The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho - Our February selection for our Faculty Book Club, this is a book that has been on my "To Read" list for a long, long time. I have had two guys (one a student and one a random man who worked at my car dealership) tell me that this book literally changed their lives. Knowing the senior boy, that statement spoke volumes. Paired with the fact that the book has been on the NYT Bestseller list for something like 125 weeks, the members of our book club thought it might be a wise selection. After reading it, I won't say it changed my LIFE, but I will say it did have a profound effect on the way I view the things that have happened to me throughout my life.
This novel relates the story of Santiago, a young Spaniard who has a dream and the courage to follow it. After listening to the omens, the boy ventures out on his personal, Ulysses-like journey of exploration and self-discovery, symbolically searching for a hidden treasure located near the pyramids in Egypt. When he decides to go, his father's only advice is "Travel the world until you see that our castle is the greatest, and our women the most beautiful". In his journey, Santiago sees the greatness of the world, and meets all kinds of exciting people like kings and alchemists. However, by the end of the novel, he discovers that "treasure lies where your heart belongs", and that the treasure was the journey itself, the discoveries he made, and the wisdom he acquired.
The Alchemist is an optimistic novel that reinforces the power of a dream and reassures the doubtful that following your dream is always the right thing to do, no matter the price. This novel was poignant and thoughtful and made me feel that maybe there is a plan to this whole journey of ours. In the words of the old man, "When you are seeking your personal legend, the whole world conspires to help you." What a comforting thought!
This novel relates the story of Santiago, a young Spaniard who has a dream and the courage to follow it. After listening to the omens, the boy ventures out on his personal, Ulysses-like journey of exploration and self-discovery, symbolically searching for a hidden treasure located near the pyramids in Egypt. When he decides to go, his father's only advice is "Travel the world until you see that our castle is the greatest, and our women the most beautiful". In his journey, Santiago sees the greatness of the world, and meets all kinds of exciting people like kings and alchemists. However, by the end of the novel, he discovers that "treasure lies where your heart belongs", and that the treasure was the journey itself, the discoveries he made, and the wisdom he acquired.
The Alchemist is an optimistic novel that reinforces the power of a dream and reassures the doubtful that following your dream is always the right thing to do, no matter the price. This novel was poignant and thoughtful and made me feel that maybe there is a plan to this whole journey of ours. In the words of the old man, "When you are seeking your personal legend, the whole world conspires to help you." What a comforting thought!
