The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist

by Paulo Coelho

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Personal Growth & Leadership

A young Andalusian shepherd named Santiago keeps dreaming of treasure near the Egyptian pyramids, and goes after it. Paulo Coelho's 1988 novel, first published in Portuguese as O Alquimista, makes that journey a fable about the Personal Legend each person has.

Core ideas
  • The Personal Legend: An old man calling himself King Melchizedek introduces it, and the best-known line says that when you truly want something, the universe conspires to help.
  • The road there: Robbed in Tangier, Santiago works for a crystal merchant, crosses the desert with an Englishman studying alchemy and meets Fatima and the alchemist.
  • Back where it began: Beaten and robbed at the pyramids, he learns the treasure lies back where he first dreamed of it.
Published1988
Pages182
ISBN9780062315007
ReadJan 2020

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