While The Alchemist is a beautiful and extraordinarily optimistic tale, it isn't very well written, but that's not to say the it isn't a good book. It's a strong story related to the reader by the omniscient narrator, told in a way reminiscent of fairy tales or spiritual texts like the Bible or Koran.
Coelho has a bad habit of writing prolix speeches for his characters. In trying to pass along his moral from each wise man who the boy encounters, the lessons are often delivered in a patronising way and can feel more like a soliloquy. Many times I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being beaten about the head with these homilies. The length of these pontifications can disrupt the flow of the story sometimes, to the point of stopping it altogether, and as a result the book can feel slightly long-winded and even faltering in places
These concerns aside, the book is both entertaining and inspirational. If you're a spiritual person you will undoubtedly feel Coelho's all-things-in-creation-linked-to-God moral very keenly. Maybe he will inspire you to follow your heart, listen to that still small voice when it tells you to follow your God's chosen path. You'll believe him when he tells you that if you are destined to do something, the Universe will conspire with the Soul of the World to help you achieve it. And just when things look their darkest, when you are furthest from your goal it will be presented to you, if you stay faithful to your path.
I found The Alchemist inspirational too, but not perhaps in the way the author intended. I didn't have a spiritual re-emergence, nor a swelling of faith; I didn't come to believe that I have a preordained path or journey, that I am destined to take, nor that the Universe would help me to successfully complete my journeys through life. I was inspired to begin writing my novel again, after a long hiatus. I realised that as long as you have an interesting and entertaining story to tell, and you tell it well, your technical ability to write that story isn't as important. It's the journey, after-all, that makes it all worthwhile.
Article comments
1 - sj
very accurate review. That's how I felt too about the overstated book. It's okay, though but I wonder why people are so crazy about it when there are lots of better books out there to be crazy about. I felt that the book was a romantic novel. Thanks for the nice review.
2 - ammara
comment is nice but you have told only the story but main theme and important phylosophicallessons have skiped in this review
3 - Ashu
U still did't get what this book is telling..
4 - rl
Its a ok- ok book...The author seems very confused to me. The first love spark of the boy didn't seem to make any sense. Also the whole book is based on omens...Its definitely going to put off any readers who do not believe in them.It seems like a complex collection of a few good things. Its more like a fairy tale we tell our kids ...only harder to understand.
5 - AZ KHAN
i jst only want to tell it exactly stike the bully eyes of reviw of alchemist
6 - pb
i think this is an excellent work....his book is full of wisdom..i adore his writing...any way the review above does not describe the book in the way it is
7 - Jackie_Evans
I loved this book, it was an easy read and made me think a lot about my life and personal journey, my dreams wishes and aspirations. I think that this book allowed for the reader to interpret exactly what they needed to from it after all we are all at different stages in our lives. I loved this book. For me this book had many levels and allowed you to delve as far as one needed to as individuals. This book offers gifts to us and weather or not we get them depends on where we are in our own lives... definitely a read
8 - kt
@rl - "The first love spark" makes sense because the boy had to make a decision either to go do what he was planning to do previously or to follow the new path that the King suggests.
9 - KHULETSX
ITS NICE