L'Alchimiste by Paulo Coelho

Welcome to the beta version of Shelfari’s new Book Detail pages!

These pages are editable by the community, so please contribute! Click here to learn more about this feature. We’d love to hear your feedback.

see page historyNotify me when this page changes.

Description

Text: english

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis

show spoilers

Show ridiculously simplified synopsis (warning: may contain spoilers)

Summary

The story follows a Spanish shepherd boy named Santiago whose dream was always to travel and see different people and cultures. Since he was a boy, he was used to being a shepherd and taking care of his sheep; but still, his desire never went away . Santiago goes to an old gypsy woman to... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

Cast of Characters/Important People

Santiago: The protagonist of the The Alchemist. Born in a small town in Andalusia, Santiago attends the seminary as a boy but longs to travel the world.
Melchizedek: The king of Salem, a mysterious far-off land. Melchizedek appears to Santiago in the town square of Tarifa, where he tells Santiago about the Soul of the World and his Personal Legend for the first time.
The Englishman: He is trying to become a great alchemist and is traveling to Al-Fayoum to study with a famous alchemist who is rumored to be over 200 years old and to have the ability to turn any metal into gold. Santiago learns much about alchemy from the Englishman, who lends Santiago his books while they travel across the Sahara.
Fatima: A beautiful girl who lives at the Al-Fayoum oasis. Santiago falls in love with her at the well there.
The Alchemist: Very powerful alchemist who lives at the Al-Fayoum oasis in Egypt.
The Shopkeeper: The shopkeeper, while generally afraid to take risks, is a very kind man and understands Santiago's quest - sometimes more than Santiago himself.

Popular Covers

see all covers »

Choose your book’s cover

Memorable Quotes

“"its all written"”
“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, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity.”
“Making a decision was only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.”
“Nuo vėjo keičiasi kopų forma, bet dykuma visuomet išlieka tokia pati.”
“Kai tikrai ko nors trokšti, visas pasaulis slapta padeda tau įgyvendinti tą troškimą.”
“"when you want something the whole world conspires in helping you to achieve it"”

First Sentence

Alchemikas paima į rankas knygą, kurią jam atnešė kažkas iš karavano.

List the chapters of this book.

Glossary

Language of the Universe: Omens, coincidences and dreams are the means by which the universe seeks to communicate. By remaining open to these omens, Santiago is able to learn more about the world and about himself.
Levanter: The name of the wind that blows off of Africa into Spain. So called because it comes from "the Levant." It is related to the conquest of Spain by the Moors. Santiago thinks that it brings the scent of exotic women and adventure.
Sacristy: Room where the vestments of the church are kept.