The Alchemist (fiction)
Paulo Coelho (1988)

THE A5 BOOK REVIEW

One of the most impactful and popular fictional travel novels on our list of recommendations is The Alchemist, by Brazilian author Paulo Coehlo.  In the story, an Andalusian shepherd named Santiago leaves his home to travel to Egypt in search of a glorious treasure he has seen in his dreams, but his quest takes him on a much more valuable journey of self-discovery.   Millions of people worldwide have been attracted to the themes around listening to one’s own intuition and passion, being true to one’s self, and to the importance of sacrifice to follow one’s destiny.  The Alchemist is a bit of a self-help book in disguise, but the charm of the writing and the essential and truths behind it make it a worthwhile read.
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ABOUT PAULO COELHO

The Brazilian author Paulo Coelho is of course most famous for The Alchemist, but he is a prolific novelist and lyricist and an active contributor to social media.  A 1986 500-mile walk down the famous Santiago de Compostela was a turning point in his life, a spiritual awakening that inspired him to write the autobiographical The Pilgrimage in 1987,The Alchemist, and another book every couple years after that, most fictional but rooted in his life experiences. 

GREAT QUOTES:

“We are travelers on a cosmic journey,stardust,swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.”
- Paolo Coelho, The Alchemist
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“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity.”
- Paolo Coelho, The Alchemist

INTERESTING LINKS:

  • Paulo Coelho is one of social media's most popular writers with tens of millions of followers.  We highly suggest following him on Facebook.
  • According to Wikipedia, he apparently wrote the book in less than two weeks, because the story was "already written in [his] soul".  The book's publisher told Coelho after the launch that the book would never sell.  He and his wife went into the Mojave Desert for 40 days, and when he returned he decided he needed to keep struggling to sell the book.
  • Read the ten powerful life lessons from The Alchemist on his blog.