The Alchemist

In every few decades a masterpiece is published that influences the lives and left the unforgettable impressions on its readers. The book The Alchemist written by Paulo Coelho's is a book, which has achieved the status of a modern classic due to its above-mentioned characteristic.

This book has many different essences in it. This book is basically a story of shepherd boy who is searching his destiny and during his search he experienced many different things of the world. Alchemist can be the story of anyone, because everyone has his own destiny and he/she seeks for it for their whole life. Some are lucky enough to find it, while others do not; but whatever happens one thing is for sure, that the things that life taught them during their search is something, which has its own meaning and worth and can be very useful for them. This search has given them such intelligence, which they can use it for the rest of their lives.

The name of that old boy is Santiago; he had a dream of finding a treasure in the pyramids of Egypt. A gypsy woman and an old man claiming to be a mysterious king told him to follow his dream. Gypsy woman told him, “To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation” and that old man said, “when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

The boy sells his sheep and starts his journey to Tangiers in Africa, unfortunately all his money is stolen by a thief. He then works in a crystal shop for a year and earns enough money to travel back home. In a desert caravan he meets an Englishman who has lot of knowledge on alchemy, which inspires Santiago to pursue his own dream of finding a treasure. As the Englishman searches for the two hundred year old alchemist who resides in the desert oasis, Santiago falls in love with a young woman, Fatima. After loving the girl Santiago finds the eternal alchemy of love and thinks that he has found his dream. Moreover with the help of alchemist he finds his treasure somewhere he least expected it.

As I have mentioned in the beginning of this document that this story has many quintessence in it, which cannot be mentioned comprehensively in this short review. This book also has issues of social work in it, as a justification I would give an example of all the help Santiago received from every other character of this story, especially from the crystal merchant.

In the conclusion, I would say that it is the story of every person who wants the treasure. Treasure does not mean any hidden or buried treasure but the treasure of secrets and experience of spending a good and successful life. This treasure can only be gathered when we observe our lives more closely and concentrate on our destinies with more intensity.

In the end, I must add that in order to understand this novel completely, it is necessary that the reader should put himself/herself in place of Santiago; this is the best way to understand the moral of the story perfectly.