Since the title itself contains a mini-spoiler, we don’t risk much by telling you that this book starts off with the suicide of a young girl named Veronika. However, if the words “if you really want something, the universe will conspire to make it happen” make you roll your eyes so hard they cross over into international waters – this might not be the best Paulo Coelho book for you, so keep reading on down the list. Hundreds of thousands of readers have been deeply touched by this story. It further explores other deep issues like our connection to the universe, our ability to be one with our surroundings.Īs the title itself hints at, Santiago’s path leads him to undergo a deep transformation – spiritual alchemy, not the turning anything into gold kind- in order to achieve his Personal Legend.
It explores the topic of fulfilment of destiny, of the truth inside every person that needs to be lived out, of following your heart, no matter what. Personal Legends are the main Leitmotif of this book. Santiago then decides to sell his sheep to cover the costs of his voyage across the Mediterranean, and embarks on a journey that will ultimately take him to fulfil his “Personal Legend”. Curious to know if it means anything, he consults gypsy, and she interprets the dream as a prophecy, announcing he will find a treasure in Egypt. The main character in The Alchemist is Santiago, a shepherd from Andalusia (a region in Southern Spain) with a recurring dream. We’re going to briefly explore the best books by Paulo Coelho, but as you can see, if none of the titles below tickle your fancy – you have quite a long list to choose from! Today, it is one of the most translated books by a living author, and Coelho has since written a prolific 30 books, 3 of which are autobiographical. After its success in the European country, it was propelled to its current world-wide best-seller status. Although the initial ripples of interest for the book were small, it became a best-seller after its translation into French.
The Alchemist determined his international success. He wrote the autobiographical The Pilgrimage, and decided to dedicate himself full-time to be an author. This incident spurred his inner novelist. It was in Spain, on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in 1986, where he had his spiritual awakening. Coelho had a rebellious streak, and after leaving Law School he embraced the hippie life that reigned supreme in the 70’s decade, travelling throughout Latin America and Europe.
0 kommentar(er)
