Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Amazon Prime includes:
Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.
Amazon Prime members enjoy:- Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
- Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
- Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
- A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
- Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
- Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access
Important: Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.
$21.04$21.04
Ships from: Amazon Sold by: BaharDream Store
$6.13$6.13
Ships from: Amazon Sold by: Zoom Books Company
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Image Unavailable
Color:
-
-
-
- To view this video download Flash Player
- 5 VIDEOS
The Alchemist Paperback – April 25, 1993
Purchase options and add-ons
"My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy told the alchemist one night as they looked up at the moonless sky." Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams."
The Alchemist is the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure as extravagant as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the markets of Tangiers and across the Egyptian desert to a fateful encounter with the alchemist.
The story of the treasures Santiago finds along the way teaches us, as only a few stories have done, about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, above all, following our dreams.
Every few decades a book is published that changes the lives of its readers forever. The Alchemist is such a book. With over a million and a half copies sold around the world, The Alchemist has already established itself as a modern classic, universally admired. Paulo Coelho's charming fable, now available in English for the first time, will enchant and inspire an even wider audience of readers for generations to come.
- Print length197 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateApril 25, 1993
- Dimensions5.32 x 0.52 x 8 inches
- ISBN-109780061122415
- ISBN-13978-0061122415
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Frequently bought together
Similar items that may ship from close to you
Editorial Reviews
Review
“An adventure story full of magic and wisdom.” (Rudolfo Anaya, author of Bless Me, Ultima)
“A touching, inspiring fable.” (Indianapolis Star)
“A magical little volume.” (San Francisco Chronicle)
“[This] Brazilian wizard makes books disappear from stores.” (New York Times)
“[His] books have had a life-enchanting effect on millions of people.” (London Times)
“A beautiful story with a pointed message for every reader.” (Joseph Girzone, author of Joshua)
“As memorable and meaningful as Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince.” (Austin American-Statesman)
“A sweetly exotic tale for young and old alike.” (Publishers Weekly)
“A most tender and gentle story. It is a rare gem of a book.” (Gerald G. Jampolsky, M.D., co-author of Change Our Mind, Change Your Life)
“An entrepreneurial tale of universal wisdom we can apply to the business of our own lives.” (Spencer Johnson, M.D., co-author of The One-Minute Manager)
“A remarkable tale about the most magical of all journeys: the quest to fulfill one’s destiny.” (Anthony Robbins, author of Awaken the Giant Within)
From the Back Cover
"My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy told the alchemist one night as they looked up at the moonless sky." Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams."
Every few decades a book is published that changes the lives of its readers forever. The Alchemist is such a book. With over a million and a half copies sold around the world, The Alchemist has already established itself as a modern classic, universally admired. Paulo Coelho's charming fable, now available in English for the first time, will enchant and inspire an even wider audience of readers for generations to come.
The Alchemist is the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure as extravagant as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the markets of Tangiers and across the Egyptian desert to a fateful encounter with the alchemist.
The story of the treasures Santiago finds along the way teaches us, as only a few stories have done, about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, above all, following our dreams.
About the Author
Paulo Coelho, born in Rio de Janeiro in 1947, is one of the bestselling and most influential authors in the world. The Alchemist, The Pilgrimage, The Valkyries, Brida, Veronika Decides to Die, Eleven Minutes, The Zahir, The Witch of Portobello, The Winner Stands Alone, Aleph, Manuscript Found in Accra, and Adultery, among others, have sold 150 million copies worldwide.
Product details
- ASIN : 0061122416
- Publisher : HarperCollins; First Edition (April 25, 1993)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 197 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9780061122415
- ISBN-13 : 978-0061122415
- Item Weight : 15 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.32 x 0.52 x 8 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #69,722 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #220 in Metaphysical & Visionary Fiction (Books)
- #683 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction
- #5,423 in Literary Fiction (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
Videos
Videos for this product
0:47
Click to play video
Review of The Alchemist, no spoilers.
Opinionated Cat
Videos for this product
0:30
Click to play video
I finally understand why everyone hyped this book up
Cassie
Videos for this product
1:20
Click to play video
Paulo Coelho on 20 Years of "The Alchemist"
Merchant Video
About the author
Paulo Coelho is the author of "The Alchemist", he was born in 1947 in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Being the author of 30 books that have sold over 320 million copies in 170 countries, he has become one of the most widely read authors in the world today. Paulo Coelho has been a United Nations Messenger of Peace since 2007 and this has allowed him to continue to promote intercultural dialogue and to focus on the needs of children. He is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters and the recipient of over 115 awards and honours, including the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the Grinzane Cavour Book Award and the Chevalier de l’Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur, to name a few.
Other titles include “The Pilgrimage”, “Brida”, "The Supreme Gift", “The Valkyries”, “By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept”, “Maktub”, “The Fifth Mountain”, “Manual of the Warrior of Light”, “Veronika Decides to Die”, “The Devil and Miss Prym”, “Stories for Parents, Children and Grandchildren”, “Eleven Minutes”, “The Zahir”, “Like the Flowing River”, “The Witch of Portobello”, “The Winner Stands Alone”, “Aleph”, “Manuscript Found in Accra”, “Adultery”, “The Spy”, “Hippie”. Also “Journey” guided journal.
https://paulocoelhoblog.com/
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonReviews with images
-
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Story starts with a dream followed by a series of adventures ultimately leads to resolution. His time is consumed in herding, reading and dreaming of travelling far-off places. He keeps getting same dream that there is treasure lying underneath the Egyptian pyramids. His encounter with a gypsy woman for consulting his dream gives story a new turn. He gets to know from her to follow omens. As the story moves the events get connected impeccably. Santiago's quest for treasure, soon his lucky encounter with old King who strengthens his beliefs about living his destiny, coming across mishaps and encounter with Fatima, a desert girl; all this leads him to personal legend that converges the idea of 'conspiring universe'. Personal legend is the key to living a successful and satisfying life as it is the destiny which one dreams of. He receives assistance from an alchemist who helps him understand his quest for accomplishing his dream. By time his belief grows and satisfaction nourishes as he is on right path. He comes to know "when you want something all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it".
Story deals with an internal conflict between his love and personal dreams but this novel ends up showing love as a supporting tool for achieving his dream. This is a beautiful idea that true love can prove to be a great stimulus when time comes. According to Coelho dreams have a price but not living your dreams has even a bigger price. The idea of seeking dreams is marvelous. Pursuing your dream and commiting to it makes the whole universe conspiring to give you what you want.
One of the dangerous hindrance described in the novel is fear. The fear of failure which stops us living our destiny. Overcoming this is a great victory as Coelho quoted "tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of dreams because every second of the search is a second encounter with God and with eternity".
When Santiago is in desert he comes to know that he can turn base metals into gold. (Although the idea is not true in reality). It is also a bit overrated when alchemist turns lead into gold. It is not necessary that you agree each and every thing which Coelho has put into the novel. Instead your reason and rationale may oppose many things. But one has to have the ability to read between the lines. In spite of being very unreal it is a beautiful fable which has delighted millions around the world because of its thought provoking ideas of spirituality and destiny. Santiago while travelling understands the relation between man and nature. His quest and how he overcomes the obstacles of violence, confusion and despair is an encouraging pleasure for reader. The setting of novel is real but events are magical.
Some may find it a good piece to escape reality and some to understand reality. I highly recommend it to young readers as its conclusions directs it solves the purpose to make reader understand having faith in destiny which ultimately leads to achieving it.
There has been a bit of criticism here on the comments. To me, none of them really hold much water. The main one is above, but there are a few others. One of them is the "male-centric storyline". If you have even begun reading Coelho's books, you will see that half or more were written on and about a woman protagonist (Brida, Veronica Decides to Die, etc). More to the point, a larger focus on men is unavoidable - after all the main character is male. That does not make this book any less applicable to women. This book does not distinguish between men and women when it comes to its main messages and themes. The protagonist could have just as easily been a woman. It would not make any difference.
The lack of character depth was also an obviously conscious decision on the part of Coelho to encourage the projecting of the reader onto the protagonist. Again, if you are familiar with Coelho's other work, you would know that he has at least some skill in developing his characters. The reader would be best treating this story less like the novel that it does not purport to be and more like a myth or fable.
The argument that it "advocates materialism" makes little sense to me. I suppose if materialism means having a strong work ethic, being persistent, and pursuing one's dreams - then yes it does. The book does not say money is the root of all evil. Perhaps that is what the critics want it to say. If you are familiar with Coelho's works you would again know that his philosophy is that of enjoying life and the company of friends. Coelho's tone towards wealth is neutral and he even shows how easily it can be taken away (three times). He does not advocate strong attachment to money - and certainly not materialism.
This book is not for everyone, but I do know it is for most. It tells a universal message in a universal style. This message can be applied to all genders, ages, ethnicities, and creeds. Those looking for a book that can help them look smart would be best served looking elsewhere. This book revels in minimalism. Those looking for cynicism would best served looking elsewhere. You will only find an uplifting story here.