The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
According to Wikipedia The Alchemist (Portuguese: O Alquimista) is a novel by Paulo Coelho first published in the year 1988. Originally written in Portuguese by its Brazilian-born author, it has been translated into at least 56 languages as of September 2012. An allegorical novel, The Alchemist follows a young Andalusian shepherd named Santiago in his journey to Egypt, after having a recurring dream of finding treasure there.
The book is an international bestseller. According to AFP, it has sold more than 30 million copies in 56 different languages, becoming one of the best-selling books in history and setting the Guinness World Record for most translated book by a living author. Graded Discussion Questions |
"The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon." (p. 32)
"In any case, it's good that you've learned that everything in life has its price." (p. 25) "In the long run, what people think about shepherd and bakers becomes more important for them than their own Personal Legends." (p.23) Hear the author talk about ideas presented in the novel: |