Book Review: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Indulging in the simple life of a shepherd set to make it on his own, Santiago; or more so referred to as just ‘the boy’; used to make ends meet by selling the fleece of his sheep. Despite this being sufficient for his needs, his cravings to venture out into the world burned a bright flame in his heart. His fate however changes forever with the unexpected encounter of an old god/king (the fabled King of Salem, Melchizedek) who promises him the location of supposed hidden treasure in exchange for one tenth of the flock of his sheep.  Going with instinct and letting the omens guide him, Coelho takes us through the eyes of the boy on a spiritual journey that overwhelms the reader with the turn of every page. The boy encounters individuals, who leave stone footprints in his life, guiding lights on a breathtaking journey posed as a king, a gypsy, an Englishman, and an alchemist; all of whom ultimately bring him to realize that the real treasure; the very reason he ventured out from Spain and onto the Pyramids in the midst of the Sahara desert; was found within the journey itself.
A strong story portrayed by an omniscient narrator, lets the reader reminiscent off fairy tales, enhancing the spiritual essence of this not so blatant tale. Starting off as a fable about a shepherd boy named Santiago from the Andalusia area of Southern Spain; Paulo Coelho gives flight to the wings of excitement and adventure; spinning this tale into something far beyond the creative and soulful capacity of mere men, filled with enlightening and profound truths.