Book Review
BOOK REVIEW
The Alchemist
Paulo Coelho
Translated By Alan R. Clarke
Published 2002
Harper Collins Publishers, UK
177 pp.
Title: “Diamond Dreams-Struggling Souls”
Reviewed by Syed Muhammad Hassan Askari
In Alchemist, Paul Coelho tells the story of a boy who desires to travel the world to explore hidden treasures known to human beings. The author has written this book in two parts. First part deals with the dreaming of a boy about a hidden treasure near Pyramids in Egypt while second part highlights the difficulties faced by the boy and achievement of hidden treasure. This paper will review Coelho’s story as well as his main arguments, and will evaluate the quality of Coelho’s writing and focus on any areas of weakness within the story.
The Alchemist is a stimulating book, tender but intense. It underscores the significance of finding one’s own meaning of life and then utilising all its energies and potentials for the achievement of their goals and dreams. Coelho has referred it as seeking one’s “Personal Legend”.
Coelho’s story has the setting similar to that of a fairy tale. It follows the quest of a young Andalusian Shepherd boy, Santiago who successfully accomplishes his Personal Legend by overcoming all the impediments that come his way. The author reiterates that rather sticking to customs, traditions, laws, relations, love and listening to your heart merely due to fear of unknown must be overcome without compromising on the achievement of distinct Personal Legend. By backing out or avoiding hardships and saying that it’s hard to achieve may not be a viable solution. Finally after embracing all the hardships and difficulties and finding one’s own Personal Legend, the last obstacle that awaits us is, guilt. When we look around us we see a million other people either struggling to overcome the difficulties that separate them from their aims or just wandering around aimlessly. This realization tends to make us feel undeserving and we tend
The Alchemist
Paulo Coelho
Translated By Alan R. Clarke
Published 2002
Harper Collins Publishers, UK
177 pp.
Title: “Diamond Dreams-Struggling Souls”
Reviewed by Syed Muhammad Hassan Askari
In Alchemist, Paul Coelho tells the story of a boy who desires to travel the world to explore hidden treasures known to human beings. The author has written this book in two parts. First part deals with the dreaming of a boy about a hidden treasure near Pyramids in Egypt while second part highlights the difficulties faced by the boy and achievement of hidden treasure. This paper will review Coelho’s story as well as his main arguments, and will evaluate the quality of Coelho’s writing and focus on any areas of weakness within the story.
The Alchemist is a stimulating book, tender but intense. It underscores the significance of finding one’s own meaning of life and then utilising all its energies and potentials for the achievement of their goals and dreams. Coelho has referred it as seeking one’s “Personal Legend”.
Coelho’s story has the setting similar to that of a fairy tale. It follows the quest of a young Andalusian Shepherd boy, Santiago who successfully accomplishes his Personal Legend by overcoming all the impediments that come his way. The author reiterates that rather sticking to customs, traditions, laws, relations, love and listening to your heart merely due to fear of unknown must be overcome without compromising on the achievement of distinct Personal Legend. By backing out or avoiding hardships and saying that it’s hard to achieve may not be a viable solution. Finally after embracing all the hardships and difficulties and finding one’s own Personal Legend, the last obstacle that awaits us is, guilt. When we look around us we see a million other people either struggling to overcome the difficulties that separate them from their aims or just wandering around aimlessly. This realization tends to make us feel undeserving and we tend