critic, and I rarely call someone or something my 'favorite'. But The Alchemist has earned it. 'Bookaholics' always yearn for something intriguing, a little perplexing, and new. The book is all of them.
The evergreen story starts with a just-as-needed introduction of a shepherd, who with his 60 sheep travels around a small part of Spain. He was much of a loner bloke, with the sheep and a book as his companions in his ride of life. I really like how the book portrays his 'friend with benefit' which he could trade for another one. The boy isn't really attached to anything except his sheep, which he later trades to travel to the Pyramids.
The book has a lot of superstition, but maybe it is just to give it a little mystical effect (which is really nice). A 'dream-interpreter' reads the boy's recurrent dream but all he gets was a pretty obvious reply that he knew for himself. The good part was that he didn't have to pay for the consult (but later you'd find out he didn't get away with it).
The much innocent and ignorant boy believes a stranger who comes dressed up as a king, and follows the path that his words led to. He was told to recognize the omens on his way that are god's messages. In the name of the old, trustworthy king, who had given him two brilliant stones that the Alchemists make, he sets out to his journey.
On his way, the boy aspires to find a "language that the universe speaks", and he succeeds in finding it. A language that is understood by wind, water, earth, air, birds, animals, and every speck of dust on this earth; can you find it in your real life?
"When you really want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it", is a quote that is indeed very true and is used several times in the book. According to me, the quote is not literal. It should mean that when you're in the illusion that the universe is doing it for you, you are unknown to the fact that your own willingness and hard work has conspired in helping you.
The boy's overall aim had become from finding the fortune to finding the "Soul of the World". He believed that the earth was living, like us, humans. And everything that lives has a soul. He wanted to reach to a point where he would understand the meaning of the true Soul of the World. This is very deep philosophy and can be interpreted in a couple ways. It purely depends on an individual's perspective. After all, philosophy is a jewel.
The book deeply believes in 'destiny'. According to the wise king, destiny is that point in an individual's life where everything is clear, and all the answers to every question is declared. Towards the end the boy understands the meaning of 'destiny'. Like any other normal book, this too, ends in almost everyone being happy, including the love of his life - Fatima (whom he meets on his way). But the ending is a true eye-opener. And the exit-line he uses for closure is just priceless!
If this book is not perfect, then I don't know what is!
P.S.- If you like my expert advice, you can perhaps go and grab a copy of The Alchemist and have an experience same as mine? Or the other thing you can do is, er, keep wondering about this chamber of secrets? *wink*
"Dreams are made to be followed.
Life is meant to be lived.
Some books are meant to be read,
loved, and passed on.
The Alchemist is one of those books."
-Kriti Chandel
As I'm writing this, my mind is constantly telling me that I don't know where to start. There are just so many things that are noticeable and really inspiring about the book that I can write here. Long contents tend to get boring, otherwise I would've made a masterpiece out of this review.
Ever since I've read The Alchemist, I've developed this respect for Paulo Coelho as I have for no one else. I had always been looking for that one 'perfect writer' that I'd call my favorite; I found it in Coelho. The way he puts his sentences just in the perfect places, and keeps you waiting curiously for the end, is what impressed me the most. Believe me, I'm a true critic, and I rarely call someone or something my 'favorite'. But The Alchemist has earned it. 'Bookaholics' always yearn for something intriguing, a little perplexing, and new. The book is all of them.
The evergreen story starts with a just-as-needed introduction of a shepherd, who with his 60 sheep travels around a small part of Spain. He was much of a loner bloke, with the sheep and a book as his companions in his ride of life. I really like how the book portrays his 'friend with benefit' which he could trade for another one. The boy isn't really attached to anything except his sheep, which he later trades to travel to the Pyramids.
The book has a lot of superstition, but maybe it is just to give it a little mystical effect (which is really nice). A 'dream-interpreter' reads the boy's recurrent dream but all he gets was a pretty obvious reply that he knew for himself. The good part was that he didn't have to pay for the consult (but later you'd find out he didn't get away with it).
The much innocent and ignorant boy believes a stranger who comes dressed up as a king, and follows the path that his words led to. He was told to recognize the omens on his way that are god's messages. In the name of the old, trustworthy king, who had given him two brilliant stones that the Alchemists make, he sets out to his journey.
On his way, the boy aspires to find a "language that the universe speaks", and he succeeds in finding it. A language that is understood by wind, water, earth, air, birds, animals, and every speck of dust on this earth; can you find it in your real life?
"When you really want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it", is a quote that is indeed very true and is used several times in the book. According to me, the quote is not literal. It should mean that when you're in the illusion that the universe is doing it for you, you are unknown to the fact that your own willingness and hard work has conspired in helping you.
The boy's overall aim had become from finding the fortune to finding the "Soul of the World". He believed that the earth was living, like us, humans. And everything that lives has a soul. He wanted to reach to a point where he would understand the meaning of the true Soul of the World. This is very deep philosophy and can be interpreted in a couple ways. It purely depends on an individual's perspective. After all, philosophy is a jewel.
The book deeply believes in 'destiny'. According to the wise king, destiny is that point in an individual's life where everything is clear, and all the answers to every question is declared. Towards the end the boy understands the meaning of 'destiny'. Like any other normal book, this too, ends in almost everyone being happy, including the love of his life - Fatima (whom he meets on his way). But the ending is a true eye-opener. And the exit-line he uses for closure is just priceless!
If this book is not perfect, then I don't know what is!
P.S.- If you like my expert advice, you can perhaps go and grab a copy of The Alchemist and have an experience same as mine? Or the other thing you can do is, er, keep wondering about this chamber of secrets? *wink*
"Dreams are made to be followed.
Life is meant to be lived.
Some books are meant to be read,
loved, and passed on.
The Alchemist is one of those books."
-Kriti Chandel
