shantelldanielle's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. It has so many life lessons in it. And I appreciated the biblical significance and tie-in's.
laceygage's review
1.0
I didn’t enjoy this book at all. I wanted it to end immediately beginning at the midway point. I understand what the meaning is behind the book, but I don’t care. I hated every character, and it was a boring read.
abookishone's review against another edition
3.0
While I am a fan of Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist," I am somewhat ambivalent about the graphic novel version. The story is the same, but truncated to adapt to the artistic format. I am familiar with the tale but had a hard time following this version for some reason...easy to miss tiny bits of dialogue that matter later. It just feels rushed.
The art is beautiful, however...I enjoyed this book, but it is not a keeper.
The art is beautiful, however...I enjoyed this book, but it is not a keeper.
bluenicorn's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. It was alright. I guess I thought it would be more philosophy than vague parables sending out a god vibe. I'm glad I read the graphic novel instead of the book, both because it was faster, and I feel like I got enough of the overall idea to know that I would probably have felt robbed of some of my life if I had read the book. I could see people finding this good for self-help and direction, but maybe it was just my mood- it just didn't work for me.
kristinaray717's review against another edition
2.0
It was ok. Years ago I attempted reading the original novel but I couldn’t get into it. So when I saw the graphic version at the library it seemed like a great way to get the gist of the story without forcing myself through the original. The story and concepts weren’t anything new or revolutionary for me, it actually reminded me of a few other books especially The Celestine Prophesy.
alexandrac's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
2.75
08151991j's review against another edition
3.0
I was not really interested in this book. There was really not a plot, and the objective the boy had to achieve was too easy for him. He had help from people in various ways before he even got to the pyramid. Even when the boy got to the pyramid he did not fully reach his mission to find the gold. The main character was too focused on himself even when he helped others it was for him to achieve his goals
The main character was also stubborn, and lustful and those personalitirs does not seem fit for a boy who grew up religiously. We do not even get background information. The artwork was okay as well. Some of the characters looked to similar. We as readers learn not to give up on our dreams, but also to look into our hearts for guidance in decision making. God is willing to help us in the right path as long as we believe in him.
The main character was also stubborn, and lustful and those personalitirs does not seem fit for a boy who grew up religiously. We do not even get background information. The artwork was okay as well. Some of the characters looked to similar. We as readers learn not to give up on our dreams, but also to look into our hearts for guidance in decision making. God is willing to help us in the right path as long as we believe in him.
bloodravenlib's review against another edition
5.0
I had read The Alchemist before, in Spanish, a few years back, and I have to say I read at a good time in my life when, much as the book describes, I was in pursuit of my personal legend. So, when I saw there was a graphic novel adaptation of the book, I was very interested. I think the adaption by Derek Ruiz does a good job of bringing the novel to life for readers. The art by Daniel Sampere is well suited to the tale. The art is colorful, and it brings the setting of the tale to life. The graphic novel is a very easy book to read; it took me a couple of hours to get through it, and it is book you may want to reread again that still captures Coelho's message pretty well. I think also that some readers may want to find the full text novel to better savor the prose as well as take more of Coelho's message in. Overall, a nice inspirational tale and a nice reading experience. It is the tale of shepherd Santiago who has a dream and then goes forth on a quest to find a treasure, but what will he find, if anything? And who will he meet along the way? I can tell you he will meet various people along his journey, each with lessons to offer. And on an interesting note about the art, the artist used the likeness of Paulo Coelho for one of the characters, so be on the lookout for that.
Libraries with graphic novel collections will probably want to add this one. I would say teens and up would be a good audience for the book. If you have not read the novel before, this is a good way to do it. If you, like me, have read the novel before, this adaptation may help you appreciate it a bit more.
Libraries with graphic novel collections will probably want to add this one. I would say teens and up would be a good audience for the book. If you have not read the novel before, this is a good way to do it. If you, like me, have read the novel before, this adaptation may help you appreciate it a bit more.
philipf's review against another edition
1.0
I got halfway through this and decided I just wasn’t interested in its message, which is similar to The Secret’s hogwash about how you can achieve anything by wishing for it hard enough.
zoemig's review against another edition
3.0
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho was originally published in 1988 and has since become a worldwide success. It is the story of a boy, Santiago, who became a shepherd to travel but then sells his sheep to head towards the Egyptian pyramids and find a treasure he has dreamed of. Not knowing what the treasure even is, he is forced to rely on himself and his faith to get him through the journey and the obstacles he will face. However along the way Santiago encounters many people including a man who says he was a king, a man who sells crystal, an alchemist, and a beautiful woman. As Santiago travels far from his homeland he learns to trust others despite being wronged, learns to follow his own personal legacy, and finally realizes that all he wanted was closer than he ever imagined.
I originally read The Alchemist as part of an extremely short-lived high school book club about six years ago, and I absolutely loved the book at the time. Earlier this year I picked up Coelho's Veronika Decides to Die and found once again both a powerful message and distinct ability to observe the world- so I certainly had high expectations for this adaption. The illustrations in The Alchemist were gorgeous but personally the graphic novel lacked the power that the written version had. I felt like portions of the book the reader is able to soak up in the novel were simply skimmed over in the graphic novel and the power of Coelho's words were diminished. This was the first time I had read a graphic novel and so that was definitely a unique experience, but I found that as lovely as the illustrations were they didn't add anything to the book and I'm not sure how successful The Alchemist would be if the reader hadn't already read the novel. This is definitely a case where I'd recommend reading the full version first, and if you enjoy it then definitely pick up the adaption, as it is very well rendered but the graphic novel of The Alchemist just quite measure up to the original.
I originally read The Alchemist as part of an extremely short-lived high school book club about six years ago, and I absolutely loved the book at the time. Earlier this year I picked up Coelho's Veronika Decides to Die and found once again both a powerful message and distinct ability to observe the world- so I certainly had high expectations for this adaption. The illustrations in The Alchemist were gorgeous but personally the graphic novel lacked the power that the written version had. I felt like portions of the book the reader is able to soak up in the novel were simply skimmed over in the graphic novel and the power of Coelho's words were diminished. This was the first time I had read a graphic novel and so that was definitely a unique experience, but I found that as lovely as the illustrations were they didn't add anything to the book and I'm not sure how successful The Alchemist would be if the reader hadn't already read the novel. This is definitely a case where I'd recommend reading the full version first, and if you enjoy it then definitely pick up the adaption, as it is very well rendered but the graphic novel of The Alchemist just quite measure up to the original.