A review by thebigemmt505
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

“‘One loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.’”

I include the somewhat-sappy quote because admittedly, it did touch me, because it’s something someone very close to me has said nearly word-for-word. Much as it’s a bit eye-roll worthy, its simplicity is effective. It made me happy to be reminded of my friend. The essence of The Alchemist is this- simple, uplifting words meant to remind us of the beauty of the human experience. 

…or, it should be. We’ll get to that. 

The Alchemist is a short novel that follows a boy named Santiago on his quest to see The Pyramids of Egypt. He follows this path in order to fulfill his “Personal Legend” and along the way, he learns about alchemy and “The Soul of the World.” He meets various figures along the way, such as a Crystal Shop owner, an Englishman, and an Alchemist. 

The narrative is competently written and engaging. It’s fast paced so it’s difficult to feel bored. I found most of the writing to be pleasant, though not astounding. There were moments it bordered on condescending in it’s themes. Perhaps the translation impacts the tone and that makes it feel this way, though. The characters are rather simplistic and purposefully so, in order for the reader to easily put themselves in the shoes of the people in the story. On a technical level, I have little issue with the way the novel is written. 

As for the story itself I…think I liked it. I was touched by it in many ways. Santiago’s journey is cute and whimsical and it’s difficult to not get absorbed in it. It’s very easy to visualize the story and the pictures are a nice little addition. It’s a very enjoyable piece of writing in its purest form. 

Having said that, I have issues with this book, ones that mostly transcend the narrative itself. The Alchemist is rarely boring, but the story left me wishing for more. It’s very basic by the end. For example,

I did not anticipate that the treasure the boy found would quite literally be treasure, like riches, (the impact this had on the manifestation girlies is worthy of study).

The repetition of certain phrases the author clearly believes to be profound got old really quickly (i.e. “maktub”, “when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it.”, “all things are one.”). Believe these sentiments or not, as I do to a certain extent, it’s extremely heavy-handed. It’s a lazy way to re-express one’s ideas. So, some of the cute sentiments were really ruined by incessant repetition. Overall, many of The Alchemist’s words broke through to me but the story itself fell flat. Which leaves me wondering…how has it gained the status that it has? 

What I am most perturbed by is how a simple adventure story with some light-hearted mystical messages has become the pinnacle of the arrogant self-help manifestation crowd. Unlike some other books that are in this sort of “mystical self-help” category, I struggle to call this book irresponsible- it seems to just embolden the irresponsible, or, more accurately, immature reader. To some, Santiago finding his treasure at the end of the book must justify the level of arrogant individualism it takes to preach about love and non-dualism while attempting to manifest money and cars and houses and luxury, all at the expense of the rest of the world these people supposedly care so deeply for. The Alchemist seems to serve as an LSD alternative for those uninitiated to the mysterious art of having love and empathy, which is unfortunate, because at its core it’s a light-hearted reminder to trust in ourselves and in the world around us. Granted, what’s new about spirituality and it’s adjacent ideas being used to justify the abundance of the few at the expense of the many? It’s disheartening. Of course, it’s not only this type of person who loves the novel- so many people have been (genuinely) positively impacted by its messages. In many ways, it’s beautiful that the words have reached so many in a way to change their lives for the better, but it’s truly horrifying how these simple words have been twisted. How do we make the world a better enough place so that love and oneness don’t always revert back to selfishness? 

Alright, last but not least, I have to be that guy. It’s unfortunately a bit difficult to connect with a book that regards a woman’s personal legend as “waiting for a man”, and does not depict the personal legend of any other woman as similar to a man’s. I am not a super huge fan of the continued use of “Gypsy” for the Romani people, either. I swear man living in Europe has made me realize how racist everyone is towards them. As we degenerate zoomers like to say, it’s a bit YIKES innit?!? (Well, I’d say it like that at least.) Anyways, it’s worth noting that this book was published in the 80s, and I don’t get the impression any of this was malicious or all that uncommon for the time period. Still, it’s worth noting how aspects of this book have aged poorly. 

Novels like these seem to always spawn counter-novels from me, so I’ll shut up now. Read The Alchemist not for its acclaim, but for its gentle reminder to dream on. Take in the words as a reminder of your capacity to love and connect. Perhaps if more people ground these simple teachings into their present, we’ll all succeed in whatever endeavor our lives will for us, and nourish whatever soul the world has for the benefit of all life.