Book Review: The Alchemist

Reviewed by Emily W.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

“When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”

Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist follows a young shepherd boy named Santiago on his journey of finding hidden treasure near the pyramids. After dreaming for many nights about this fortune, Santiago leaves his hometown in Spain and embarks on an inspirational expedition. He meets many new faces along the way that guide him and teach Santiago about destiny and spirituality. Santiago finds himself with an internal struggle of deciding whether to follow his destiny or to stay in the confines of comfort. Omens lead Santiago’s journey through the desert as he overcomes challenging obstacles and new beginnings.

I love this book because of all the different people that Santiago meets along the way. Every new person we meet becomes a part of us and we can all help each other grow through sharing our experiences and wisdom. Coelho’s use of detail and symbolism makes this book a vivid and inspiring read!

“It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”