Books : The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream

Rating: - Wonderful treatment on how the universe supports one's dreams
This is the perfect book for someone embarking on a new adventure or chapter in life. It should be required reading for every new graduate for its simple, but provocative, take on trusting one's instinct and listening to God for divine advice.

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Rating: - Short and fun
I finished The Alchemist in two sittings - it's that short. But there's a lot of good stuff packed into this story that makes it an excellent read.

The book is about a Spanish shepherd boy who has a dream of finding treasure buried beside the Great Pyramids. He sets out on his journey by crossing into Africa and traveling with several different companions. I personally love the setting of the desert, with the camels and the Arabian marketplace and all, so this book has some great imagery. The plot is intriguing and the characters are by far the high point: they are all very unique and interesting. And the ending had a turn that I thought was well executed.

The tale is designed so to present the author's ideas about the nature of the Universe, and how all things are connected, etc. I wouldn't call it profound or anything, but I liked the way it was woven into the story. I'd much prefer to read a narrative about the Laws of the Universe than, say, The Secret (which presents many of the same ideas but reads like a how-to guide), so this was well done. Even if you aren't big on some of the philosophy there is a lot presented here and I think there is something for everyone to take away.

My only complaints: this book was translated from Portuguese and so the variety in word choice is a little lacking. I think it could have been more poetic either in the native language, or if the translation was handled by someone else. Also, if you don't really buy into the philosophy presented, it gets very blatant at some points and interferes with the plot. Still, I think for such a short read it's a very good book and I'd definitely recommend it.

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Rating: - Very inspiring
It's a book about following one's dreams and not giving up. And more importantly, it teaches us that the journey towards acheiving one's goal is far more enlightening than the moment of euphoria at acheiving it. This book is a really light read, yet powerful!

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Rating: - Great book!
its a good read .... would not say that its a book that is hard to put down ........

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Rating: - Full of Empty and Corny Metaphors
For many years I have been told to read this book. After I saw it for half price I decided it was the time. I was excited to read what could be one of the best books I ever had. I expected this because the book has tremendous hype. The truth is that I wish I would have loved it, but I found it boring, empty, and repetitious; so I found myself speeding through it just to get it over with. The book has maybe 3 exciting spots that last at most 2 pages out of 165 pages.
Many of the things the book tries to teach are things that any person with what the book calls a "Personal Legend" can derive for themselves, from just living. The metaphors are empty, and repetitious. I found myself rolling my eyes every time I read a corny metaphor.
If you have an analytic mind I wouldn't recommend reading this. This book is meant for people who live life on solely a spiritual level, and believe in life's signals.