The Alchemist question

Coelho's books (and books like his, like the previously-mentioned The Celestine Prophecy) are a sort of "spiritual/philosophical goodies for the masses" type of work. For those that haven't studied the ideas he lifts from, he's revolutionary. It IS nice to see people trying to grasp toward this type of thought generally, but it gets bothersome to deal with people who think he's some sort of mystical guru, or worse, who think themselves mystical gurus for regurgitating this stuff with no clue of the origin of the subject matter.

I have difficulty forgiving Coelho for his work even as fiction, though, because the quality of his writing is just so miserable. The characters are stereotypical and trite and the plot is usually ridiculous, if there is a plot to speak of. And writing style of any sort is a complete mystery to him. I actually have a list of authors and books I recommend when someone starts gushing about Coelho. They're usually shocked and disheartened to realize that he wasn't as revolutionary as they originally thought.

Wow! Finally a discussion about the very same feelings I had when I completed it.
The hype was, is, and I'm sure will continue to be tremendous around this book. Like Kirsten, I consider myself an introspective and spiritually-aware person as well. The Alchemist did nothing to inspire, move, or in any way uplift me. I had a similar reaction to The Celestine Prophecy. Both were books that fell flat.

After hearing endless comments about how amazing this book is, I finally caved and got myself a copy to read. I kept looking for the part that would finally amaze me. Sadly, I never found it. Personally, I felt that I was reading a children's book. The language is so simple, to a point which makes the book completely uninteresting. The plot is not all that either. I just didn't see what other people were seeing. (this is also how I feel about his other books, I finally gave up on him completely after 4 ridiculous books!)

The novel beats you over the head with the complexity of a sledgehammer, except with less finesse.

Seems to be that this book was a great example of why advertising works. Bought it and read it, but came away thinking that it was written in bumper-stickerese.

I thought the book was silly, pretentious, predicable, pseudo-philosophical, not spiritual (in any sense that I use the word) and embarrassing. It is one of the (thankfully) small handful of truly awful books that I have read. At least it was short.

I read this before just before I went on a life changing trip to Nepal and it moved me beyond comprehension. As I turned each page I couldn't believe how each word related to me and how wonderful the story was.

When I came back I gave it to a friend who thought it was "pants!" So I re-read it again and well, maybe you have to be in the right time and place for it to mean anything, because on a bus to work it didn't stand up to a second reading.

wow... so glad to know I am not the only one in this category. There was just too much hype around this book; to me, the worst part was that Subroto Bagchi (one author / business person I seriously respect and admire) had highly rated this book...as inspiration blah blah. To me, essentially the book was blah blah

God almighty i missed this party by 8 years but here's my two cents: The alchemist is the most trite, boring, humourless and flat book on the goddamn planet. Everything sentence is a supposedly lofty but totally unimaginative metaphore for whatever the fuck, Characters are more ditches than they are flat, there's just nothing. Absolutely nothing there. All those big words, my god. This is a mistake many cheap spiritual books make: big words mean shit. Use small words. Be concrete.

I read it at about 15 I think, I remember thinking that the whole thing could have been expressed in one or two sentences, but, like the book itself implys, the journey is as important. I think the length of the book works to convince you of the central point which is very easy to dismiss, which is to follow your dreams. You're kind of beaten over the head with it.

I would not read one of his books in English again, but the great thing about them is they're very simple and you can read them as a beginner in most languages you start learning. (Not Russian or Chinese I'm sure, but any of the Romance languages).


It is very simple and easy to understand, both the writing itself and the message, I think this is why even after 11 years I can still remember the plot quite clearly and a lot of little details like the man selling crystal at the top of a steep hill where everyone wanted something to drink. I've met a lot of people like this.
It reminds me of a folk

tale, something that should be passed orally from person to person, I don't think it would lose anything.

It`s just one step above JOHNATHAN LIVINGSTONE SEAGULL. Trite moral, trite literary tact. Just trite and hackneyed, but a real crowd pleaser. Pass me the Doritos.

Wow. I honestly didn't think there were others who hated the book as well. I didn't understand the book AT ALL. Wow.

Yep, I agree with you, totally not impressed by the book at all...

Mental_Floss ran a piece about the 25 most groundbreaking books of the last 25 years (or some such) and listed "The Alchemist" among those works. I bought it on sale for like $10, expecting a profound work laced with mysticism and spirituality.

What I got was a boring book with bland characters and a lousy plot. I was completely turned off when the treasure turned out not to be a treasure of knowledge or fulfillment, but a treasure of actual physical gold.

I went on to pan this book in an Amazon review (which I then lifted and posted here) and got several thumbs down but no comments on why people didn't like what I had to say. I'm glad there are more people like me that thought this book was trite.

I thought this book was pretty terrible. The extended metaphors are cliche and the story has no real plotline. There's also very little driving force, which is half my problem with this book.

i red it and will..... i stayed the same it didn't change one bit of my thinking
the propaganda was over the top

I had this book in my bookshelf for eons and it was only after my sister went through the pieces and asked if I have read it that I realised it is one of the pieces you keep but never want to peek at. I had tried reading it twice, I think. And put it back at both instances. But my sister kept it at the table top, probably intentionally. She wanted me to know my true self or shit like that but I think I am already quite awakened about my inner self. I honestly don't believe in people who keep publicising their awakening and seem to be doing some kind of social service, wanting other people to find their innerselves too. I believe more in the fact that everyone takes their own time for the awakening if they have to find one in true sense.

So, I eventually started this book to finish it off and while the book was ok as a work of fiction (rather bland for my taste though), I didn't find anything meant for revival of people's soul. Couldn't relate, couldn't visualise, barely finished.

being most popular doesn't mean it should have heart stopping thrills and all... its just a simple book nd its gr8 bcoz of dat.... he tells d answers to many questions we ask ourselves everyday.... i loved the book, and found it inspiring...

My school's psychologist recommended this book when we talked about my career orientation. She even lended it to me.
I have to admit i don't abandon books easily, but this one...for this one I just didn't have the patience.
People say it's spiritual and inspiring? Well, there are a lot of books like that; if the book can't keep the reader even slightly interested, then, i'm sad to say, for me it is simply a literary failure.

I have only read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, and I don't really plan on reading another book by him, but I might give him another chance later. I wasn't really impressed with the book. But it was alright. Most of the thoughts are already consumed. Anyway, two good things about the Alchemist are that it wasn't a dull read, nor a long read.

Hand-waving, drippy-hippy nonsense. There's more insight to be found in the contents of a used handkerchief than within the pages of this execrable drivel.

i had to force myself to finish the book ... not at all binding .

me too I didnt like this book at all
i am not a spiritual person
this book came as a gift
and i told the person who gifted me it that it was "ok" but i did not like it it is a PLOTLESS STORY which is exactly what i nhated

The beginning was kinda good; The middle part was quite deflected; The end was completely lost.

The thing is: you cannot pick up The Alchemist based on it's worldwide fame. You cannot expect a glorious and pretensious book. It's more than certain that, if you open it with this thoughts, you'll be disappointed. What's beautiful about this book is that it is not pretensious, it's a simple story about a simple person that perfoms a rather curious travel, in order not to uncover the misteries of being, but to find something as simple as a treasure. and he's following something as simple as his heart. in the end, the lesson couldn't be more valuable. it's about knowing what really matters to you. Doesn't it sound precious?

What is the average age of the people here reading this book for the first time?

I too was unimpressed, I am 27. It's pretty basic and simple, but it has a good merit. If I were much younger I don't know if it would have had a bigger impact on me.

I did like the ending, mainly because I didn't think this book was clever enough to have sent me back to the beginning.

i could not finish it, just nothing in there which caught my attention.

Honestly, I feel this novel speaks through many Words, to get it's true meaning across. Or maybe even the reason why it was written. This novel started off as extremely dull due to the different style of language. Yet, I found something past the language, something that actually matters which I feel was the theme. I could figure out the theme from the reoccurring obstacles that Santiago went through to get his treasure. The desert, and being robbed and such were obstacles that Santiago faced that he passed through to get to his destiny. I feel they will either help you or break you. Basically I feel, this was meant to speak to lives in this world to live your life and chase after the dreams you have and make sure you continue your dreams no matter what obsticales may appear.

I feel the same way! I actually was assigned to read it my sophomore year of high school and the my English teacher was so eccentric about the whole thing. She absolutely loved the book and I thought she was making up all the things she said about metaphors, etc in the book but then I did some research and found that other people said the same things.
I just didn't get it, I guess. I never understood a single thing the book was apparently trying to convey.

It was a great experience reading every page of this book. It can change every view u are looking at... in that time or moment. Coelho is a good writer but he can effect u so much with "the Alchimist" that you can carry it in your heart and mind for a long long time~~~!

After hearing so much about the Alchemist I finally read it...was quite disappointed. Always felt the author was trying too hard to be meaningful or profound.

Found Lloyd Alexander's The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio to be a very similar but much more enjoyable read. Completely irreverent, never took itself seriously. Definitely more of a children's book but a lot of fun.

Never picked another Coelho book after this...

The most disappointing book I've read so far and it was so shitty . could be explained why, simply by glancing over the interview of paulo coelo in the last few pages. man says sex is the way to salvation. Osho rip off wants to illuminate the world by telling them to follow their dreams but it was everything but inspiring. main character has a vision of pyramids and treasure, well unfortunately for the rest of us, we do not have visions or we can't rely on them to go on a road trip to a foreign location by leaving family friends and career behind.

This idiotic boy with his idiotic journey to the pyramids has nothing to offer but a headache to the readers. The alchemist too, says quotes like a saint but doesn't help when needed.

Honestly if someone can just explain the concept of talking to the sun and the sand and everything else. In mythologies it's different to do so but here it just felt non sensical unnecessary and i could not draw a meaning from it anyway.

The shortest novel which took me the longest time to complete simply because of how stupid it was. UNBEARABLE. And also, The kind of deep love at first sight portrayed in this is not how it works in the real life kids.

THANKS OSHO RIP OFF FOR SUCH A SHITTY READING EXPERIENCE , IN A SLUMP NOW.

I read this because it was recommended by some friends. A news article from the US suggested that the book was influencing the President at the time. It was virtually unbreadable (I assume it was a translation which doesn't help)and the climactic scene in the desert where he discusses life with the wind and sun made me laugh aloud. If this book really influenced a President, we're all in a heap of trouble!

It's been a long time since I read it but I remember feeling disappointed at the time. It didn't move me in the slightest and I just felt like I'd read a load of drivel. I consequently discarded the book without a second thought (to charity of course). About a year ago a friend gave a copy of this book to my boyfriend and said it was the best book he'd ever read, it had really changed the way he thought about the world (apparently) and my boyfriend was instructed to read it straight away. I masked my puzzlement at this statement and said nothing as I didn't want to upset my friend. However, later on, I questioned myself and wondered if I was dumb or something and had missed the point with the book. SO... its very comforting to see this post and know that others felt the same. Incidentally my boyfriend has never touched the book and it sits on the bookshelf gathering dust.

Me

Niether impressed nor depressed.
It was just an okay okay read through.

Me.. me..

When I first admitted to not being impressed, I found that I was in a very lonely club. It was cool to love Coelho.

I did not like it then. I still do not like it.

His "Eleven Minutes" was even worse.

Me! Part of the problem is that the idea of a personal journey is overdone nowadays. However, at the time of its publication I don't think it was as popular of a subject, so I appreciate its value. I wrote more about this in my review.

I was not.

I was ready to be blown away or at least really enjoy it, and instead I was COMPLETELY underwhelmed, I thought the tenets and messages were extremely obvious and naive, and the story itself boring and too simple. I'm so surprised this book has done as well as it has; makes me nervous about the state of humanity, lol. The message was so trite.

This entire book is a pseudo-intellectual steaming pile of shit that begs you to be inspired by its depth by constantly repeating "wisdom" and "soul" and other relevant keywords. The repetition inspires nothing but maybe suicide. There is absolutely no story, it's ridiculous in insisting that you can get whatever you want just by the sheer thought, and if that's not enough,;the universe will CONSPIRE to help you achieve it.

I was so angry throughout the last 50 pages, that I contemplated finding Coelho, only to stab the self-important bastard for trying to convince us that he is some kind of literary guru; and managing to do so as his sales numbers would attest to.

I gave this two stars in a "My Books" review. Here is what I wrote: If the author had stuck to a simple tale of a shepard boy's journey and achievements it might have been worth reading. As it is the author reminds me of the "artist" who sold Los Angeles on the idea of the rock. He is a con-man posing the most important questions in life and pretending to answer them.

I have not study enough about Coelho, his life or his beliefs. To be honest I don’t really care about those things.

All I know about this book is that changed my point of view for certain things and opened my mind to new directions. I have decided to give more value to myself and to the things that I want to do and to stop doing actions just to satisfy others.

...and for that, I thank him

Finally a whole lot of people sharing the same feeling on some over-rated book. Feels good!

This was one of my favorite books. I was surprised to see how many people thought that it was a waste of time and a bad book. Throughout the entire story I was engaged and very intrigued about what would happen next. The idea of the philosopher stone was also very interesting, as I have read many other books that graze that topic. I would definitely recommend this book, despite the negative remarks about it.

For me, reading this book was a waste of time.The main idea it's a good one,you have to search for things that makes you happy closer to you, but the writer's style is so dramatic and sometimes ambiguous.I wonder why so many people liked it?

I read it once and in hindsight I think Coelho is pretty much overrated and the only reason why this book got so much hype was that he had a great PR team which managed to get hollywood celebrities pictured towing it with them. The book really didn't make sense for the most part.

I was quite excited when The Alchemist was selected for one of my book groups. I had yet to read Cohelo, but had heard that he was an amazing and inspiring author. I found it somewhat tedious - certainly not a page turner, nor a book to savor and reflect upon. I guess I missed the memo.