Disappointing, overhyped and a touch childish
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I read this because it appeared on the BBC 100 Best Reads list and had some good reviews. I was rather disappointed to say the least. The writing style is simple and lacking in depth, although it may just not translate well. The story is a parable with a message about 'following one's dream'. Although this message is repeated frequently the story line is a bit forced and ends as something of a shaggy dog story. It's a bit like a cross between an Aesop's fable and a self-help book, with a bit of half-baked philosophy in the mix. I think it would appeal to older children and those who like something cheerful and unchallenging.
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A simple beautiful tale in a complex world
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This is brilliant. Ignore the religious do-gooders giving this a kicking, and read it for what it is. A simple, extraordinary tale, which is uplifting and spiritually breath taking. In a complex, over analysed world, this book simply reminds us all that, there is genius in simplicity and beauty wherever we choose to find it. On a very simple level those who always think the glass is half full will understand it and love it, those who think its half empty will hopefully realise there is another way to view things. I've read it many times, and it never fails to be an uplifing experience.
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new age drivel
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I doubt I would have been so offended by this book had it not been for the pretentious fawings of so many people who claimed it had changed their life. I was intrigued. I was then very disappointed. What a load of new age drivel. Change my life my foot. This book is pretentious and seems to have been lifted from an array of other superior novels and fables. I felt cheated by the rave reviews and am still somewhat dumbfounded by it.
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must read at least once
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The books just puts you at peace. For all you cynics out there it is a must read, positive and magical, still makes you believe there is hope out there you've just got to believe in it :)
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an old, short story manipulated for the modern love of spiritual spin
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I've given this book three stars partly out of respect for the fact that so many others have clearly appreciated the book, and partly for one or two passages which were, to me, like snippets of poetry: evocative and memorable. As a whole, though, I can't say I'm a fan.
The Alchemist follows the same basic plot as The Pedlar of Swaffham (an old English folk tale based on a local legend and/or myth) and other related tales. The difference is that the book is written with the obvious intention of a "spiritual message". I'm not criticising those who have found such a message, but it didn't have this effect on me for several reasons:
the root story doesn't have a spiritual element, and there simply isn't room for one in that plotline: it's neutral, with no glory or censure either in the advantages of staying at home, or the initiative of going on an adventure. Both are shown to have their advantages, and it's the delight in the twist to the end of the story - a key element of folk tales - that's the real purpose of telling it ...
Coelho spins a *long* tale which is seriously dull in places...
the style is a very conscious attempt at the "naivite" of stories such as the Little Prince, but these don't seem to work when they're used in a deliberate way (it's like trying to paint the bloom onto a grape). In fact I found this element slightly manipulative, and hence offputting.
I know this review won't be popular as The Alchemist has a lot of fans, but it just wasn't a very rewarding read for me on either a literary or instructive level. Taking old tales and trying to build a big "message" out of them is *very* hard to get right, and I'd have preferred something more along the lines of the old concept of storytelling - i.e. a version that allowed the reader to come to his or her own conclusion about the spiritual significance of the story, rather than having the whole thing constructed specifically to spell it out.
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