The Alchemist

It is the story of a shepherd boy from the Spanish province of Andalusia who dreams of travelling the world in search of a treasure as desirable as any ever found. From his home he journeys to the exotic markets of North Africa and then into the Egyptian desert, where a fateful encounter with the alchemist awaits him…

It is an unforgettable story about the essential wisdom of listening to our heart and, above all, following our dreams.

The Alchemist is an interesting book by Panlo Coelho. The story is on a small boy, who doing the things which he likes. In his childhood he has decided to become a shepherd because he loves to travel and also he learnt so many things from them. He told his father and run away from home. He aware about reading and he have such books which he uses to read.

Once he went to sell wool in a village. He stands in a raw for his turn and where he found merchant’s daughter, whom he attracts towards her. He waits for a long time and he was near to tried but after looking the daughter he feels relax. He can’t stay there more and he starts ever thinking about that daughter. She has also asked some questions like where did you learn how to read? Afterwards he diverts his mind as how can she think about me because she gets lots of customer in her shops so older are also new for her.

He met old men, is wise and knows the lesson of life so he gave such self-help or motivated message to the boy like “when you want something, the entire universe conspires in helping you to achieve it”. He is a king and asked to give one – ten of his sheep instead of giving information about treasure and he also suggest that to achieve something we need to loose or let go so many things which you have done.

Somehow his sheep were lost and started working in a crystal shop. He is happy there and tries to forget the hope to find his treasure. The shopkeeper always reminding him about Egypt’s pyramids so again he provoke towards pyramid. He begins saving money for his journey towards pyramid.

Again he buys a few sheep and starts roaming in a desert. He found a girl, who is beautiful and fall in love with her. She is a brave girl and believes in free will so she support boy to fight and go ahead for his treasure. He went in desert but he is missing that girl ever. He has hoped to return back and meet her and here girl has same.

Finally he met with Alchemist who helps him to reach the Egypt’s Pyramid for his treasure. He faced lot of problems to get his treasure.  Alchemist told boy that “where your treasure is, there also will be your heart”.

The title of the book “The Alchemist” is name of an old, wise and converting ordinary man into a wise man.  This man came at the end of the story to help the boy to find out his treasure.  The boy likes to travel so he decided to become a shepherd and run away from his home. He uses to read books and learning something from his sheep. Reader generally want to know about the boy’s treasure and so go on read but at the end both won’t get that treasure but they learn something that is the moral lesson we find from this book.

Majority characters are unnamed like the protagonist called a boy and other name like old man, old woman, commander,  Englishman, merchant, king, new comer, crystal merchant etc. This is a kind of self – help book in simple language. We can see desert with negative meaning but in this story you will find that still there is something important for the life.

One side boy loves a girl much but he also wants to get his treasure too and he can’t give up any of two so he continuously loving that girl by heart whenever wherever he is. The girl supports him to find the treasure as he will return to her and she will keep waiting until he return. I think this help him a lot to get his treasure means woman is presenting a roll behind a successful man.