Monday, October 31, 2005

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, is a very interesting and spell binding book about the life of a boy who is in search of hidden treasures in the Egyptian pyramids.

Santiago, a shepherd boy, who dreams of seeing the world, is compelling in its own right, but gains resonance through the many lessons he learns during his adventures. The story is told in the form of a fairy tale and really makes one wonder, if it can be true. The story has in it some drama, tension, wisdom, decision making, convictions, hard work, dedication, self-empowerment and over coming of depressions and main theme of the whole story ‘Believing in dreams and making that a reality’.

When I started to read the book, I forget the world I was in and could only rest after finishing the book.

I definitely vouch for this book and thank Aditya and Mercy for suggesting me about the book and making me buy it.

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The Alchemist presents a simple fable, based on simple truths and places it in a highly unique situation. And though we may sniff a bestselling formula, it is certainly not a new one: even the ancient tribal storytellers knew that this is the most successful method of entertaining an audience while slipping in a lesson or two. Brazilian storyteller Paulo Coehlo introduces Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who one night dreams of a distant treasure in the Egyptian pyramids. And so he's off: leaving Spain to literally follow his dream.

Along the way he meets many spiritual messengers, who come in unassuming forms such as a camel driver and a well-read Englishman. In one of the Englishman's books, Santiago first learns about the alchemists--men who believed that if a metal were heated for many years, it would free itself of all its individual properties, and what was left would be the "Soul of the World." Of course he does eventually meet an alchemist, and the ensuing student-teacher relationship clarifies much of the boy's misguided agenda, while also emboldening him to stay true to his dreams. "My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy confides to the alchemist one night as they look up at a moonless night.

"Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself," the alchemist replies. "And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity." --Gail Hudson

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