Book report: The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho

What are your dreams in life? Santiago dreams of traveling to the pyramids in Egypt and discovering a great treasure. But how can this possibly happen? He’s a young shepherd in Andalusia with no money. He has no idea how to get to Egypt. And yet he has this dream. His dream is enough to induce him to take the first steps of a journey. Along the way, he meets many people, some good, some bad, but their influence – whatever their intentions – helps him on his way. And as to where he ends up – well, it’s not where he thought originally.

This story is written very simply, like a parable. I kept having the feeling that certain characters were symbols for grander things, but I’m not clever enough to puzzle it out. There is a fable-like quality about it, a bedtime-story simplicity about details of where the story takes place and when.

One of the recurring elements of the story has to do with omens. Omens, in this story, are little signposts that suggest to the wanderer that he’s on the right path. I believe in omens, myself. Every once in a while, I see something that tells me I’m on the right – or wrong – course. I’m not sure how to explain this, but I still believe it’s so. And it was charming to see such omens in this book.

We all have dreams. We may lay them aside, or bury them under socks in a drawer, or ignore them deliberately. But we still have them. This book can serve as a model for how one pursues one’s dreams.

So, what are your dreams in life?

Highly recommended

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