Finally, Part 2

2. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho


I've had this book in my possession for a long time now and it was just another one that I thought sounded interesting but was never in the perfect mood to read. I finally took it off its dusty shelf and realized how short it was so I decided to finally read through it. I am so glad that I did!

This book is fantastic! If you like The Little Prince or Candide (more on that later) then you would love this book. Even if you've never read either of those you will still love this book.

It is simply a story of a Spanish shepherd boy who discovers his destiny and goes in search of it in a "strange land". He meets a king, a gypsy, a thief, and eventually an alchemist who help him to realize his dream. There are some breathtaking moments of realization and discovery that just made my heart smile. I would love to describe my favorite part but it would be much better for you if you discovered it yourself. I am sure you will know which part it is!

One of the aspects of this book that really made me fall in love with it was its reference to Christianity, Islam, and Judaism all throughout the story. There are references to Jewish kings, Allah, Jesus, Mary, etc. It is amazing how Coelho incorporated so much into such a simple story.

This has definitely made its way to my top 10 book list. It makes me feel the way I felt when I first read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland because it is so simple yet beautiful and imaginative.

Read this book and then if you love it as much as I did then definitely pick up The Little Prince afterward. I am actually just now starting to read Candide (which I have finally decided is pronounced, CAN-DEED) but have read in reviews of The Alchemist that they are both very similar. If it is any good, I will let you know!