This shepherd takes the advice Hamlet did not heed, learning to trust his heart and commune with it as a treasured friend. The blending of conventional ideas with an exotic setting makes old truths seem new again. The real alchemy here, however, is the transmuting of youthful idealism into mature wisdom. A young Spanish shepherd seeking his destiny travels to Egypt where he learns many lessons, particularly from a wise old alchemist. "This simple, yet eloquent parable celebrates the richness of the human spirit. Comparisons to The Little Prince are appropriate this is a sweetly exotic tale for young and old alike. The cumulative effect is like hearing a wonderful bedtime story from an inspirational psychiatrist. "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. "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 "Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself," the alchemist replies. "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. ![]() 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. And so he's off: leaving Spain to literally follow his dream.Īlong the way he meets many spiritual messengers, who come in unassuming forms such as a camel driver and a well-read Englishman. ![]() ![]() Brazilian storyteller Paulo Coehlo introduces Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who one night dreams of a distant treasure in the Egyptian pyramids. 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. Like the one-time bestseller Jonathan Livingston Seagull, The Alchemist presents a simple fable, based on simple truths and places it in a highly unique situation.
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