The Alchemist

[Matt]

Just a little heads up, but if you open up iTunes you can download an audiobook version of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho as read by Jeremy Irons. I'm saving it from my flight to London!

The book's gotten amazing reviews, so it's definitely worth the download. It's not going to be available forever, so get it while you can.

[Pieman]

Paulo Coelho’s enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and inspiring wisdom, is about an Andalusion shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasure found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.

The blurb (I think, taken from here (http://bcfreviews.wordpress.com/2008/03/07/the-alchemist-by-paulo-coelho/)). For those who, like me, have never heard of it before. Maybe I'm just out of the literary scene.

After reading that I'm interested, and will get it.

[BurgerKueen]

It's an interesting book, I'm surprised you guys haven't heard of it. I remember reading it like, 5 years ago. The ending kind of disappointed me, but I was probably too young to appreciate its "philosophy". The idea of journey and finding yourself isn't that new I suppose, but it's still worth a read.

[tunacake]

I'm surprised you haven't heard of it as well. It's certainly a classic.

The idea of journey and finding yourself isn't that new I suppose, but it's still worth a read.

This is true, but the Alchemist is one of the greatest portrayals of that theme (that I've encountered anyway).

Oh and thanks for the heads up Matt.