I had the fortune yesterday evening to finally finish The Alchemist, a beautiful fable by Paulo Coelho. I've been reading this book for a while, keeping it in my purse to read when I had time to spare. I read this book in waiting rooms, at the salon, as I got my oil changed, at the spa, I may have even read a few pages in line at Disneyland. And often I found myself not as invested in the book as I'd like.
As I read the book, I wondered why it was so widely loved. Why was this book a best seller?
Then, as I read the last words, a smile formed on my lips and I realized what made this book so remarkable.
This is not the only book that I've had this reaction to. Life of Pi lost me during my initial reading, but won me over in the final pages. I think, with books like these two, it's not the story itself, but rather the very questions it raises in your soul.
In the introduction to the book, Coelho discusses the importance of seeking our personal legend. The story reinforces this, and while at times I felt a disconnect from Santiago's journey, I never felt disconnected from his desire.
I consider myself a fairly spiritual person, someone who is constantly questioning the world around me and reading the signs thrown my way. The Alchemist has me thinking about my own life, and hoping that my own personal legend will show itself to me.
For this ability to keep my mind racing, The Alchemist is worth a read, and definitely deserves it's distinction as a best seller. As a purse read, a book to suck me in when the world around me isn't quite so interesting, I could have chosen something a bit different. I think this book would have done better as a single day read.
Still, despite my lackluster reaction during the process, I highly recommend this work.
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