Title: The Alchemist
Author: Paulo Coelho
Genres: inspirational allegory, self-help, book club selection
This was the second student-led pick for the Augusta
University Book Worms. I would classify this book as an inspirational allegory;
Coelho takes what would be cheesy one liners in a traditional self-help book
and magically intertwines them into a story about Santiago, a young, shepherd
boy who travels to the Egyptian pyramids based on a (literal) dream of buried
treasure. This was the first time I have read a book by Paulo Coelho and I
enjoyed it very much. After four years of heavy academic reading and writing,
this simple book was a breath of fresh air. Some online book reviewers claim
Coelho’s writing style as too simplistic, but that’s the point of an allegory-
to be simple enough that anyone can understand it!
The themes of this allegory are pursuing your dreams and
viewing the obstacles to your dream as a temporary rough patch on your journey.
This journey, referred to in the book as a Personal Legend, is “the path God
chose for you here on Earth” (x). While following their path, everyone
encounters Four Obstacles to fulfilling their dream: 1. They are told that their
dream is impossible and slowly and invisibly begin to internalize this message.
2. Love; they are afraid that pursuing our dream will hurt their loved ones but
“love is just a further impetus, not something that should prevent us from
going forward.” 3. Fear of the defeats they will encounter along the way (in
other words, worry and anxiety over the unknown). 4. Fear of “realizing the
dream for which we fought all our lives” (guilt about their success and
blessings).
After saving his hard-earned money for two years, Santiago
travels from Andalusia, Spain to Tangier, Morocco. He immediately learns the
hard way to not trust strangers yet also learns that strangers can also be kind
as a local shopkeeper helps Santiago get back on his feet and recoup his earnings.
Eventually, Santiago begins his perilous journey across the Sahara to his
beloved and mysterious pyramids. Of course, more adventures and life lessons
wait for him in the desert…but does his treasure?
