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Nefik's review

The Alchemist (Plus)
by Paulo Coelho (Goodreads author!)

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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/865.The_Alchemist?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Alchemist (Plus)" border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/412eSm-0qCL._SL160_.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/865.The_Alchemist?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">The Alchemist</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/566.Paulo_Coelho">Paulo Coelho</a> 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6928283?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
 rating: 5 of 5 stars In her review, Ioana wrote:
 
 ...."The language is quite simple, which can be beautiful (read: Herman Hesse); however it comes off as quite redundant and sermonic. Every other sentence contains at least one reference to either "The Soul of the World", or "The Personal Legend", or "Follow Your Heart" with a big fat capital H. By the end of the novel I am skimming most passages.
 
 The characters are flat (I didn't really "feel" them, what they were going through, and there was no character development), and the storyline resembled that of a children's folktale (I like folktales).
 
 Overall, it was a worthwhile read given that it only took a couple hours, presented some interesting ideas (albeit, without illustrating any of them satisfactorily), and removed me to the Spanish countryside/Arabian desert for a bit (I am a sucker for folktales, and if this book is nothing else, it would make a lovely illustrated children's book)."
 
 I think this sums up in a few words what the book is about. Simple. Feel Good. Motivational. Folktale. 
 
 It also brings many of the baggage of those themes with that. Certainly it at times does appear to be able to reach deep within people like Corie whom said in her review:
 
 "If you are looking for a nice meaty book filled with twists, turns and life-like characters - this is NOT your book. Wait until you are more in a more introspective mood. Coelho's prose is simplistic and at times childish. And the read is easy - I finished in around an hour and a half I suppose. But the meanings left scattered throughout the chapters are intense and authentic. Omens and signs - all around us, the universe directing us and helping us, wanting us to succeed. All we have to do is be aware - to listen. "
 
 and Micha does add a good point against it:
 
 "Let me only point to the fact that there is now an “Illustrated Alchemist” version of the book. If ones personally philosophy can be illustrated as a comic book then perhaps it is a tad bit on the simple side. "
 
 Despite all this I would have to disagree with April's comments in Eleanor's review:
 
 "This book is intended for people with passion and drive. Its not just a novel - for entertainment reading. The story is simple - exactly! thats the beauty of the book - its simplicity. But with that simplicity is a complex philosophy that you obviously don't get because you took the story literally."
 
 The book I would say caters to people with depression and lack of drive more than it inspires. Deep down, I felt I was reading for entertainment and that's why it came off as complex to me because deep down the protagonist is a Mary Sue and that's why it caters to me because like a Mary Sue done well, it tries to connect the reader who is apathetic or hopeless or depressed and tries to show them that maybe there is something out there just worth grasping for and yet I get a feeling that people who do grasp for the message in the Alchemist will find that the book isn't deep at all and certainly many of the other reviews properly represent that.
 
 That's why I rated it as amazing. It's just one of those books that no one can really tell someone how bad it is until the reader actually finds out for himself and I doubt those who have read many books will find it astounding it all but not everyone reads a tons of books and for what it's worth, I think a book that can attach itself and inspire someone to read further deserves no less a rating than amazing.
 
 The Alchemist is simply that kind of book that manages to do so by being short enough, shallow enough, deep enough and hyped enough to cater to a generation of casual readers.
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/429251?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Nefik's review
rating:
bookshelves: philosophy, spirituality
recommended for: optimists, cynics and dreamers

In her review, Ioana wrote:

...."The language is quite simple, which can be beautiful (read: Herman Hesse); however it comes off as quite redundant and sermonic. Every other sentence contains at least one reference to either "The Soul of the World", or "The Personal Legend", or "Follow Your Heart" with a big fat capital H. By the end of the novel I am skimming most passages.

The characters are flat (I didn't really "feel" them, what they were going through, and there was no character development), and the storyline resembled that of a children's folktale (I like folktales).

Overall, it was a worthwhile read given that it only took a couple hours, presented some interesting ideas (albeit, without illustrating any of them satisfactorily), and removed me to the Spanish countryside/Arabian desert for a bit (I am a sucker for folktales, and if this book is nothing else, it would make a lovely illustrated children's book)."
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message 1: by Gilbert

10/12/2007 11:25PM

Thank you for quoting other's review's. Your review seems to be more communal and objective because of the time you spent quoting other's to state your own point.