book review the alchemist
TRANSCRIPT
Book Review of
The Alchemist
Paulo Coelho
THE ALCHEMIST
• O Alquimista - Portuguese title
• Published: 1988
• Translated into 71 languages
• Sold more than 65 million copies in over 165
countries
• Won GUINNESS WORLD RECORD
• ISBN number: 0-06-250217-4
Characters • Santiago
• Gypsy
• Melchizedek
• The Shopkeeper
• The Englishman
• Fatima
• The Alchemist
Santiago
The Gypsy
Melchizedek
The Shopkeeper
The Englishman
Fatima
The Alchemist
Metaphors & Quotes
• Destiny
“ It’s a force that appears to be negative but shows
how to realize your destiny, prepares your spirit &
your will…..there is one great truth on this planet…..”
• Principle of favorability
“ Every search begins with beginner’s luck & every
search ends with the victor’s being severally tested!”
• Soul of the world
• Language of the world
“Learn to understand the language without
words…..only then you can learn to
understand the world.”
• MAKTUB
• Omens
“ Learn to recognize omens & follow
them…”
• Alchemy
• Alchemist
• Emerald tablet
• Philosopher's stone & elixir of life.
19
Urim & Thummim
20
THE ELIXIR OF LIFE
THE
PHILOSOPHER’S
STONE
When tribes caught them….
“When you possess great
treasures within you & try to
tell others of them, seldom
are you believed…”21
22
“ We are afraid of losing what we have
whether its our life or
possessions…..but this fear evaporates
when we understand that
our life stories and history of the
world is written by the same hand”
“At a certain point in our lives, we lose
control of what’s happening to us ,our
lives become controlled by fate. That’s
the world’s greatest lie.”
“The closer one gets to realizing his
destiny the more that destiny becomes
his true reason for being.”
“We are afraid of losing what we have
whether its 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.”
“Its not what enters men’s mouth that’s evil.
Its what comes out of their mouths that is
evil.”
“Everything that happens once can never
happen again but everything that happens
twice will surely happen for the third time. ”
“No matter what he does, every person on
earth plays a central role in the history of the
world. And normally he doesn’t know it.”
Comments
Paul Zindel (Author of The Pulitzer Prize Winning Play)
• “A boy named Santiago joins the ranks of candide by taking us on a very excellent adventure.”
Lynn Andrews (Author of The Medicine
Woman Trilogy)
• “Paulo Coelho gives you the inspiration to follow your own dreams by seeing the world through your own eyes and not by someone else’s,”
Anthony Robbins (Author of Awaken the giant within)
• “A remarkable tale about the most magical of all the journeys: the quest to full fill one’s destiny. I recommended The Alchemist to everyone who is passionately committed to claiming the life of their dreams –Today.”
Spencer Johnson (Author of The One Minute Manager)
• “An entrepreneurial tale of universal wisdom we can apply to the business of our own lives.”
Kajol & Karan Johar at the 'Visual Journey' of the
Alchemist.
Decide your goals…
“Have faith that you will accomplish them”
Trust your instinct
Believe in yourself
Believe in God, he’ll never let you fail but will keep on taking your
tests
Learn from your experiences
Work for what you have aimed….
Obstacles to ones personal legend are merely obstacles….not
blockages
Different book covers of THE ALCHEMIST….
Recommendations
Who should read this book-
1. This book is not targeted towards any age..
2. Who believe and practice spirituality
3. Who wants to understand their own heart and
follow their dreams.
4. MUST FOR THE CONFUSED.
5. For budding entrepreneurs.
Rating
ReviewWhat's good-
1. A thought provoking book.
2. Challenges you to think about our ‘’Personal Legend’’.
3. Focuses on the individual and the pursuit of individual dreams.
4. Emphasizes constant learning.
5. The story telling is powerful and gripping.
6. Shows great knowledge and skill of author in binding fiction
with facts.
7. Important read. Why?
What's not good-
1. The arrangement of content is quite
clumsy.
2. Characters are not referenced with their
names enough.
3. Some moments of climax are written very
short and not detailed enough.