Addictive Book - The Alchemist

Sitting under the canopy of a guava tree and basking in its shade, where the warm rays of the sun penetrated through the tree gaps were a group of friends that engaged in freaky chatters. It also included discussions about the best books that each one read. Incidentally “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho was a top priority in each of our bucket lists!! Books are supposed to be our next best companions.

 It was a remote village with a rich spread of green. Cows were busy grazing on it. The chirpy birds set out on their mission of quest for food. It was like an escapade to a tranquil terrain that was far away from the bustling grind of the city. What drew our attention was the unusual presence of a library.

We the foursome frolicked were intrigued and set foot on this huge library. The silence was killing with the inmates deeply engrossed in reading their choicest of books. Each of us parted to our most liked departments to spend some time with the books here. The Librarian saw me fidgeting with the books. And Voila! What she handed over to me “The Alchemist”, by Paulo Coelho and suggested me to read it. My joy knew no bounds and I quickly obliged the librarian. I’d hardly finished 23 pages of it and it seemed unputdownable. I bid a bye to the rest of my friends as they had to take the evening train to reach their respective cities. I postponed my trip for the sake of completing this book. This would gauge the true value of this book and how best I liked it!

The story is about a young boy from Spain, Santiago who is a shepherd. Though he’s got great admiration for his sheep, he realizes that they are oblivious to nature and have no goals in life except looking down and grazing. He buries himself in a mound of books while herding them and dreams a lot. The wanderlust in him takes him places. He dreams of a treasure hidden in Egyptian Pyramids repeatedly and has a burning desire to unearth it. On his way, he stumbles upon a Gypsy woman, A king and an Alchemist who helps him in his direction of fulfilling his dream. Finally, he accomplishes his dreams successfully, though he’s faced with many challenges. He also meets his lady love Fathima in the process of a treasure hunt.

That said, It makes for a good read. The book throws light on self-discovery. To pursue our dreams, follow our hearts and realize them without ever giving up, despite the challenges and the perspective to explore life in myriad ways. I’m sure all of them, both young and old would enjoy reading this book given its lucidity and adventure.

The most fascinating line that caught my attention while reading was “ When you want something, all the universe conspires you to achieve it “.

So the next time, you go on a book-binge, see to it that your bookshelf is richer with “The Alchemist”!!