The Alchemist

by Paulo Coelho

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New York: Harper Collins, 1993   167 pp.  $13.95  

The Alchemist is Paulo Coelho's second book and one of numerous bestsellers.  When Coelho was a young man, he traveled Latin America seeking spiritual experiences in the footsteps of the legendary Carlos Castaneda.  The book centers on the main character, Santiago, discovering how to have faith and courage while confronting obstacles on the path of following his heart.  The search for worldly goods turns into Santiago's discovery of his personal inner treasure and the transforming power of dreams. 

Coelho suggests that people experience four obstacles when pursuing their personal dreams: 1) learning that nothing is impossible; 2) knowing what to do and following that knowing despite what others who love us might say; 3) fear of failure along the way; and 4) having a sense of guilt that we have achieved our dreams when others have not.  The story of the Alchemist is centered on these four obstacles of Santiago, as he struggles to listen to his heart while pursuing his personal dream.  

Santiago is a young shepherd who is herding sheep in the Andalusia countryside.  He has a repetitive dream about a treasure hidden in the Pyramids of Egypt.  Along the way, he meets a Gypsy woman and an old man calling himself the King of Salem, who tells Santiago that his only obligation is to realize his destiny by following his dream and the omens God left for him.  By following his dream and nourishing his soul, he will also nourish the Soul of the World.  "And when you want something, all the universe will conspire in helping you to achieve it." (p. 22)  Santiago sells his sheep and strikes off to find his treasure so that he can afford to marry a merchant's daughter.  He travels to Tangier in Africa and meets a young man who steals all his money.  He meets a crystal merchant who gives him a job and together they unintentionally teach each other lessons in life about unfulfilled dreams. 

After a year, Santiago has enough money to return home when he meets an Englishman searching for a famous Arabian alchemist living in a desert oasis.  The Englishman's quest inspires Santiago to continue to pursue his dream of hidden treasure in Egypt.  While at the oasis, he meets a young desert woman called Fatima and they fall in love.  Santiago thinks he has found his treasure.  However, destiny intervenes and Santiago is given an omen of warriors preparing to attack the oasis. 

In the middle of the battle Santiago meets the Alchemist who tells him to continue to pursue his dream.  Together, they strike out into the desert where the Alchemist teaches Santiago to listen to his heart, to use his intuition and to pay attention to omens and dreams. The two are taken captive and charged with being spies.  The Alchemist hands over all of Santiago's money to the general who captured them, and tells him that Santiago is a great Alchemist who could turn himself into the wind and destroy the general's camp.  The general gives them three days to prove such a task.  The Alchemists tells the frightened Santiago not to give in to his fears.  He tells him, "There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure." (p. 141)  Santiago is forced to let go of his fear and listen to his heart in order to hear the Language of the World.  The Alchemist tells him, "Every search begins with beginner's luck.  And every search ends with the victor's being severely tested." (p. l32)  Santiago reaches with his mind into the  web of the world and finds the faith he needs to become the wind.  The wind that day blew as it had never blown before and for generations stories were told about how a young boy had turned himself into the wind, destroying a powerful general's military camp.  The general's men were terrified at Santiago's ability to turn himself into the wind and the following day the general set Santiago and the Alchemist free.  He then continues his journey to the Pyramids only to find that his treasure was in a place he least expected, the place where he first started.

Paulo Coelho writes in a descriptive style that is charming, dramatic and thought provoking.  The reader is guided lovingly into the story and learns along the way the alchemy that can be achieved, personally, when following a dream. Paulo Coelho is a first class storyteller, spinning his tale into an intricate web of wisdom about life, love and the pursuit of happiness.  The Alchemist is brief and persuasive and will appeal to a general audience of readers, from the young to the more mature adult.  This is enjoyable light reading, full of wisdom and magic.  

Review by Monte Mohr
Doctoral Student
Holos University Graduate Seminary
www.HolosUniversity.org  monte@frontier.net

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