by Paulo Coelho Alan R. Clarke (Translator) Published April 1993

Every few decades a book is published that changes the lives of its readers forever. The Alchemist is such a book.

With over a million and a half copies sold around the world, The Alchemist has already established itself as a universally admired modern classic. Paulo Coelho's charming fable, now available in English for the first time, is inspiring, enchanting and instantly became a classic in my bookcase.

The Alchemist is the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of an extravagant worldly treasure. From his home in Spain he journeys to the markets of Tangiers and then across the Egyptian desert to a fateful encounter with the alchemist.

The story of the treasures Santiago finds along the way illustrates, as few stories have done, the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and - above all - following our dreams.

A wise man informs young Santiago that "to realize one's destiny is a person's only real obligation," and that life is full of omens one must read and follow. The surprise ending is perfectly wrought, and a satisfying conclusion to this slim volume of sensual and mental pleasures.

Beneath this novel's compelling story and beyond the elegance with which it's told, lies a bedrock of wisdom. Coelho teaches the lesson of following one's heart with originality, dignity and without excess emotion.

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