Overall Rating and Opinion of "The Alchemist"

[Bigwig1973]

I really enjoyed this book. It reminds me a little of Kipling and Aesop. The lessons, however, are a little harder to decipher, I think, or at least that appears to be the case. The plot is interesting because everything seems to keep changing. He sets out to find treasure, learns a lot on the way, and that seems fairly stable until the end. I don't like that it seems a bit negative, perhaps a bit too realistic and unethical or not preachy enough for the genre. If I could give it three and a half stars I would.

[miti tiwari_27]

I just finished reading alchemist. I had tried to read it twice 2 years back but found it boring and due to board exams i was unable to read this book. My friend told me to read this book. But when i started reading it for the 3rd time, I got so much engrossed that i forgot my own world. The Alchemist is the simple story of an ordinary boy with extra-ordinary dreams. It is the story of never ending battle between the mind and the heart. It is the story of you, me and every other person and how the destiny get shaped and how we react to the unforeseen situations that occur in the path of our dreams. The book takes us on the journey of a shepherd and his dreams but through the Shepherd, you can find your heart talking to you. The book also told about the affection for one's land. The way "love" between the shepherd and the girl is described is awesome. No religion. No caste and creed. Just a PURE TRUE LOVE defined as the universal language. This book taught me the wonderful art of communication with THOUGHTS. The book talks about the omens and language of the God which in reality we think it doesn't exist.
There will be difficulties in whatever you do in your life, but its better to have problems which makes sense because problems are the part of what you achieve.
This book emphasizes the values of hope, spirituality, faith and love through the narration of attractive story.
It taught me in a very simple way, the power of positivity, faith and love.
Though many of you have alreadh this book i know. But its just my review after reading this book.
I must recommend you all if you haven't read yet. I just hope you'll love it❤

[MKS_is_Here]

3 out of 4. Loved the whole book and the way it is written. You always have a clear picture in your head. This book is poetic. However I didn't found it to be life-changing as some are saying. Also I didn't like the sun wind clouds part as I could relate to the story before that. Still this does not take away anything from the beauty of the writing style of this book. Would suggest everyone to read this atleast once.

[Dzejn_Crvena]

I read The Alchemist somewhere between 2013 and 2014, and I remember I was carried away by the concept of the story. It is very inspiring and motivational because the time I read it, I was jobless and loveless. I recommend it to people who are at a loss for purpose or goals in life. It made me cry happy tears for a while because it was the book I was looking for.

[Hiruni Hansika]

Alchemist was one of the best books I've ever read. Before reading it I thought it was this book with difficult language and a meanjng that is too hard to jnderstand. Little did I know how simple and magical the book was. It was enchanting! Paulo Coehlo was excellent in creating imagery. Amd all those wisdom the book contained!!! I already made two of my friends and my younger sister read it. Also I could not keep mh mouth shut while I read the book as I was marvelled by the author's wisdom and the way he conveyed his messages in a way that is so close to our day to day life.

[Anjali Patil]

Such an amazing book, All the places the Shepherd travels learning about new things was just amazing. All the quotes were phenomenal and the ending, Oh My Gosh!! Loved the book from start to end.

[Linda S 1]

It's very philosophical and deep. There are numerous valuable ideas hidden in the storyline. I wasn't a great fan of the plot but the writing style and depth of the story fascinated me. I would read it again because I think this book has so many layers.

[Somasana]

I read this book every year since I first read it. I have bought and given away several copies because I think EVERYONE should read this book. I simply LOVE it.

[Amna Khalid]

It's one of my favorite books by Paulo Coelho. I have read his few books but I really want to get them all. His way of writing and expressing even a minute detail makes the book worth-reading. The Alchemist is a 'must' to read.

[Uniter Oyando]

I found a friend reading this book and she recommended it to me. It is an interesting read, you get to learn about persistence and resilience. Although it is a bit unrealistic, I think there is a subtext.

[Laura P 2]

I read it a long time ago and do not remember anything only that it did not leave me a great impression. However, I am not thinking that maybe I was too young so I should definitely read it again.

[Chinazo Anozie]

Please use this topic to post your overall opinions of the September 2014 book of the month The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

What do you think of the book? Do you recommend it? Why or why not?

I truly loved this book. I loved that it could pass as a novel but it also had underlying messages that were being passed especially the message of perseverance and persistence. I loved Santiago's drive as well as the impact he always had in his relationships with other people. This book left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling after reading it. I would definitely recommend it albeit very carefully. This is because I know some people who are rather skeptical and cynical in nature may not really be open to the ideas in this book.

[AlphariusRE]

There was this incident in the book, when the Alchemist simply replies to the Englishman's request for the lead-to-gold recipe with "Go out and just do it". That was my favourite incident in the book.

[Carly Sprout]

The book was recommended to me by a friend and he swore it was the best piece of literature he had ever read...I was disappointed. The writing style is very fast-paced and simple. It is possible that there might have been some magic lost in translation, but I had hoped for something with a more literary flair. I expected a wonderful fable but instead got a glorified self-help book. While others may enjoy this kind of writing, it was not a good fit for me.

[Anuvamsha S A]

This book is a must-read. I would rate this a 4 out of 4 stars. Great story and flawless writing. The author did wonderfully with this book. How the protagonist searched for the treasure and learned the truth at the end.