The Alchemist
by Paul Coelho
(HarperCollins, 2006, soft-cover, $14.99)
Review by Jordan Riggs
Can
a novel speak to one's spirit? Does a work of fiction have the power
to inspire readers to follow their hearts and nurture their souls?
"The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho does just that, with
brilliant simplicity and fable-like prose.
The book chronicles the journey of Santiago, a
young shepherd from the Andalusia province of Spain. He is exclusively
referred to as "Boy" after the first sentence of Part One, a
testament to Coelho's talent. Fans of allegorical stories might
surmise the beginning plot to be suspiciously similar to that of
"The Pilgrim's Progress". However, as Boy's odyssey
progresses, it is apparent that his quest is far greater in scope, and
the wisdom shared among the characters is above average in both
quantity and quality. There is the grumpy gypsy that validates Boy's
yearnings for travel, and the disguised King who further inspires the
protagonist to follow his life path. A pedantic Englishman provides a
dash of Western familiarity among the mysteries of the North African
backdrop, but the reader is swiftly led back into intrigue by the
depiction of a strong-hearted desert woman who captures the love of
Boy.
I found "The Alchemist" to be
brimming with practical proverbs that can be easily applied to
everyday life. For example: "If you can concentrate always on the
present, you'll always be happy." Anyone seeking to heal a
slighted spirit, soothe a heart stricken with wanderlust, or connect
more with the world around them will benefit greatly from this book.
The spiritual tones of the author's life observations transcend- yet
respectfully blend- many belief systems. It was refreshing to read
Islam, Christian, and Earth-aware principles factored into a storyline
with little to no judgment. Personal empowerment is portrayed not as
blatant narcissism, but rather as a means to taking responsibility for
one's life and decisions ("People need not fear the unknown if
they are capable of achieving what they need and want").
As the story unfolds and we follow Boy from a
dilapidated Spanish church to an old crystal merchant's shop and to a
desert oasis near the Great Pyramids, the strength of spirit for such
a trek musters a sense of inspiration rarely experienced by the
reading of a simple tale. The author narrates with an ethereal
worldliness that invariably infects the reader and challenges all of
us to inspect our individual lives to determine if we're really doing
what we were meant to do: "People are afraid to pursue their most
important dreams because they feel that they don't deserve them, or
that they'll be unable to achieve them."
The popularity of "The Alchemist" is
well-earned. The enchanting story stimulates both the waking mind and
the subconscious, putting words to the virtually unexplainable.
Wouldn't you like to discover the secrets of alchemy?
Jordan Riggs is a writer and
photographer residing in Chugiak, Alaska. She has studied journalism
at the University of Florida and University of Alaska Anchorage.
