‘And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.’

Some might be familiar with the phrase, taken from The Alchemist. I should’ve read this book twenty years ago but kept procrastinating. As they say, ‘Shoulda coulda woulda’.

A peer was perusing it. My mentor ‘was shocked beyond repair’. Well, better late than never. A slow starter, the novel became an international bestseller. After trending, Paula Coelho was on the map. Ergo, Alchemist is no secret. Many have found hope in its pages and many more will appreciate it. The work caters to all walks of life. Seminarians and savants have perused it. Alchemist has been a gem since the late eighties.

The 25th anniversary edition has a silly foreword. The author writes that he is Santiago, the protagonist. Any scrivener worth their salt knows that someone other than the author must write the foreword.

Personal Legend

The book introduces new concepts like the soul of the world and one’s personal legend. We follow Santiago from Andalusia to Northern Africa. He searches across seas for a treasure, reportedly in the Pyramids of Giza. Along the way, he sells his flock. Works for a merchant who barters crystals. Loses a fortune and gains another. Contends with the unforgiving wind and arid desert. Meets new faces and falls in love. Encounters the alchemist and an Englishman who yearns to be one.

Part Bildungsroman, part love story, this metaphysical read is one you shouldn’t miss. Has shades of Tuesdays with Morrie, although it was published ten years prior. Both texts ponder the meaning of life, although one is a novel and Tuesdays is a memoir. Santiago is very good-natured. He trusts people too much, even strangers. Sees the best in others. Likewise, the shepherd communicates with his flock nonverbally. Finds peace in silence. Loves the chase as much as the proverbial pot of gold.

As per above, the alchemist is but a supporting character. While powerful, he worships neither gold nor immortality. He loves the adventure just like Santiago.

Brevity

At less than 200 pages, the book is succinct. The pages are accessible yet beauteous. Coelho speaks from the heart. Alchemist strikes the right balance between philosophy and storytelling. Between historical fiction and magical realism. Despite the simple language, the narrative runs deep. Coelho reminds me of Ernest Hemingway and his iceberg theory. As they say, ‘There’s more than meets the eye.’

A timeless read, this will be appreciated across oceans of time. Four decades post-release, the book remains pertinent. I borrowed the eBook from the library. Finished it after a few days. Alchemist will influence readers regardless of their age, creed, or flag. More than the eloquent prose, I admire the author’s resilience. Whereas others would give up, he soldiered on and the rest was publishing history.

This marks the year’s third completed read. Also the shortest of the trio. All eBooks: one novel and two were nonfiction. I could see how Alchemist charted on bestseller lists. I’m getting into a groove. Reading in my spare time is easier.

Quips

Here are my favourite quotes:

‘People call it the levanter, because on it the Moors had come from the Levant…’

‘Whoever you are, or whatever that you do, when you really want something, it’s because the desire originated in the soul of the universe. It’s your mission on earth.’

‘I only interpret dreams. I don’t know how to turn them into reality. That’s why I have to live off what my daughters provide me with.’

‘And when two such people encounter each other, and their eyes meet, the past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written by one hand only.’

‘At that moment, it seemed to him that time stood still, and the Soul of the World surged within him. When he looked into her dark eyes, and saw that her lips were poised between a laugh and silence, he learned the most important part of the language that all the world spoke – the language that everyone on earth was capable of understanding in their heart. It was love. Something older than humanity, more ancient than the desert…’

‘Because I don’t live in either my past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man.

‘In alchemy, it’s called the Soul of the World. When you want something with all your heart, that’s when you’re closest to the Soul of the World. It’s always a positive force.’

‘Each day, in itself, brings it with an eternity.’

‘One could open a book to any page, or look at a person’s hand; one could turn a card, or watch the flight of the birds…whatever the thing observed, one could find a connection with his experience of the moment.’

‘He knew that any given thing on the face of the earth could reveal the history of all things.’

‘I’m going to wait for you here every day. I have crossed the desert in search of a treasure that is somewhere near…’

Rating: 5/5

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