Thursday, August 23, 2012

#30in30: This Reader's Review: Part IX "The Alchemist"



For years, I've been meaning to read Paulo Coehlo's "The Alchemist." It's one of those books that people always mention and I always see around. I never took the time out to read it before. I joined an online book club recently. "The Alchemist" was our first choice. I thought this was great because I've been so intrigued by it. I couldn't wait to dive into it. I was pleasantly surprised by what I read. The book is fantastic. And that's putting it lightly. I loved the journey the author took us on.

There are so many lessons within those pages. The one line that is repeated often throughout the book is "When you want something all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." I love the wording and spirit of that line. To me, it means that of you want something bad enough and you work towards it, the universe will work with you. This is what occurred for the main character of "The Alchemist." I highlighted so many passages through this book. It was a quick & easy read. But, there was so much valuable information within the pages.

I learned lessons when the boy thrived and when he failed. I loved the way that hope was never lost. Coehlo did a great job of sliding lessons into every page of his book. I was mesmerized with where the words took me. The main character's perseverance is admirable. He never lost sight of his goals. That is the biggest life lesson in "The Alchemist." If you haven't read this book, I suggest you check it out. It is one of the best books I've ever read.

*My Favorite Quotes

"There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure."

"At a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie."

"Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dream."

"What happens once will never happen again. But what happens twice will surely happen a third time."

"When each day is the same as the next, it's because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises."

"There is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe.... The soul of the world is nourished by people's happiness ings are coming, they will be a pleasant surprise," said the seer. "If bad things are, and you know in advance, you will suffer greatly before they even occur."

"It is said that the darkest hour of the night comes just before the dawn."

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