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Product Description: My Heart Is Afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy told the alchemist one night as they looked up at the moonless sky."Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams." Every few decades a book is published that changes the lives of its readers forever. The Alchemist is such a book. With over a million and a half copies sold around the world, The Alchemist has already established itself as a modern classic, universally admired. Paulo Coelho's charming fable, now available in English for the first time, will enchant and inspire an even wider audience of readers for generations to come. The Alchemist is the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure as extravagant as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the markets of Tangiers and across the Egyptian desert to a fateful encounter with the alchemist. The story of the treasures Santiago finds along the way teaches us, as only a few stories have done, about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, above all, following our dreams. Amazon.com: Like the one-time bestseller Jonathan Livingston Seagull, The Alchemist presents a simple fable, based on simple truths and places it in a highly unique situation. And though we may sniff a bestselling formula, it is certainly not a new one: even the ancient tribal storytellers knew that this is the most successful method of entertaining an audience while slipping in a lesson or two. Brazilian storyteller Paulo Coehlo introduces Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who one night dreams of a distant treasure in the Egyptian pyramids. And so he's off: leaving Spain to literally follow his dream. Along the way he meets many spiritual messengers, who come in unassuming forms such as a camel driver and a well-read Englishman. In one of the Englishman's books, Santiago first learns about the alchemists--men who believed that if a metal were heated for many years, it would free itself of all its individual properties, and what was left would be the "Soul of the World." Of course he does eventually meet an alchemist, and the ensuing student-teacher relationship clarifies much of the boy's misguided agenda, while also emboldening him to stay true to his dreams. "My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy confides to the alchemist one night as they look up at a moonless night. "Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself," the alchemist replies. "And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity." --Gail Hudson Customer Reviews: Rating: 
Date: 2008-07-06
Stay True To Yourself and Your Destiny
Have you ever dreamt to living out your wildest dreams and then talked yourself out of it? Are you unsure about taking that leap of faith and beginning your journey to greater self-discovery? If you answered, "yes" to either question, then please read on because The Alchemist is a book you'll want to sit back and enjoy.
The Alchemist has been a best selling self-development fable for twenty years. Brazilian author Paulo Coelho takes both the reader and the main character Santiago on a mystical journey of self-realization. In this novel of self-discovery, we learn that with faith, belief and action dreams really may come true.
The Alchemist is a well-written novel that weaves a fascinating tale of a young Spanish Shepard boy who leaves his country, his lively-hood and family in search of hidden treasure. This story mixes an interesting combination of magic, spiritual wonders, friendship, disappointment and life changing adventures.
The moral of this story: When you stay true to yourself and your destiny in life, the wisdom and power of the universe open up to you and your dreams.
Summary:
Told by a gypsy woman and a "king" that his fortune awaits him at the Pyramids of Egypt, Santiago the Shepard boy leaves his home in Spain to seek his life's treasure.
He is told that when a person wants something badly enough and believes it is their destiny to achieve it, the universe conspires to make it so. It is important, the king tells him, that he keep a lookout for and acts upon the "omens" that will show him the way.
Along this exotic journey in a foreign land he is robbed of his money, meets an educated Englishman who shares the dream of learning the secrets of the alchemist, finds the love of his life and ends up being the one chosen to be shown the ways of the wise "alchemist."
Santiago's journey for material treasure turns into a life changing spiritual transformation. He learns how to use his courage, inner faith and belief to discover the true treasures in life. Sometimes, your treasure is closer to home than you think.
My Recommendation:
This book is about understanding and listening to your heart and trusting your intuition. It is also about realizing that "things" may not always as they appear. In one way or another we are all Santiago the Shepard boy. The Alchemist is the universal tale of the journey we take in life - those life-changing journeys that test of our faith, belief and determination in our desire to live our true destiny.
If you're on a journey of self-discovery and inner wisdom, you'll appreciate this fable because it not only entertains but also teaches the life lesson of never giving up on yourself or your dream of personal greatness. The Alchemist is a great mix of self-discovery and fiction. It's good reading!
Rating: 
Date: 2008-07-05
Simplistic Stupidity
My book club choose this: it was so bad, I stayed home so I wouldn't hurt the hostess's feelings. Hated it: reminded me of Jonathan Livingstone Seagull. I like business self-help books, in moderation, but nothing in here struck me a relevent. Rating:
Date: 2008-07-02
a beautiful and inspiring story
the alchemist is one of the best books i've ever read! it's simple yet has a very deep meaning.. it's also touching and inspiring. i keep thinking about this story over weeks & months after i read it. i discuss it with my friend hersanto (he wrote a review about this book, too) who happens to love this book as well.
"when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." Rating: 
Date: 2008-07-02
amazing journey story
this is story about journey of pursuing dream. i give this book 4 stars because it is very inspiring, the story teaches us to have courage following our dreams. the story is well written, simple and fun to read. this is a kind of book that is good to accompany you when you are in journey Rating: 
Date: 2008-07-01
New Age Fable
Coehlo's prose is simple and eloquent and in the first pages there is a promise of a riveting story about self-discovery. However, it turns out Coehlo's new-age message is old, almost cliche. I kept thinking of the Alchemist as Obi-wan and Santiago as a slightly less annoying Luke Skywalker. I felt the climactic scene was when Santiago "transformed" into the wind, but even that reminded me of a children's book.. that one where the little bunny says he'll run away from the mother bunny but she says she'll transform herself into the wind or other elements to find him? So in that way, I found the book beautiful in its simplicity, irritating in its "spiritual message" and disappointing as its plot fell flat after Santiago left the crystal shop. Oh well... after all, there is "nothing new under the sun..." | 
