06/04/2023
Book Name: The Alchemist
Author: Paulo Coelho
Translated By: Alan R. Clarke
Publisher: HarperTorch
Paulo Coelho, a Brazilian author, was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1947. Before devoting his entire life to writing, he worked as a theatre director, actor, lyricist, and journalist. The Alchemist is one of the best-selling books of all time. The novel is a fable about a young Andalusian shepherd who travels to the Egyptian pyramids after having repeated dreams of finding treasure. Coelho wrote 'The Alchemist' in just two weeks in 1987, explaining that he was able to write at this pace because the story was "already written on [his] soul."
The book follows Santiago, a traveller and shepherd from Andalusia, on his journey across two continents, changing hearts and minds. Santiago's journey details the various experiences he has while pursuing his dream of finding the treasures of the Egyptian pyramids.
However, despite its popularity, the book has some flaws. The characters, particularly Santiago, are not well fleshed out. Even after reading the entire book, the reader couldn't learn much about Santiago's motivations other than his desire for treasure and fulfilling his Personal Legend. Moreover, the book's prose blatantly ignores the old adage of "Show don't tell," and instead willingly tells the reader what is happening. Despite this, the prose is accessible to all reading levels and creates a mystical and wise atmosphere that makes it a somewhat pleasant read.
Written by Sayak and Abhishek