For many avid readers in the world, the Alchemist is heralded as a life-changing book that had a significant transformative impact on our way of thinking. This modern classic was written by Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho and first published in 1988, originally written in Portuguese, it has since been translated into 70+ languages and sold over 30 million copies worldwide. What is it about this novel that makes it such a successful international bestseller? Keep reading for my two cents.
At first read, this novel’s plot seems quite simplistic — it’s a fable about a young shepherd named Santiago who crosses the desert in his search for hidden treasure. Along the way, he crosses paths with a King who teaches him the value of reading the signs the world presents to us, a crystal merchant who is hesitant to follow his dreams due to fear of failure, and other characters who highlight both the deceitful and most noble of humanity. He learns the value of persistence, humility, honour, and the importance of seizing opportunities from these interactions and we soon realize that the purpose isn’t about finding treasure, but rather the path of enlightenment and following our destiny.
This almost childlike tale is actually a metaphor for life, filled with beguiling depth and universal themes with magical sentences to entrance readers of all ages. The tale focuses on the concept of one’s ‘Personal Legend’, or destiny however this is not presented as a fantastical ideal that will be achieved simply from us wishing for it with our purest intentions. Coelho reminds us that although “it’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting”, the secret of life is to “fall seven times and to get up eight times.” Santiago (and the reader) learns the valuable life lesson that when confronted with challenges to test our resilience, we should fearlessly and resolutely pursue our personal legends as “people are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.”
Coelho’s wisdom is disarmingly thought-provoking, as he asserts through this novel that life is a journey with an infinite number of decision points and the world provides all the information we need to choose the right path to fulfil our destiny. Although this sounds like new-age mumbo jumbo, Coelho’s key message is for us to “concentrate always on the present…. life is the moment we’re living now”. If we focus on the present and observe the world around us, we will notice that “the simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them.” Therefore, when we strive to live an intentional life and follow our intuition, it is a spiritual experience that Coelho refers to as the “sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life.”
Santiago initially set out to find physical and tangible treasure at the end of the desert however this fable is centred on the experiences and learnings that we take on to find our hidden treasure. Coelho pinpoints the universal truth that ‘everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.’ We are constantly falling into the trap of giving advice to others and subconsciously or consciously using our pre-determined biases to judge another person’s life when we have not figured out the direction of our own lives. Coelho’s simple solution is to follow your heart as therein lies the true treasure. His language is conversational yet didactic, advising us gently that “When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”
At it’s core, although The Alchemist is a short read it is nonetheless quite impressionable and has inherent depth with teachings for people of all races, ages and religions. This simple fable is enriched with life lessons that encourages us to go with the flow of life, read the signs of the universe and pursue our destiny without fear or hesitation. Coelho’s book left me feeling like I belong to something much greater than myself — it’s a humbling and inspiring experience that I wish to impart to you as well. Please add this book to your reading list — it’s a must-read!
