With all the glowing reviews about The Alchemist, I was afraid it wouldn’t live up to the hype, but I ended up reading it twice. First was to end 2018 and then again to begin 2019.
Funny enough, and not to sound too church-y, but I kept thinking “these are just a lot of repurposed Bible stories.” Which I loved, but it struck me as particularly poignant that this was so widely received and influential to many. Frankly, I finally picked it up based on its prevalence in online dating profiles. Men seem infatuated with finding their personal legend – a sense of purpose, a girl who will wait faithfully as he pursues it, even though he’s penniless and without direction.
To calm the noise in one’s head, to believe in a guiding force, to harness the power of the divine within ourselves, to trust that all things work together for our good… Well, that’s all Biblical. It may be some of the most pure lessons of Christianity (or Judaism for those only beholden to the Old Testament). I mean, the main character chose to be a shepherd and travel… Come on. If you’ve never read the book of Acts, it’s like the original gangsters log of travel and miraculous happenings.
All in, I’d likely read this again. It’s a practical means of inspiration and easily digestible as well as a quick read.
