The Alchemist

Paperback, 197 pages

English language

Published Aug. 1, 1993 by HarperOne.

ISBN:
978-0-06-112241-5
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4 stars (6 reviews)

The Alchemist (Portuguese: O Alquimista) is a novel by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho that was first published in 1988. Originally written in Portuguese, it became a widely translated international bestseller. An allegorical novel, The Alchemist follows a young Andalusian shepherd in his journey to the pyramids of Egypt, after having a recurring dream of finding a treasure there.

23 editions

Timeless Story

3 stars

There's just something about this story that feels so timeless, classical, and eternal. Everything is so allegorical, metaphorical, symbolic, and polysemic and I can't help but feel this is the kind-of book that should be re-visited serveral times throughout one's life. The only thing that brings it down somewhat, for me, is the occasionally confusing writing style. I'm sure this is most likely my fault and that I wasn't paying enough attention but there was a few times where the author jumped into a past story with little indication. The result of this was an overflow of confusion as to where the characters were and what they were doing.

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Subjects

  • Brazilian Novel And Short Story
  • Portuguese (Language) Contemporary Fiction
  • Fiction
  • Fiction - General
  • Literary
  • Fiction / Literary