Paulo Coelho's enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its simplicity and wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an Alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a meditation on the treasures found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is art eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.

Santiago, a shepherd boy, dreams of treasure hidden in Egypt. So, he leaves his home in Spain to search for the most precious hoard imaginable, in other words, he follows his dream. His quest takes him to the markets of Tangier and across the Egyptian desert to forage among the Pyramids.

During his journey he meets a Gypsy woman, a self proclaimed king, and an Alchemist, all of whom offer Santiago directions. Listeners do not know what the treasure is that the boy seeks, but they do learn that riches are not found in possessions but rather within our hearts and minds.

Mr. Irons has already been lauded by his peers - he is the winner of an Emmy Award, an Academy Award, and a Tony Award. This reading will simply add luster to his already stellar accomplishments.


A bunch of psycho babble.   February 26, 2005
 8 out of 17 found this review helpful

A short book (at 177 pgs) with large font should've taken me about a week or two to finish....well....this book took me over a month. Why? Simply because I DID NOT WANT TO PICK IT UP. I literally had to force myself to read it. Hearing conversations between my mother and older sister about how "this is a classic - a must-read" I thought 'why not?' I shouldn't have bothered. Endless droning about "listening to your heart" and "following your heart's path" intertwines with messages about "sometimes your heart decieves you" and "follow your destiny" made me want to scream 'P**S OFF!!!!' This book has nothing new to offer, no entertainment value and is in no way educational. I told my sister that I didn't like it and found it boring, only to be told that "[I] don't get it..". Oh no....I get it alright, I just don't give a crap. I didn't need to be told to "follow [my] heart" or to "be careful when listening to [my] heart because it can decieve [me]" 5389343602849758367056 times. This was the first Paulo Coelho book I'd ever read, and it will be the last. This book has tainted my view of the writer forever, and I am no longer interested in reading any of his works. Thanks Santiago, you dumb shepherd.


Fans of Jeremy Irons beware   July 4, 2003
 7 out of 14 found this review helpful

Fans of Jeremy Irons beware. Although he is great, as usual and expected, reading this book, the writing itself is pure New Age, self-help drivel. If I hear "YOU MUST FOLLOW YOUR PERSONAL LEGEND!! LISTEN TO YOUR HEART!!" booming out of my car's speakers one more time . . . The scene where the boy and the Alchemist cross the desert is a stellar example of poor, fuzzy-headed writing. "You must always listen to your heart" begins this long, tiresome set-piece. But sometimes your heart prevents you from achieving your personal legend, so sometimes you must NOT pay attention to it. Oh, but other times, it is only listenting to your heart that will allow you to achieve your personal legend. Oh, it goes on and on and on, back and forth until you just helplessly shout "UNCLE"!

And then there is the crystal seller who, oddly enough, talks as if he has been going to group therapy for the last year -- "I can't *deal* with being rich." Come on, Coelho, at least make an attempt to keep us inside the fantasy, instead of just trying to pass off your ad-hoc, pseudo-Judeo-Christian, self-help babble as actual literature.

Jeremy, Jeremy, Jeremy. Tsk. I expected more discrimination from fabulous Humbert Humbert.


The courage to believe...   March 21, 2005
 6 out of 7 found this review helpful

When reading 'The Alchemist' by Paulo Coelho, one is immediately caught up in an atmosphere filled with dreams, symbols, and adventure. Similar to Vicky Davis' 'The Baron Son,' this delightful tale combines ancient mysticism with fantasy as Coelho urges people to follow their dreams in order to find pure contentment and personal achievement.

The novel tells the tale of Santiago, a boy who ventures to discover his true self, while searching for a hidden treasure near Egypt's pyramids. By the tale's end, he discovers that the treasure was the actual journey, the discoveries he made along the way, and the wisdom he gained as a result. Coelho skillfully combines words of wisdom and philosophy in very simple language, which makes it particularly readable.


Thought-provoking experience.   March 21, 2004
 5 out of 6 found this review helpful

I listened to this on unabridged audio while travelling back and forth to work. From a plot point of view, this book is very, well, linear. Boy Shepherd has a dream, gets it interpreted, learns of treasure buried by the pyramids, talks to a wise king, learns he is on a quest for his personal legend, travels to Egypt, etc etc. There are no real plot twists (beyond one near the end), and the story is simple and straightforward.

And, still, somehow, both spiritually interesting and thought-provoking. It has the sense of a legend or myth in and of itself, and had some wonderful lines to it ("What goes into a man's mouth is never evil, but what comes out of it is often so," and so on). It made me think a few times, and that's always welcome. The notion that everyone has a Personal Legend - and that the universe will try to get you onto the path of said Legend, is a very solid piece of interesting writing.

I think I had less of a "this shall change my life!" reaction than most I've spoken to who've read this, but at the same time, I quite ended up thinking about it for a few days (I only now just write this review, but I finished it last week).

Definitely recommended.

'Nathan