A book review on The Alchemist written by Paulo Coelho and published in 1988.
The Alchemist is a rather unique book in comparison to the many books I’ve read through the years.
It follows the story of a young Shepard boy who is on a path to treasure or so it seems at first glance. But upon further inspection there may be more than meets the eye.
There may never be a book more packed with metaphors and allegories. This is a pro and a con in regards to writing a novel. It makes it rather lackluster to read just the story and take it at face value. The plot may seem boring and uninventful. This is due to the emphasis on metaphorical writing that detracts from storytelling.
If you look deeper however the book transforms and becomes an entirely different beast. With clever intricacies to incorporate the hidden meanings and the story becomes much more riveting as you sit and wonder how the author will manage to incorporate the metaphorical aspect into the next segment and what lesson there is to ponder.
A great philosophical read for those willing to look for it.
A mediocre plot for those who want a casual read and can’t be bothered.
All-in-all it’s a good book but its placement as an all time classic is most certainly debatable.