Reader's Paradise discussion

The Alchemist (Portuguese: O Alquimista) is a novel by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho which was first published in 1988. Originally written in Portuguese, it has been translated into at least 70 languages.
The book is an international bestseller with more than 150 million copies sold.

Blurb:
Paulo Coelho's enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and inspiring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasure found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.

Procured my copy... :)

I loved reading the Alchemist, I read it a while ago and thought it had many meaningful life lessons in it. Its one of my favorites. I'm sure it will be a great Book of the Month :)

There is also a graphic novel available.
The Alchemist: A Graphic Novel
I'll be sure to join in to see what others think of the book.

Have already read it. Will join for discussions tho :)

Just finished reading it. Search for one's destiny can be suspenseful, innocently nomadic, disruptive, adventurous, didactic, socializing, magical and bring you back to square one. This book is an epic journey of all these attributes. A great book.

Great Paresh!!
Glad that you liked it.

Are other people not interested in the treasure? :P:P

I already read it in 2015. It was an okay read.

Palash wrote: "I already read it in 2015. It was an okay read."

For me too just okay!

Ditsa wrote: "People are too busy finding the treasure :p"

Ha ha ..on point... Cause we are living in a material world ;)

Life is incomplete and less exciting without material attachments. Spiritual attachments are also necessary and they are complementary to material attachments. The word Alchemy itself has both the attachments hidden in it for a keen observer.

I read it a long time ago and really liked it. And I completely agree with you Paresh. We cannot have only spiritual attachments or we would be Angels only dedicated to God. But we are humans and so attached to the material world too. we are made of material -earth- and we were made by God that's why we tend to the spiritual. And we are always fighting to keep that balance.

Right Paresh! But as Martin mentioned, we need to keep the balance. But looking at the cut-throat competition for money and all the greed around, it really looks off-balance, doesn't it?

Process of earning money itself is not understood by most in today's materialistic world. Money is always projected as a commodity creating unnecessary stresses in life. If earning money is directly connected to your role-playing in society called market-place, be it a sales-manager, a doctor, a politician, etc., we can observe that earning money is only a by-product and a means of exchange of our activities in the society of give-take of products and services. So balance can easily be maintained by understanding our role-playing in society which itself can always be stress-free and filled with activities. I can go on and on but due to limitations of discussion on this platform, I will break it up into smaller pieces as and when I find time and counter-arguments on this thread. I am author of "Life of Social Animals" with a vision of projecting human identity in its true natural and enjoyable form. which is not only extremely materialistic but also spiritual and attached to a healthy family life. Alchemist is one book which I can easily make it relate to my own vision of human life.