Cheap The Alchemist (Collins Readers)

In The Alchemist, the young protagonist Santiago's main conflict is within himself, as he journeys both spiritually and physically in search of his life's treasure--his personal legend. Along the way, a series of conflicts, setbacks and truths are revealed to him in the form of wise men, omens, and incidents. Coelho tells his story with simplicity, but there is a moral to the story: follow your dream.

While I enjoyed some aspects of the metaphysical, spiritual approach of The Alchemist, there were some problems with its delivery, and these seemed to ruin what might have been a better book. Written as a fable, it borders on overly simplistic lessons for the young boy. The metaphors were plenty, but became cumbersome because of their overexposure. The repetitive nature of the "nuggets of wisdom" came to be more annoying than compelling. The message implicitly expressed by the author is "buy what I'm selling." The adage "less is more" could apply to the repetitive philosophies presented; there are too many, and had there been less, it might have made for a more profound epiphanies for Santiago (or the reader). Another problem was the secondary characters, who came across as prototypes. Most disappointing was the novel's conclusion, which felt like a proverbial rug being pulled from under me. To go along all this way hoping for some profound meaning and to have it end abruptly with a silly cliché seemed to render the story a sham, a hoax, a publicity stunt. In the end, the "life lessons" that Santiago acquires seem a bit superficial and forced, and this diminishes the story's depth.

I'm sure the book will still get 4 and 5 star reviews and people will follow this book and praise it, but I didn't find it particularly uplifting or inspiring.


Get more detail about The Alchemist (Collins Readers).