Have you ever hear about The Alchemist? It's really popular because a lot of famous people read this novel. Is this a good novel?
The story of this novel is about the journey of an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who had a dream about himself go to Egypt to search his treasure. After awake from his dream, he asks a woman who can interpret the dream and she said that he has to go to Egypt to find his treasure. He also meets a wise old king and the old king said that he has to pursue his dream. This old king also introduces him about Personal Legend that is something that you want to accomplish. When he finally arrives at Africa, he was robbed and working in a crystal merchant to have money and continue his dream. After he has enough money, he continued his journey and met Englishman, Fatima (a girl that he falls in love with), and the wise alchemist. The alchemist teaches him to realize his true self. In the end, Santiago can found his treasure.
When I first see this novel, I was afraid that I cannot understand the message from this novel because I thought that this book using idioms or older English for some reason since this book was published in 1993 in the English version.
When I received this book and read it for 24 hours, I already fall in love with this book and took a lot of notes from this novel. I love how Coelho writes this novel and explain it one by one, even sometimes I don't know who is the boy that was mention in this book since most of the characters are boy, but after keep read it I finally realize who is that boy which was mention earlier. The language used in this book is quite easy to understand, or maybe it because in this edition has a new introduction by the author.
I bought the 25th-anniversary edition of this book. This book is 171 pages, with extra 5 pages are the prologue of Warrior of the Light, and 2 pages about the author. It really small book and very light, so if you want to bring this book to read while you transport to somewhere else it is quite comfortable. But if you are a heavy reader, you will think that this book is not enough because I only need less than 2 days to finish this book (I did it in my spare time).
I would personally recommend this novel to someone who willing to pursue their dream but they find difficulties to keep their dream because of several reasons. Example (taken from the story):
There is baker who want to travel, but instead of travel he decided to buy his bakery and put money aside. When he already old, he is going to spend a month in Africa. He never realized that people are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of. "He should have decided to become a shepherd" said Santiago, "Well, he thought about that", the old man said. "But bakers are more important people than shepherds. Bakers have homes, while shepherds sleep out in the open. Parents would rather see their children marry bakers than shepherds."
From that passage, we can learn that sometimes in life we think that our dream is impossible because it just in our imagination and we don't dare to make it come true. Sometimes we keep our dream as a dream and do things that logically right for us, like the baker. He has a dream to travel, but instead of doing that he becomes a baker and puts away his dream. After becoming an old man, the desire to travel is reduced little by little and in the end, he cannot pursue his dream.
Here are several quotes that I like from this novel:
1. World's greater lie:
It's this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become control by fate, That's the world's greatest lie.
It means that we have 100% control of our lives and here is no control by fate. We should believe in ourselves and choose our own Personal Legend, which is something that you want to accomplish in this life.
2. Mysterious force that convince people to think that their Personal Legend is impossible:
It's a force that appears to be negative, but actually shows you how to realize your Personal Legend. It prepares your spirit and your will, because there is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on earth.
When we finally know what we want to do in our lives, sometime there is another voice in our head that say our dream is impossible. If you believe in your dream, you will think that this voice shall pass and help you to follow your dream.
3. Universe helping you:
When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it
This quote is really popular, and a lot of people really motivated by this quote. I was a dreamer also motivated by this quote in order to achieve my dream.
4. Live your present:
When people consult me, it's not that I'm reading the future; I am guessing at the future. The future belongs to God, and it is only he who reveals it, under extra-ordinary circumstances. How do I guess at the future? Based on the omens of the present. The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better. Forget about the future, and live each day according to the teachings, confident that God loves his children. Each day, in itself, brings with it an eternity.
Live your present, because your future is like a present. Let it be surprising in your life. When we are well prepared in the present, I believe that we can through the future easily. When its good things will happen, we will be happy. But when it be a bad thing, we can learn something from it.
5. Anxiety
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, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity.
This quote means that we don't have to afraid of what will happen or afraid of suffering in the future. Because when we do so, in the end, we will meet God and it kind of waste your time and energy to do so.
Not only those quotes but inside this book also have a lot of good quotes, including love. I really love this book and hope you will like it too. If you already read this book, please comment below about your feeling regarding this book! Thank you~