I finished reading the novel last night. It's a short read, 170 pages. The book first published in 1988, has acquired international acclaim for the Brazilian author, Paulo Coelho. The book has sold over20 million copies and has been translated into over sixty languages. Coehlo studied alchemy for ten years and incorporated his experiences into his novel.
The story reads like a fable; it is the story of Santiago, a Spanish sheperd boy. Santiago is driven by a recurring dream and the desire to travel. His parents want him to become a priest; he felt it was his calling to travel and see the world. Santiago receives a blessing from his father and begins his journey. Along the way, Santiago has an encounters with a gypsy, king, beautiful woman, soldiers, and an alchemist. He receives advice from all in the pursuit of his personal legend(his dream).
Coelho explores faith, spirituality and the pursuit of one's dreams by looking at you heart. Santiago is a reader of books, he questions why he should read. A fellow traveler tells him that we need books to understand. As he wanders the desert, Santiago tells us, "Men dream more about coming home than about leaving". Santiago offers advice about personal identity, belonging, growing up. I see the book very popular with youn readers.
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