The Alchemist

On the recommendation of my friend, I recently finished reading the book The Alchemist. It was written by Paulo Coelho and is an international bestseller. Based on a quick internet review, The Alchemist appears to be quite popular internationally.

The book is interesting. It is described as a fable, and anyone reading the book should remember as much. It lacks much of the normal detail and plot development of a novel. The book concerns a young man and his efforts to follow his dreams. It discusses how the world conspires to help you achieve those things that you really want to accomplish, and the consequences of following or failing to follow your dreams.

I sincerely was somewhat bored by the book. I am glad that I finished it because I enjoyed the climax and the ultimate conclusion, but at various times I considered not reading on. However, there were a few tidbits of wisdom that I liked quite a bit.

For example, in one portion the main character is speaking with a camel driver. Everyone in the camp is living in perpetual concern about tribal raids. The camel driver explained, "I'm alive. When I'm eating, that's all I think about. If I'm on the march, I just concentrate on marching. If I have to fight, it will be just as good a day to die as any other. Because I don't live in either my past or my future. I'm interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you'll be a happy man. You'll see that there is life in the desert, that there are stars in the heavens, and that tribesmen fight because they are part of the human race. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we're living right now."

It was a good enough book. It was also short. I don't know that I would recommend it to a friend to read, but I wouldn't attempt to dissuade him from reading it.