BOOK REVIEW-The Alchemist (novel)

RENSON TOMY(5015)

 

This is the story of Santiago, a shepherd boy who dreams of traveling the world and discovering treasures, and is courageous enough to walk in the direction of his desires. In order to realize the best that his destiny has to offer, he travels from his home in Spain, through the markets of Tangiers, and into the great Egyptian desert. He gets duped, experiences love, loses and makes money, learns a different language, meets different people, finds himself in pleasant and not-so- pleasant situations. His journey is full of adventure and lessons, while he also finds the privilege of meeting a king, a desert woman and an alchemist, each adding to his life new turns and perceptions.


   The book emphasizes the values of spirituality, faith, hope and love through symbolic narration of a fascinating story of an ordinary boy with extra-ordinary beliefs. It teaches its readers, in a very subtle and effective way, the power of positivity. Also, the desert locations that the book encompasses lend a greater mystique to the plot.


    One thing, according to me, that the World definitely needs the most now is positivity. I’m glad this book is a bestseller because it instills positivity into its readers. The book says that “to realize one’s destiny is a person’s only real obligation”. It not just ‘says’, it makes you believe! I have never been to a desert, but the narrative is so strong that I actually experienced being in the midst of a vast desert. The author not only gives a factual description of the scene, but describes also the feelings and emotions vividly. 

I felt the same rush of emotions through me. The narrative is fast paced in the beginning, but slows down towards the middle with sudden twists leading to thrilling portions towards the end. Honestly, I didn’t know how to react at the conclusion of the book. At first it seemed as if the conclusion had disappointed me, but then, after a few moments of thoughts, I realized that the book managed to solve its purpose to make the reader understand that having faith in your destiny can actually lead you to realizing it. Now I think twice before cursing my destiny. There is always a bigger plan that we fail to comprehend.