Paulo Coelho’s novel, “The Alchemist,” is one of the most widely-circulated and inspirational pieces of literature in existence today. The book offers an entertaining plot, spiritual guidance and a beautiful worldview.
The archetypal hero of the story is a boy named Santiago who leaves his peaceful life as a shepherd in Spain to pursue a treasure revealed to him in a recurring dream. The quest is never easy or certain, but Santiago perseveres and develops a mature understanding of his place in the world as a result.
The book reads like a mythology or folk story with magical realism and omens. Each student pursuing an education at DU can relate to the young Santiago who would not have started nor completed his transformative journey without the assistance of various mentors.
Seasoned and periodic book readers alike can enjoy the short novel. Sometimes, it can look like celebrities recommend books as marketing or publicity stunts. However, when former President Bill Clinton, Will Smith, Madonna, Julia Roberts, Oprah and Pharrell Williams are among the ranks of readers, the inspirational qualities of the book are certain.
The number of translations and copies sold are purely numerical evaluations, which do not always reflect the quality of a book’s content. “Fifty Shades of Grey” may have sold over 100 million copies worldwide, but it is not the next “Iliad.” However, when it comes to “The Alchemist,” its global popularity is an accurate reflection of its quality content and Coehlo’s prioritization of inclusivity.
Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian novelist, musician, journalist, theatre director and lyricist with a net worth of $500 million. He has lived an incredible life, inspiring multiple biographies and a movie.
His religiously devout parents opposed his desire to write professionally and committed him to a mental institution from which he escaped multiple times. During his pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago in Spain, Coelho was spiritually transformed. Against all odds and despite the hardships of failure, he continued to write and followed the advice he described in the novel:
“Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.”
He continued to struggle as an author until 1988 when at the age of 41, The Alchemist grew in popularity. One of his most iconic lines can easily apply to his own incredible success story:
“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
The parallels between Coelho’s trialsome pursuit of his dream and his character’s difficult journey are evident. He wrote the novel in only two weeks because it “was already written in [his] soul.” Had he ignored that voice, he might have given up on his dream to write.
“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
To the benefit of millions of readers today, Coelho did achieve great success. He holds the Guinness World Record for the most translated book by any living author, in part because of his efforts to utilize local publishers and tour extensively.
Often, what gets recognized as a “great work” of literature is informed by euro-centric bias. Coelho felt honored to achieve so much recognition as a Brazilian author, with the original text written in Portuguese. He even toured to small countries like Slovenia and Latvia to achieve greater inclusivity.
The author also created a website called The Pirate Coelho with links to free online copies of The Alchemist in a myriad of languages. Coelho thinks the concept of copyrights and the institution of publishers are outdated. He prefers to share his work, free of charge online so that loyal and supportive readers can choose to purchase a hardcopy.
The Alchemist stayed on the NYT Book Review bestsellers list for over 427 weeks. It has been published in over 170 countries and translated into over 82 languages. The book’s global influence is a testament to its inspirational content, relevant to anyone trying to find their purpose, passion and bliss.
