434 reviews for:

Hippie

Paulo Coelho

3.5 AVERAGE


The Alchemist is one of my all time favourite books so I was hoping this one would have similar vibes (plus hippies), being written by the same author and all.

But it didn't. And the more I read, the more I think no book will ever come close to it, which is fine, but a bit sad.

The second half was a lot better than the first. I was especially looking forward to seeing the drive through Yugoslavia and Belgrade but it was pretty short. Still, I'm glad it was mentioned.

I also didn't know Coelho's first girlfriend was Yugoslav? Such good taste, this man has. I'm obviously biased, but she seemed cool.

The rest of the book was a mix and match of interesting parts and not-so-interesting ones.

Most of the characters were given some backstory and I wanted to know even more about them.

I didn't care that much about Paulo's inner workings inside his head, I suppose I wasn't really expecting it in a book like this and wasn't in the mood.

The book is considerably short, and the journey ends in an okay way.
SpoilerBut I do wish he continued all the way, this feels incomplete.


I'm hippie (happy) I read it anyway.
inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Well, this wasn't as good as I was hoping. I enjoyed The Alchemist and since that was such a pivotal book, I was really looking forward to this one. It has very strong stereotypical hippie-vibes which I guess I wasn't in the mood for...I'm gonna send my copy to a good friend who I think will like it a lot. Just depends on what you're wanting to read...
adventurous inspiring reflective fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A very generous 3 stars. I was bored and unmoved. Maybe it’s a difference in personalities, but these people came across as incredibly flaky and self-involved. I really loved The Alchemist but, for me, this one missed the mark completely. Very disappointed.
adventurous inspiring reflective relaxing slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: N/A
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Didn't enjoy the book that much.

I also felt something strange about the way the book was written.

I listened to the audio book, which I would not recommend. This is probably a better story to read, to pay attention to.

I've read a couple of Paulo Coelho's books over the years and I've really enjoyed them, although none of them truly moved me - they were fast paced reads, interesting plot, but with bits and pieces of philosophical ideas I do not reasonate with.

I found this book different. It is autobiographic, and just knowing that these things actually happened (to some extent at least) gave me a very interesting perspective while reading. A lot of the ideas presented focus on human character, and I fully appreciated the clarity the author presented them with, and their relevance.

As for the philosophical bits, the book does not impose any theory, or states that one is better than the other. It presents them as just that, theories, and the various characters have different opinions, beliefs, motivations, and, as a philosophical skeptic, I appreciated this style, while getting an overview of all of them.

Lastly, some people say that this book is flat and boring. It is a little slow, as it focuses on character development, inner motivation, and the life stories that drive people on a path or another. This is the focus of the book. Apart from this, also, life is not necessarily like in the movies. Not every autobiographic book will share life stories that will blow your mind and leave you breathless, rushing to see how the story ends. And this is perfectly fine.

In my opinion, life is interesting in itself, and Paulo Coleho makes a very good point of showing that simple real life stories are worthy of being depicted in a book, just like any dramatic story that, if stripped of all the flashy elements, would remain just a simple sketch of human nature elements as well.

Plus, I learned a lot of the hippie current. I never looked much into it. Very interesting, and I secretly wish I was born early enough to be a youth in those times (and also not stuck in a communist country haha)
adventurous slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes