Rating: Not rated
Tags: Fiction, Alchemy, Alchemists, Visionary & Metaphysical, Voyages and Travels, Large type books, Literary, Shepherds, Fables, Shepherds - Spain - Andalusia, Self-realization, Spanish & Portuguese, Fables; Portuguese, Literary Criticism, Young men, Andalusia (Spain), Spain, European, Lang:en
Summary
Like the one-time bestseller
The Alchemist presents a simple fable, based on
simple truths and places it in a highly unique situation. And
though we may sniff a bestselling formula, it is certainly
not a new one: even the ancient tribal storytellers knew that
this is the most successful method of entertaining an
audience while slipping in a lesson or two. Brazilian
storyteller Paulo Coehlo introduces Santiago, an Andalusian
shepherd boy who one night dreams of a distant treasure in
the Egyptian pyramids. And so he's off: leaving Spain to
literally follow his dream. Along the way he meets many spiritual messengers, who come
in unassuming forms such as a camel driver and a well-read
Englishman. In one of the Englishman's books, Santiago first
learns about the alchemists--men who believed that if a metal
were heated for many years, it would free itself of all its
individual properties, and what was left would be the "Soul
of the World." Of course he does eventually meet an
alchemist, and the ensuing student-teacher relationship
clarifies much of the boy's misguided agenda, while also
emboldening him to stay true to his dreams. "My heart is
afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy confides to the
alchemist one night as they look up at a moonless night. "Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than
the suffering itself," the alchemist replies. "And that no
heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams,
because every second of the search is a second's encounter
with God and with eternity."
--Gail Hudson
This inspirational fable by Brazilian author and
translator Coelho has been a runaway bestseller throughout
Latin America and seems poised to achieve the same prominence
here. The charming tale of Santiago, a shepherd boy, who
dreams of seeing the world, is compelling in its own right,
but gains resonance through the many lessons Santiago learns
during his adventures. He journeys from Spain to Morocco in
search of worldly success, and eventually to Egypt, where a
fateful encounter with an alchemist brings him at last to
self-understanding and spiritual enlightenment. The story has
the comic charm, dramatic tension and psychological intensity
of a fairy tale, but it's full of specific wisdom as well,
about becoming self-empowered, overcoming depression, and
believing in dreams. The cumulative effect is like hearing a
wonderful bedtime story from an inspirational psychiatrist.
Comparisons to The Little Prince are appropriate; this is a
sweetly exotic tale for young and old alike. 50,000 first
printing; $50,000 ad/promo.
Amazon.com Review
From Publishers Weekly
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.