This popular novel by Brazilian Paulo Coelho has become an international bestseller. I just finished reading it and I really feel that it should be required reading for everybody, along the lines of “Tuesdays with Morrie.”
The book tells the story of a young shepherd boy in Andalusia, Spain, who has a recurring dream about hidden treasure at the faraway Egyptian pyramids. A series of omens and encounters with strangely prescient figures teaches him that the acquisition of the treasure is his “Personal Legend.” The decision to pursue his Personal Legend, itself a difficult decision to make, and the subsequent journey is the tale that follows.
Coehlo writes in a simple yet profound style that I can only compare to poetry, even in translation. I normally read at a rapid pace but found myself taking my time with “The Alchemist,” even reading certain passages many times over.
While discussing the book with a co-worker of mine last night we both expressed a certain melancholy we felt while reading it and after finishing it. My best guess as to why is that I see a great deal of myself and my story in the very clearly allegorical journey the shepherd boy makes. He is anyone who has had a dream– which is anyone– and had the courage to go after that dream. I found it both inspirational and profoundly moving, and gladly recommend it to anyone in the arts.