The Alchemist

The Alchemist, written in two weeks by Paulo Coelho because in his words the story “was already written in his soul”. This is basically how I felt when I first read it.

This book has a mass fan base for both people who absolutely love this book and for people who find it ‘sexist’, ‘unrealistic’ and ‘made for the masses of sheep to follow’. Someone, however, mentioned that they love how the extremities of passion flow on both sides because that is basically what the book was meant to instill – passion.

The plot follows an Andulusian Shepherd through boyhood to a man in his quest for buried treasure. His journey to finding this treasure has him crossing paths with mystics, kings, explorers and thieves all of whom is some form or fashion add some insight and wisdom to his life. He finds love but is forced to leave it behind by none other than the object of his affection but all with good reason only to find that the treasure he was seeking was always in the one place he found peace and happiness.

This is one of the first books I may have misused by overly creasing the pages and underlining and highlighting the phrases that stood out to me. Phrases I had never heard before spoken that rang true to how I felt.

The book centers around following one’s ‘personal legend’ which according to the story is the thing you most wish to accomplish and overcoming the obstacles that may arise to prevent you or instill fear in not achieving this wish. The first obstacle is being told at young age that we cannot or should not go after our dreams for whatever reasons. In the beginning of the book, the boy is studying to be a priest but dreams of travelling. Although discouraged by his father initially, his father ends up being the one to send him on his path by allowing his to pursue his dream. I have always loved the arts – painting, drawing, writing and singing specifically. But in the culture I was raised in, none of these guaranteed a successful life because no one had the appreciation for it. This is all fair evidence to convince one to push these dreams aside but to read this story about a shepherd boy who ended up travelling the world in search for what he ‘thought’ was his destiny in life due to some dream he had lead him to discovering what this true personal legend was – back home in the fields with his sheep. I was pushed into many facets of life but the one thing I truly loved, only to end up right back where I found most of my happiness in the beginning. At the time, reading the book was just a magnificent encouragement to not be fearful and to go out into the world to explore like the main character did. Knowing that in the end, the journey, should I follow the signs and synchronicities correctly would lead me back to where I needed to be.