The Alchemist - 10th Anniversary Edition: A Fable About Following Your Dream

Paulo Coelho

Oct 2009 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this ebook

The extraordinary and beloved international bestseller.

"It’s a brilliant, magical, life-changing book that continues to blow my mind with its lessons."—Neil Patrick Harris, actor

“Translated into 80 languages, the allegory teaches us about dreams, destiny, and the reason we are all here.”—Oprah Daily

Combining magic, mysticism, wisdom, and wonder into an inspiring tale of self-discovery, The Alchemist has become a modern classic, selling millions of copies around the world and transforming the lives of countless readers across generations.

This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and soul-stirring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried near the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself a king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles in his path. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasure found within.

Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.

Ratings and reviews

The theme of the Alchemist can be said is," Never give up", or " Follow your dreams". The Alchemist is a very inspirational book which seems to change my own personal opinion of it every time i read it. Paulo Coehlo did an extremely good job of transporting the reader into the story. His use of metaphors and imagery really does captivate the read and forces the readers imagination to become engaged. The only downfall of the book is that its a very short story. the charcters are not as dvelppoed as they could be and this leaves the reader with a sense of unfulfilled want to know more. All in all, however, The Alchemist is definitley a must read. It might just inspire you to do something youve never dreamt of doing.

My book group was unanimous - this is one of the worst books we've read. Shallow, trite, with syrupy and meaningless messages about following your dream. The "message" makes no sense: on one page the author says that people don't follow their dreams because to do so is so painful, and on the next he says nobody has every experienced pain in search of a dream. It's nonsense. Save your money.

This book was located in my local bookstore's self help section. These are not books I generally read, however, a friend had recommended I try this one out. I thought all the possible permutations for the "you will find what you're seeking closest to home" ideas had been played out over the centuries of writers. But Coelho has brought a whole new and modern aspect to this age old story. Just goes to show, there may only be 26 letters but there's an infinite amount of ways to assemble them. Excellent book! The moral of the sotry will remain with me ofr years, if not forever.

About the author

One of the most influential writers of our time, Paulo Coelho is the author of thirty international bestsellers, including The Alchemist, Warrior of the Light, Brida, Veronika Decides to Die, and Eleven Minutes. He is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters and a United Nations Messenger of Peace. Paulo is the recipient of 115 international prizes and awards, among them, the Chevalier de l'Ordre National de la Légion d'Honneur (Legion of Honor). Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1947, he soon discovered his vocation for writing. He worked as a director, theater actor, songwriter, and journalist. In 1986, a special meeting led him to make the pilgrimage to Saint James Compostela (in Spain). The Road to Santiago was not only a common pilgrimage but a turning point in his existence. A year later, he wrote The Pilgrimage, an autobiographical novel that is considered the beginning of his literary career. He lives in Geneva, Switzerland.