The Alchemist: A Review

Dreams are meant to be followed. Everything is one thing. Moments are meant to be lived. 

The rush of adrenaline caused by reading these statements is what the book leaves you with at the end of the read. 

The Alchemist is the story of a young shepherd who is guided by omens and the Soul of Nature, to reach his destiny and find the treasure in the Pyramids. The shepherd boy from the Spanish province of Andalusia had gone against the convention to realize his passion for traveling, even if it meant to become a shepherd. Among his routine, he meets with an old King who anchors the thought that the boy has a destiny to reach and a treasure to find. This is a metaphorical implication of the signs that we obtain from nature, in the form of many opportunities, which we fail to accept or follow. The King explains that the young boy has a treasure in the far-off pyramids of Egypt and he convinces him to leave the sheep and embark on a journey to get the treasure.

 He does so by saying “Let’s just say that the most important thing is that you have succeeded in discovering your destiny. Destiny is what you always have wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their destiny”. He also mentions that when you want something, the whole universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. He gives the boy various examples by showing people who had given up on their destiny long ago and procrastinating it for the future, because of which they lose their fate altogether.

The boy sets out on the journey to find his treasure with the minimal equipment and teachings provided by the king which he remembers all along. Throughout his journey, nature tests him in all possible ways. As all of us embark on our journeys or start something new, there always is an obstacle to stop us, leading to the thoughts of not achieving the dream. Keeping the same sync, the boy is also robbed immediately after he takes the guts to start his journey after selling all his sheep. He is left with nothing but two stones which the King had given, to use only when he is completely indecisive. The stones deny him to go back. He hence decides to earn in the place he is and use the money to cross the desert and reach the pyramids. It takes him 1 whole year to accompany a crystal show owner to set up his business and take it to new heights thereby allowing him to earn the amount required to cross the desert. 

On the way to the Pyramids, Santiago is taught various lessons by various people and things- be the camel, the desert, the Englishman, or the alchemist. He learns the Language of the World. He starts to understand and talk to his heart. He also finds the love of his life who is a desert woman and is understood to be used to the hope and waiting of their husband who set out to fight for the people of the desert.

He is tested of patience, intelligence, determinants, enchanter, bravery, and a lot more qualities, just to make sure he deserved the treasure. As in the end, he wouldn’t just find the treasure but also be left with the best version of himself. After a long struggle, he discovers that the treasure was not just the gold but what he had of himself. Everything is written in one hand and the hand doesn’t make mistakes. 

After a feel-good read of the book, the following are the lessons that the author might want to convey to his readers:

1. Live in the present- There is a whole conversation mentioned in the novel which talks about why the desert men need to live in the present. They justify it by saying that in case they start thinking about the war in the future, they would lose sight of the requirements to be made ready to fight the war-today.
2. Never give up– The story highlights the importance of each clue to lead us to the dream of our life. It also portrays the never-give-up attitude of the protagonist that leads him to his dream.

If you are looking for a goal-inspiring, travel, and religious-based feel-good read, this book is for you.