Author: Paulo Coelho
Publishing Info: 1995, HarperSanFransico
Suggested Reading Level: Grades 9-12
Synopsis:
A young shepherd in Spain is sleeping in the ancient ruins of a church and has a dream that he goes to the pyramids in Egypt and finds treasure. A gypsy interprets the dream and tells him it means exactly what it seems - he will find treasure if he goes to the pyramids in Egypt. The shepherd has always wanted to travel, but, he is also nervous of giving up his living to follow a dream. He then meets an old man who tells him he is the king of Salem. The king knows about the shepherd's dream and tells him he must go look for the treasure because that is his mission in this life, his Personal Legend, and that God will help him to achieve it.
The shepherd sells his sheep and takes a boat to Africa. His money is stolen within hours of his arrival, and the shepherd loses hope in his Personal Legend. He finds a job with a merchant to earn enough money to get back to Spain and buy some sheep. His observations, business sense, and motivation help the merchant's store go from a failure to a huge success. The shepherd earns more money than he needs more quickly than he thought he would. The boy decides if he succeeded as a merchant in a foreign city, he can also succeed in finding his treasure.
He joins a caravan crossing the desert and meets an Englishman who searching for an alchemist who lives at an oasis in the desert to apprentice him. Through associations with the Englishman and the caravan driver, the shepherd boy learns about communicating with the Soul of the World by observing and listening to nature. He learns about watching for omens that show the way to fulfill Personal Legends. The caravan must stop for a time at the Oasis because of tribal wars in the desert. The shepherd meets Fatima and it is love at first sight. He tells her of his Personal Legend and she encourages him to seek it, and that she will wait for him. The shepherd struggles over leaving Fatima or leaving his Personal Legend. As he ponders his predicament he reads an omen that tells of a tribe coming to attack the Oasis. He warns the leaders and the attack is thwarted. The leaders offer him a position as the Counselor for the Oasis, a job that would allow him to stay with Fatima and have a good living.
Then the shepherd boy meets the Alchemist who warns that if he does not follow his Personal Legend through he will regret it.
The Alchemist offers to help him cross the desert to the pyramids. As the travel the Alchemist teaches him about listening to his heart which will communicate with the Soul of the World to guide him in his life. The Alchemist tells the boy that through his experiences following his Personal Legend he has already learned the secrets of alchemy, of refining things to improve them. They meet a warring tribe who takes their money and threatens to kill them but their lives are saved when the boy is able to communicate with the Soul of the World and turn himself into wind, scaring the tribesmen.
The alchemist turns lead into gold, gives a portion to the shepherd boy and leaves a portion with some monks to give to the boy if he should ever have need. Then the Alchemist tells the boy that he must go on alone. As he travels on, the shepherd reads another omen that tells him where he is brought to tears he will find his treasure. Finally the boy comes over a sand dune and sees the pyramids. Their beauty makes him cry. Where his tears fall on the sand he begins to dig. More tribesmen come on him, steal his gold, and beat him until he tells them what he is looking for. When he finally tells them treasure they laugh and tell him he won't find any gold there. They leave the boy mostly dead, but one tribesman tells the boy he once had a dream about finding treasure in the ruins of an ancient church, but he wasn't foolish enough to believe it and leave everything to find it. They boy is able to get himself back to the monastery, get the gold the Alchemist left, and get back to Spain to the ruins of the church where he had his dream about the pyramids. He digs there and finds a chest of treasure. He hears the wind bringing him a kiss from Fatima and whispers that he is coming to her.
Analysis:
Many reviewers call this book a fable which is true in part since it does have a "moral of the story," but the moral is presented entertainingly and without being preachy. The moral could be something along the lines of, "Follow your dreams," or "Don't be afraid to take risks for your own happiness," or "We all of a purpose in this life and there is a God or a Power that will help you realize it." But there are so many other gems of wisdom and descriptions of life and the soul that it takes away from the overall effect of the book to simplify its theme into one moral. This book provides material for discussions on goals, trials, love, learning, the purpose of life, and how people and things corroborate to help us achieve and improve. The book also provides great context for discussing history of Spain and the wars with the Moors. Also great context for discussing Arab culture and the Muslim religion. There are also references to the the Bible which would allow for using the Bible as an educational resource. Wonderful book with so much to offer a High School literature class.
Submitted by: Nicole Nelson
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