Thumbnail review: For 17-year old’s – possibly a good family discussion book.
The Alchemist is one of the 25 best-selling books in the world. So, I had to read it. But I didn’t cotton to it.
Digging through various Google searches to discover the power and attraction of this simple book, I found glowing descriptions about its enchanting magical realism, powerful emotions, deep characters, and inspiring wisdom. Coelho, from Brazil, wrote the book early in his career – and initially, it did not sell. Only after his second, and more popular book, Brida, was successful did his publisher reach back and reprint The Alchemist – and it began to sell. (The not unusual case of a new book pulling the backlist along with it.) In 1994 Harper Collins published the first English edition.
This blurb from Madonna (Yes, THAT Madonna) summarizes the arc of the plot: “a beautiful book about magic, dreams and the treasures we seek elsewhere and then find at our doorstep.” That praise just about summarizes The Alchemist and also perhaps explains its enduring appeal.
This is a quest book – for spiritual treasure and material treasure. Santiago, the hero who sets out from Spain on a journey through the deserts of Africa to Egypt, is led by the eponymous alchemist, allegedly 200 years old, to discover the most wondrous treasure known to man. In the manner of Indiana Jones, they encounter snakes, windstorms, nomadic tribes, and shamans. The plot is salted with feel-good pep talks, a bit of romance, a lot of self-discoveries, and a comfortable resolution.
This book has sold over 200 million copies – and that does not count all the pirated versions. I hope Mr. Coelho’s success enables his publishers to take risks on better written, more substantial books. But heck, why mess with success?
Harper 1988, 175 pages