Dear Blog Readers,

 

Not long ago, I finished a book titled “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho. This 206 page fiction novel was published in 1988.  The author, Paulo Coelho, is a Brazilian writer who  is the recipient of numerous international awards.  His book “The Alchemist” was translated into 81 different languages. This book was recommended to me by someone else.  I’m glad that they recommended it to me, because I really enjoyed reading this fable.  It had so much adventure and was filled with life lessons that pulled at the heart and mind.

 

In the book, you follow a young shepherd named Santiago. When he receives a prophecy of great treasure, his life completely changed. At first, he doesn’t believe it, but when an old man tells him to find the treasure, he knows he must find it. Soon, he travels to Africa in search of this great treasure. But, what greeted him was unexpected.  Follow the young boy as he makes many new friends and learns many lessons that he won’t soon forget.

 

I was satisfied with how the author ended the book.  Though I can’t tell the exact details of the ending, I can tell how it made the reader feel. The ending of the book was a great twist in the plot. Not only was the ending unexpected, but it was funny, in the unexpected way.  It made me so happy to read it.

I was interested in this passage:

“Because I don’t live in either my past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man. You’ll see that there is life in the desert, that there are stars in the heavens, and that tribesmen fight because they are part of the human race. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living right now.”(page 87) I was interested in this passage because I found this philosophy unusual. I thought it was odd to live by these rules. But once I stopped and thought about it, I realized that I couldn’t agree more.

If I had to give this book a rating out of ten, I would give it an eight.  This book was heartwarming, yet it still had ways of making you think. I think that anyone who enjoys thought-provoking books would love “The Alchemist”.

Sincerely,

Julia