This was the first book I chose from the list of 100 greatest novels of all time by PBS’s “The Great American Read” . There really was no rhyme or reason to it other then I thought the cover was pretty. I find the challenge of reading all 100 a lot more exciting if I go through the list at random. So let’s dive in!
I am iffy on this selection. I felt like the beginning of the book started a little slow but I can understand the need to build a backstory. However it did pick up and I found several parts quite interesting. This is a quick read that I finished in 4 days.
It follows an Andalusian shepherd boy’s journey from his home land of Spain to the pyramids of Egypt. He meets several characters along the way that help shape his character in his pursuit to fulfill his “Personal Legend”. He meets a gypsy, a king, a thief, a merchant, an Englishman, the love of his life and an Alchemist to name a few of the characters.
My only complaint about the book is that while the start and the end of the book move rather quickly and are really interesting, the middle of the book seems to drag on with philosophical ramblings of the pursuit of self actualization. It’s like the book hooks you and then stalls out in the middle but wraps up really well. I did truly enjoy the ending. If you can make it through the desert, then it’s worth the read.
If I had to compare this to any other read, I would compare it to The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran meets Arabian Nights. I also enjoyed the intertwining of both Christianity and Islamic teachings. The main character keeps an open mind through his journey and therefor learns from each culture.
On a side note, I actually wish I HADN’T read the introduction by the author prior to reading the book. He writes about how when The Alchemist was first published, it sold like 3 copies in 2 years before someone famous picked it up and it was published again by a major publishing house. Then it starts name dropping by saying everyone from Madonna to President Clinton was seen with the book. I feel like this intro gave me a biased taste for the book itself because it plants the idea in my head that perhaps this book would still be sitting on a dusty shelf in a back alley bookstore had it not caught a lucky break. This may come across as a little harsh but leads me to think whether or not this novel received the hype that it did because of its own merit or because a celebrity was photographed leaving some fancy restaurant with it. It may be both. Who knows? But for the sake of my project, I felt like it tainted my view on it before I made it to chapter 1. But hey, that’s just me.
One of the things I want to do with each book I read on the list, is try to pull at least one quote that stood out to me. In the case of this one, it is found on page 79.
“We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it’s our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand.”
So, there you have it, The Alchemist review by Jess. All in all, I was intrigued enough to invest in some of his other works. Or at least drink some tea out of crystal glasses, just not Mint tea. I’m a sweet tea girl, all the way.
Up Next…. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Stay Tuned!
Trial & Error 