About Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist

The alchemist is often called as the best work of the Brazilian author Paulo Coelho . The book is divided into two parts. Now without much fuss ,here is the summary .

PART 1 of the Alchemist

The shepherd in The Alchemist

The Alchemist begins with Sandiago, a simple shepherd, who travelled through Andalusia . He had a recurrent dream about a treasure hidden near the Pyramids. He consulted a woman who could read and interpret dreams . She told him that he should go there and asked him for one-tenth of his treasure in return for the interpretation.

The boy thought about giving up the dream when a old man started talking with him. He revealed himself to be the king of Salem. He told him to instead pursue it and demands a tenth of his sheep in return. Sandiago did this and reaches Tarifa Tanger , a port town in Africa.

Africa in The Alchemist

Upon reaching there, he realized how different things were just two hours from Andalusia. He stumbled upon a person who pretended to be his friend but later steals all his money. With nowhere to go , Sandiago sleeps in the market. The next day, he met a crystal merchant at his shop which was situated on a hill and realizes that the Pyramids are far away than he had thought . The merchant employed him and he began to collect money so that he could return back to Andalusia and buy some sheep . This ends the first part of the alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

PART 2 of The Alchemist

The crystal salesman in The Alchemist

The boy in The Alchemist puts on a display of crystals near the shop to attract customers. Then he started serving tea in crystal glasses. The sales went on increasing and within a year he had enough money to go back to his country. Nevertheless he thought that Andalusia was just two hours away but the Pyramids were far away in the desert. He knew the sheep well but he didn’t know if the desert would be his friend.

He joined a caravan that is going to Egypt and met a young man who was in search of an alchemist. They quickly became friends. Sandiago also befriended a camel driver from the caravan. Then , one day ,they came to know that a tribal war has broken out . They start taking precautions to ensure safety. After some time , the people reached an oasis named Al-Fayoum. For oasis were neutral territories, they decided to stay there until the war had ended. It was there that he meets the alchemist.

Love and threat

The boy and the young man succeeded in finding out where the alchemist lived. Meanwhile Sandiago fell in love with an Arab girl , Fatima . One day , while he was watching two hawks fight each other, he saw a vision of an  army invading the oasis. He consulted his friend, the camel driver and he told him to meet the tribal chieftains.

He did so and their head told him that the next day they would break the Tradition that no one would carry arms at the oasis. For every ten men dead among the enemy, he would receive a piece of gold. But the Tradition was sacred and if the armies didn’t approach, one weapon would be used on him for arms were as treacherous as the desert and if not used, they may not function next time.

Meeting the alchemist

Sandiago was terrified at this and started to walk towards his tent. Suddenly the alchemist appeared on a steed  and threatened him for interfering in the way of God . He put a sword on his shoulder and demanded his response.

The shepherd answered him that he had only seen an army approaching the oasis, not the outcome of it. The alchemist seemed satisfied and told him that if he was still alive tomorrow evening, then he should come and find him. Before he could get far, Sandiago asked him where he lived. The man indicated the direction of his tent towards the south.

The invasion of the oasis

The next day, men were on the lookout for invading armies. Before noon , five hundred tribesman arrived and they attacked an empty tent in the centre. The men of the oasis killed all except one of the army, their leader. He confessed that as they were dying, he had chosen to take control of the oasis so as to be able to return to the battle.

The leader of the oasis said he was sorry but the Tradition was scared. He was killed without honor by hanging from a dead tree. Then he gathered his council and paid Sandiago fifty pieces of gold . He then asked him to become the counselor of the oasis.

The Alchemist and Sandiago

Sandiago went to see the alchemist in the evening. He came after some time with a pair of hawks on his shoulder which the boy suspected were the ones he had seen the day before. They had a feast of the dead birds which ended with the most delicious wine the boy had ever tasted. Afterwards they sat outside together in the moonlight. The alchemist noticed that the boy was feeling happier. He told the boy that the next day, at sunset, he should appear at his house with a horse . Camels, the alchemist said, were treacherous.

The next day as the sun had set, Sandiago appeared at the tent where the alchemist lived. He took some time before he appeared. He asked the boy to ride upon his horse and then mounted his own steed. They rode out into the desert. The alchemist told  him to find life in the desert. The boy didn’t know how to find life there, but his horse did.

Finding life in the desert with the Alchemist

Sandiago loosened it’s reins and it started to gallop forward. The alchemist followed him without question. After half an hour, the horse stopped and both of them descended upon the desert sands. They searched the rocks for any signs of life. Then,the alchemist put his hand into a hole in the ground and after a while , he found something and struggled with it. Then ,with a sudden motion, he jumped , with his hand bearing a black cobra. He drew a circle with his scimitar and left the snake in it.

It relaxed and after sometime, the alchemist erased the circle and off it went silenty into the desert. The boy and the alchemist conversed for a time . The alchemist explained Sandiago how life would be, if he chose to live in the oasis. No doubt, he would have money and fame, but he would think that it would have been better if he had continued his search.

The boy thought about this for a while.  His thoughts instantly reconciled when he told the alchemist that he was coming to the Pyramids. The later only said that they would leave before dawn.

Leaving Al-Fayoum with the alchemist

A couple of hours before leaving for the Pyramids, he, with the help of a fellow Arab , located Fatima’s tent. Then they both walked in the desert among the palm trees. They talked affectionately about their love and how they would long for each other. Later they separated and with sunrise, Sandiago was riding his horse in the desert alongside the alchemist.

The alchemist and the boy conversed about things ranging from the past he had left behind at the oasis, about alchemy and also the toughest challenges he would face just before the end of his journey. They came across the places where the tribal war was being waged. They continued in the desert to the Pyramids and at one day before sunset , danger unveiled in front of them.

Facing danger with the Alchemist

Hundreds of tribesmen suddenly appeared and captured them. They were taken to a military camp nearby where the alchemist gave the boy’s money to the chief. He explained that the boy was an alchemist with extraordinary powers. He also said that if he wanted, he could transform himself into the wind. The alchemist asked three days for preparation which the chief granted.

On the third day, the men went to Sandiago and he took them to a cliff. He conversed with the desert in the Language of the World. They talked about love and the desert agreed to give him its sands to help him . The wind came and talked with the boy. It said that he couldn’t become the wind. But the boy raised the wind’s curiosity about it’s powers so it started to fly harder. It suggested the boy to ask heaven for help and filled the sky with sand to help him talk.

Becoming the wind

Sandiago discussed with the sun about love and the Soul of the World. But even it didn’t have the power to transform a mortal into wind. It told the boy that he should talk with the hand that wrote all. He prayed and understood that the Soul of God was his own soul. He discovered that he could perform miracles.

The wind blew harder and faster. When it ceased, the men looked where he had been seating. He was , instead, standing far away. The tribesmen were terrified of the boy who transformed himself into the wind. But there were two persons who were smiling . The alchemist smiled because he had found his perfect student and the chief because that student had understood God’s glory.

Reaching near the end of journey

The chief provided the duo with an escort party for their safety.  When they reached a Coptic monastery, they let them go back to their camp.  The monk and the alchemist conversed .  He provided some materials to the alchemist. The alchemist converted lead into gold in front of their eyes.

He made four pieces of the golden disk. One he gave to the boy, one he kept for himself and the rest of the two he gave to the monk. Before they parted , the alchemist told a story about how people play an important role in history and normally they weren’t enlightened of it. After it’s completion, they bade each other farewell.

Finding the treasure

After several hours, he finally reached the Pyramids. He dismounted and climbed upon a dune. There in the moon’s shadow , they shone in front of him. He wept and cried. He then saw at the place where his tears had fallen . An omen told him to dig there for treasure and so he did. Hours later, three persons approached him. They took the gold from him and suspecting that he had hidden more gold there, they made him continue digging.

They started beating him. As he felt death was near , he announced that he was digging for treasure and about his dream. The leader among them said that he hasn’t got more gold. Before leaving, he told the boy that he shouldn’t have been foolish enough to believe in dreams.

He recounted that he too had a reccurent dream that he should travel to an ancient church where an ancient sycamore had grown in the sacristy and would obtain a treasure.  After they left, the boy stood up and laughed because he had realized now where his treasure was.

Epilogue of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

It was late night when the boy reached the fallen castle. He thought of all the things he came across on his journey. He fell asleep and when he rised, the sky had already filled with sunlight. He began digging at the base of the sycamore. About a couple of hours later, the boy had before him a chest filled with treasure. He thought that life really was generous to those who followed their dreams. The wind carried to him the touch of a kiss, from Fatima and he said to the wind that he was coming to her.

Great quotes from The Alchemist

• When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.
• It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.
• When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.
• The simple things are also the most extraordinary things.
• Everything that happens once can never happen again. But everything that happens twice will surely happen a third time.
• Every blessing ignored becomes a curse.
• You will never be able to escape from your heart. So it’s better to listen to what it has to say.
• Making a decision is only the beginning of things.

Rating: 5/5. Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist is a great read for everyone.

Available: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is available on both Amazon and Flipkart.

Final review about The Alchemist

The Alchemist authored by Paulo Coelho is my favorite book so far . It has everything a great book needs , be it good characters, a treasure hunt or the wonderful lessons it teaches. I have read many times and each time I read it once more,it causes the same excitement as before. It speaks of the treasures we seek elsewhere and later find them at our doorsteps. So, give this book a try and it would blow you away with it’s story and knowledge.

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Thanks for reading, dear readers 😉

To read the review and summary of The subtle art of not giving a f*ck, click here.

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