The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is unlike any novel I’ve ever read. Because at the heart of it are the central characters that are so unique that we are unlikely to meet them in our day to day lives, The Alchemist, the shepherd and lastly the Arabian woman Fatima. Its full of suspense and strange tales. But one thing stands out and sticks with you long after you finish the book- the power of dreams.The powerful message that "when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it".
If there are books that can have the power to change your life, change the way you look at things, this is one such book. It echoes the universal message of having hope and believing in your dreams, no matter what. It reverberates everywhere in the world be it from a Brazilian author to an Indian superstar when he says "Kitni shiddat se maine tumhe paane ki koshish ki hai, ke har zarre ne mujhe tumse milane ki saazish ki hai."
This book made me a hopeless dreamer ever since I read it in my VII standard. I started believing anything is possible until life showed me that fate is bigger than your dreams, that some dreams are meant to be broken. Nevertheless, never give up on hope like Emily Dickinson says "Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without the words." and I say when one dream is broken, create a new one.
The Alchemist is a great book full of optimism, hope, dreams and great psychological insight. It has the perfect story arc that begins with a dream and ends in the dream. The mysterious Alchemist and the twist towards the end of how the protagonist achieves his dream is remarkable. No wonder the book is an international bestseller. Read it if you haven’t yet because it’s a page-turner and a life-changer.