A review by mikolaszko
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I would like to start this review by saying that everyone will rate this book differently. It depends on the type of character of the reader, how much luck they had in life, how they want to perceive the world around them. Many people said that they would enjoy this book in their late teens, early 20's but throughout the years they became more sceptical. It isn't a wrong take, obviously no judgement here. I will be 20 soon and I had chosen to immigrate from my home country in pursuit of a better, more fulfilling life, but also just because I wanted to. I started reading this book when I was doing extremely badly and it didn't look like I would be able to live happily with myself. Through realising that none of it truly matters and I'm attracting not chasing (and a lot of self-reflection and a shit ton of luck) I was able to pull myself a little bit. But life is exceptionally hard to most people and I think it's unfair to those who had miserable lives to just follow blindly this book. It's a well-written story about mindfulness, spirituality, the universe, god etc. Some people just don't think that there's such a thing as destiny and it definitely just sounds silly to them. I am somewhere in the middle and I really think that through your personal approach a lot of things can change, but many won't. This book would be better if it was like 2000 pages longs. It starts so many very diverse and broad topics but doesn't fully develop them. It's just small pieces and yeah everything works out extremely well at the end. Everyone is aware that it's fiction but I just can't get over how oversimplified the plot of this story is. I must say I enjoyed it and it definitely showed me something a little bit different. I don't want to make this review too long, but I must mention Fatima, cmon, I know it was like 1974 but it's a woman written by a man and it shows. Because women are mysterious and loyal and they are supposed to be emotional and yeah, you know the drill. I was really surprised about how the camel rider was just full-on mindfulness and he based his whole life around it, I wish I started sooner too, but I am just happy it didn't take me longer. Read it and develop your own opinion, because I really think everyone will get a different result. There are just so many variables.