1-sentence-summary: the alchemist is a classic novel in which a boy named santiago embarks on a journey in search of treasure in the pyramids of egypt after having a recurring dream about it and along the way she meets mentors, falls in love and most importantly learns the true importance of who she is and how to improve and focus on what really matters in life.
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Paulo Coelho only took two weeks to write the original Portuguese version of The Alchemist in 1987. He could write that fast because, as he said, the book “was already written in my soul.” .” And though it didn’t sell well at first, the universe conspired to make Coelho’s dream come true, and the book became a hit.
Today, it has sold more than 65 million copies. It has spent more than 315 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. and the book also holds the Guinness World Record for the most translated book by a living author.
is also setting a record here for four-minute books as our first fiction book summary.
So why did we choose to summarize it? We know that Gregory Cowles was right when she wrote in the New York Times that the book “is more self-help than literature. but that hasn’t hurt readers.”
and honestly, we’ve read it and regardless of what cowles or anyone says, the book really is full of lessons that will improve your life beyond anything you could have imagined. we know because that’s what he’s done for us.
These are just 3 of the many inspiring and eye-opening lessons from the alchemist:
- You have a personal legend that you must follow if you want to be happy and fulfilled.
- Your fear is holding you back more than anything else.
- “ the secret of Life, however, is falling down seven times and getting up eight times.”
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Let’s jump right into this wonderful book and see how much we can learn!
lesson 1: if you want to achieve your greatest goals and feel fulfilled, you must follow your personal legend.
The story begins with a young Spanish shepherd who has a recurring dream. it happens every time he sleeps under a sycamore tree outside an old church building. In the dream, the boy hears from a boy that he must go to the Egyptian pyramids to look for a treasure.
after meeting with a gypsy woman to find out what the dream means, the boy is surprised when she says she needs to go to egypt.
To further complicate matters, an old man named Melchizedek says the same thing to the boy. this time, however, the man uses the word “personal legend” to explain what the young man must do.
after some deliberation, the boy decides to follow his personal legend and head to the pyramids. he sells his sheep and begins his journey by going to tangier.
Throughout the rest of the book, he constantly encounters obstacles to his personal legend. but at every step she surpasses them to find success and fulfillment.
You also have a personal legend. is as unique as you. you may already know what it is and just need the courage to go after it. Whether it’s a career, family, health, or other aspiration, you must overcome everything that’s holding you back so you can pursue your biggest dreams.
once you start, the whole universe will conspire to make this happen. but that does not mean that you will be without difficulties.
lesson 2: stop being afraid if you want to eliminate the barriers that prevent you from progressing.
The boy soon arrives in Tangier. the culture and language, which he cannot speak, amazes him. this leads to someone stealing all the money from him. Worse still, he fears that he has made the wrong decision and almost returns to Spain.
but remembering what melchizedek taught him, the young man pays attention to the omens around him. he recommits to his personal legend and starts working for a local crystal dealer.
The merchant recognizes the boy’s presence as a good omen and listens to his advice that the man should take more risks with the business. this pays off and the two eventually become rich.
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The merchant knows his personal legend and recognizes that the boy’s presence is an omen that he must go after him. but he is too afraid to follow him and stays where he is.
Instead, the young man uses his money to bravely continue his journey to Egypt.
You too must fulfill your dreams, even when you are afraid of the unknown path ahead. fear is the most important thing in your way of living the life you want and only by overcoming it can you live life to the fullest.
lesson 3: get up more times than you fall down and you will never fail.
As the young man’s journey continues, he meets an Englishman who tells him about an alchemist who can turn lead into gold. eventually the two stop at al-fayoum as part of the caravan they are traveling with.
While there, the boy uses his new ability to read omens to foresee an attack on the oasis. this draws the alchemist’s attention. the two eventually meet and he becomes the young man’s mentor. the alchemist also declares the importance of personal legends.
With what he learns from the alchemist, the boy becomes wind when a tribe of Arab soldiers captures them and threatens to kill them. The alchemist continues to teach the boy, but they must eventually part ways before the young man reaches Egypt.
When he arrives in Egypt, he starts digging for his treasure, only to be immediately beaten up and robbed again. One of the men tells him of his own dream in which he would find a treasure under a tree in an abandoned church in Spain.
The boy recognizes this omen and now knows where his treasure really is. He returns to Spain to find it in the exact place where he had his first dream and uses it to continue fulfilling his personal legend.
Like this young man, you will fall during your journey. but if you commit to getting up every time and keep going, the universe will once again conspire to get you right where you need to be.
alchemist review
The Alchemist is a classic and one of my favorite books. It’s insightful, thought-provoking, a great story, and shares some of the best principles I know of for living a happier, more successful life. I enjoy learning symbolism and fictional stories, and this is one of the best in my opinion!
Who would you recommend The Alchemist Summary to?
the 37-year-old who always wanted to become a writer and work for herself but feels trapped in her office job, the 17-year-old who wants to live a full and intelligent life, and anyone who is tired of He lives as a child and wants to overcome his fears and fulfill his personal legend.