The Alchemist

THE ALCHEMIST
By Paulo Coeoho
HarperSanFrancisco, 1993. 177 p. Fiction

I do not know why I waited so long to read this book. It is a delightful fable about Santago, an Andulusian shepherd boy, who leaves the comfortable security of his job in Spain to travel in pursuit of his "personal legend". His quest takes him to far off Morocco and Egypt. Spiritual enlightenment, self understanding, overcoming depression and believing in your own dreams are just a few of the valuable life lessons Santago learns from those he encounters along his way. This is an engaging short easy read recommended to both teens and adults. Just remember, this is a fable and fables usually deal with a moral lesson plus personification is allowed for animals, power of nature and inanimate objects. I listened to the unabridged 4 cd Recorded Books version. Jeremy Irons does an admirable job as narrator.

mpb