The Alchemist

Similar to the beloved bestseller Jonathan Livingston Seagull, The Alchemist tells a simple fable rooted in basic truths but places it in a distinctly unique setting. While it may appear to follow a tried-and-true formula for success, this is nothing new; even the ancient tribal storytellers recognized that this was the most effective way to both entertain an audience and impart a lesson or two. Paulo Coelho, a Brazilian storyteller, introduces us to Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who has a dream one night of a treasure hidden in the Egyptian pyramids. Santiago sets out on a journey to literally follow his dream, encountering various spiritual messengers along the way, including a camel driver and a well-read Englishman. In one of the Englishman's books, Santiago first learns about the alchemists - men who believed that if a metal were heated for many years, it would free itself of all its individual properties and what would remain would be the "Soul of the World." Santiago eventually meets an alchemist, and the resulting student-teacher relationship clarifies much of the boy's misguided ambitions while also strengthening his resolve to remain true to his dreams. One moonless night, as they gaze at the stars, the boy confides in the alchemist, "My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer."