This book , has been there around for quite some time( and will obviously stay there)and it is one of the most widely read , translated to umpteen number of languages round the world, and even categorized as a modern classic.
Well, the author Paulo coelho, from Brazil, would sure not have imagined that his book would become such a super seller transcending all the norms , albeit the Potter series, to become numero uno in the literary world of fiction and fantasy.
Somebody recommended me the book, and I could easily purchase one from the book shop next door, for 250 bucks, (no discounts pl, it is a bestseller!!), and thereafter was (un)fortunate to download it free from the net, in pdf format, which I could easily convert into azw format for my kindle ebook reader.
I read the first few chapters from the paperback, and thereafter, read the downloaded version at the convenience of my office on my kindle.
The book starts with the musings of the shepherd boy(santiago), who is the hero and ends up with the same character rushing his way home with all materiel achievements one could seek in terra firma.
The author is careful while introducing new characters in the book, and the readers feel quite adaptive, as only one is introduced at a time, (As the author himself confirms elsewhere in the book of this style which is palatable to all bookworms!) Unfortunately, he was blunt and brutal while introducing the Englishman, who accompanies the hero (the boy) to the deserts.
This character, has no major role in the book, but to relate the subject of alchemy the core theme of the book. Till then the book speaks nothing of alchemy as the reader would wonder , but sooner he is dragged into the whirlpool and the real alchemist enters the scene on the stallion with a falcon on his shoulders.
The book deals with the forces driving the life on earth, its origin, its nuances, its diversities, and of course the materialistic realities which are really immaterial, when compared to the serene sublime power of will, but guided by the omens (good omens!!!).The author depicts the success story of his subject, an ordinary shepherd boy, who could control the forces of nature with his sheer will power, and the author confirms that anybody could do the same provided he has the right will and the right direction and GOD shall provide the omens which has to be deciphered and decoded to reach the destiny.One may feel the book has a hue of religion, which is obvious, and the message conveyed is more important, that success is for those who chase their dreams, their ambitions, and rightly guided by the omens, and change is eternal. The old saying rolling stone gathers no moss is slain by the new catch words, stagnant water stinks!!
So move, move leave apart your routine monotony, find new avenues hone your skills for reaching your destiny guided by your dreams,
one need not wonder and expect to find the secret formula to turn lead into gold by reading this book as the author never intended to convey such a thing by this book, on the other hand he wishes to convey the greatest sublime thoughts of wisdom, which men oft fail to realize, that is, the elixir of life and the philosophers stone, or the pebbles Urim and Thummim are nothing but the same wisdom lying concealed in oneself, only to be surfaced by kindling the light within, It could be the same kundalini, professed by our Yogis, which lies in a serpentine coil down your spinal chord, only to be vitalized by continuous hard work.
The most important message conveyed by this book , is that one can control the forces of nature only if he understands its language, and to understand that language, one has to be a keen observer, an avid listener, and offecund imagination, and ye shall discover the truth, hidden just inside you, you shall realise the power within you, you shall tread the most difficult paths and reach your destiny., as every one of us is bestowed with a destiny, waiting to be unveiled,
The book is plain to read and any ordinary reader with a limited vocabulary can understand the same.The author has been careful in avoiding high sounding words baffling the reader which is welcome. (thanks to the translator!!!)The chain of events also is continuous, and the reader is forced to complete the book in one go.
The term alchemy assumes importance as the author tries to convey that any form of matter is but meant to serve a definite purpose in this world, including organic or inorganic, animate or inanimate (as we perceive) so, to change something to another form purely for material gains, may be against nature, which should be challenging the very existence of life on earth.
There are no negative comments about this book, as I feel it is still to be explored to uncover more hidden treasures within this masterpiece.
Ajay Menon.