November Book Club: The Alchemist

MFS27

Did everyone get a chance to read it?? This was my first Paulo Coelho book (he has written many others such as The Witch of Portobello, etc.) and I have to say I enjoyed it. It was not a hard read, but it was filled with a lot of profound topics.

I'm going to post some of the topics or thoughts brought up in this book, and feel free to say if you agree/disagree (and why), or add your own ramblings to mine
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Quote # 1: What's the world's greatest lie? It's this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. (p18) [Molly K: I think to some extent some people are paralyzed into inaction because they feel no matter what they do, it will be a failure. However, I also feel like some things are destined to play out...but that doesn't mean I sit around and wait for the sky to fall!]

Quote #2: The boy didn't know what a person's "destiny" was. It's what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their destiny. (p22) [MollyK: I agree with this. Ask any child what they want to be, and they will tell you: artist, writer, teacher, astronaut, etc. As they get older it becomes about what brings more money, what fits with what other people want you to do. It's hard to go against the flow.]

Some discussion questions:

1. Why does Coelho open with the modified myth of Narcissus? How does the new version differ from the original one? What might the author be suggesting about how we perceive ourselves and the world? [MollyK: This was a hard one - I guess the author is trying to show how we do not exist in a vaccuum. We are, because we are - if there is no one else to "see" us or interact with us, then we are not really living/existing to our full potential. Other ideas???]

2. What lessons does Santiago learn by working at the crystal shop? Why do you think Coelho chose crystal?[MollyK: I think crystal has to go through a hot fire for refining purposes in order to become "pure", clear and "priceless" - I don't know much about crystal though.]

3. Earlier in the story, the alchemist told Santiago “when you possess great treasures within you, and try to tell others of them, seldom are you believed.” At the end of the story, how did this simple lesson change Santiago’s life? How did it lead him back to the treasure he was looking for? [MollyK: This is kind of like telling people we eat less and exercise more to lose weight. We hear - no, come on - what pill/method/drink/magic spell are you REALLY using?? :laugh: ]

MFS27

Did everyone get a chance to read it?? This was my first Paulo Coelho book (he has written many others such as The Witch of Portobello, etc.) and I have to say I enjoyed it. It was not a hard read, but it was filled with a lot of profound topics.

I'm going to post some of the topics or thoughts brought up in this book, and feel free to say if you agree/disagree (and why), or add your own ramblings to mine
***************************************************************************************************************

Quote # 1: What's the world's greatest lie? It's this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. (p18) [Molly K: I think to some extent some people are paralyzed into inaction because they feel no matter what they do, it will be a failure. However, I also feel like some things are destined to play out...but that doesn't mean I sit around and wait for the sky to fall!]

Quote #2: The boy didn't know what a person's "destiny" was. It's what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their destiny. (p22) [MollyK: I agree with this. Ask any child what they want to be, and they will tell you: artist, writer, teacher, astronaut, etc. As they get older it becomes about what brings more money, what fits with what other people want you to do. It's hard to go against the flow.]

Some discussion questions:

1. Why does Coelho open with the modified myth of Narcissus? How does the new version differ from the original one? What might the author be suggesting about how we perceive ourselves and the world? [MollyK: This was a hard one - I guess the author is trying to show how we do not exist in a vaccuum. We are, because we are - if there is no one else to "see" us or interact with us, then we are not really living/existing to our full potential. Other ideas???]

2. What lessons does Santiago learn by working at the crystal shop? Why do you think Coelho chose crystal?[MollyK: I think crystal has to go through a hot fire for refining purposes in order to become "pure", clear and "priceless" - I don't know much about crystal though.]

3. Earlier in the story, the alchemist told Santiago “when you possess great treasures within you, and try to tell others of them, seldom are you believed.” At the end of the story, how did this simple lesson change Santiago’s life? How did it lead him back to the treasure he was looking for? [MollyK: This is kind of like telling people we eat less and exercise more to lose weight. We hear - no, come on - what pill/method/drink/magic spell are you REALLY using?? :laugh: ]

Phoenix_Rising

bump

I know DoThompson was getting a hold of the book.
I am still reading.
Any other readers out there?

njksharp

Haven't had a chance to finish but I loved your observations Molly K . I will try and be finished this weekend

Phoenix_Rising

Finally had a moment to myself.
Grabbed up the book and hopped into a bubble bath.
An hour later, I'm almost half way through the book and sooooo intrigued.
GREAT PICK, MOLLYK! :bigsmile:
I can't wait to finish the book!

kjllose

I finished the book and for a slim book it took more time to read than my normal books. I would read a couple of paragraphs and then would put the book down and think about them in relation to my life. Everyone has a dream or goal when you are young, and as you age you tend to think in terms of whether the dream and goal has been met. Somewhere in the middle people tend to get bogged down in their daily life and get stuck there and they feel they can go no further. They give up just like the crystal merchant. So I felt the crystal merchant was where I have been in life until I take into account what my dream as an 18 year old was. I found my goals there have been met, but I also know we do not ever stop making new goals for ourselves, so how can we ever realize our goals as having been completed. I must say the book was a delightful read and I would read it again. Molly K you think much deeper than I do and I was really interested in your answer's. I've only ever been to high school with no college education. So enlighten me, what is the modified myth of Narcissus an what is the older version?

Phoenix_Rising

Kjllose, maybe that is why it's taking me so long to read the book.... I keep reading and needing to stop, to really absorb what I've read and reflect on it. This was the perfect book for me, as I'm trying to deal with the demons of having dreams that I've tried to bury, but those dreams keep coming back to me.

This book is so freakin' motivating. It really makes you feel like you can achieve your dreams, which is something adult life begins to tell you that you cannot do.

Phoenix_Rising

Quote #2: The boy didn't know what a person's "destiny" was. It's what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their destiny.

As kids we aren't jaded by the world. We are influenced by what makes us happy, not what efforts and sacrifices we must make to get to that dream.

My dreams keep resurfacing. They feel so distant, so far out of my reach. It makes my heart ache, so I bury them, or as Santiago would say, I stop listening to the voice of my heart.


MollyK, this was such a great book. Absolutely something I would have never picked up on my own. It was amazing. I'll be passing it along to my bestest.

MFS27

I finished the book and for a slim book it took more time to read than my normal books. I would read a couple of paragraphs and then would put the book down and think about them in relation to my life. Everyone has a dream or goal when you are young, and as you age you tend to think in terms of whether the dream and goal has been met. Somewhere in the middle people tend to get bogged down in their daily life and get stuck there and they feel they can go no further. They give up just like the crystal merchant. So I felt the crystal merchant was where I have been in life until I take into account what my dream as an 18 year old was. I found my goals there have been met, but I also know we do not ever stop making new goals for ourselves, so how can we ever realize our goals as having been completed. I must say the book was a delightful read and I would read it again. Molly K you think much deeper than I do and I was really interested in your answer's. I've only ever been to high school with no college education. So enlighten me, what is the modified myth of Narcissus an what is the older version?

Oh I'm so glad someone else is reading this book! I was worried I picked a dud :laugh:

I grew up reading fables, grimms brothers, kipling, etc. - so reading this book was like opening the door back to my childhood.

kjllose - You flatter me! :blushing: I'm kind of intense when it comes to my books - sorry! I just found this on the internet - it sums Coelho's use of the Naricissus myth better than I could have (source: http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/monkeynote/pmAlchemistSample.pdf)

PROLOGUE
Summary
This opening part of the novel introduces us to the alchemist who has found a book left behind by someone in a caravan. He finds the story of Narcissus, the youth who daily knelt by a lake to contemplate his own beauty. He eventually fell in and drowned, but where he fell a flower was born called the narcissus. But the author of the book did not end the familiar story here as it is usually ended. Instead, he tells the reader that the goddesses of the forest appeared and found that the lake so mourned for him that its fresh water became salty. The goddesses assume that the lake mourns, because it could contemplate his beauty close at hand. But the lake asks if Narcissus was beautiful. The goddesses are surprised at the question, because who could know the answer better than the lake? The lake is silent for a moment, and then explains that it never noticed Narcissus’ beauty, because it could see, in the depth of his eyes, its own beauty reflected.

The prologue prepares us for what Santiago the shepherd will eventually learn in his travels: we are all joined one to the other in some way. Narcissus’ seeming egotistical behavior was actually a way for the lake to discover itself. We are all a part of the Soul of the World.

kjllose

Molly I seriously am starting to believe I have Alzheimers. I read your post and was sitting there saying to myself "you read that, don't you remember?" I may have to go get checked out. Thank you. I had to take the book back before I could post because it was interlibrary loan so I couldn't refer to the book or I would have. Thank you for the summary.

I too would never have ordinarily picked up this book to read either. I read all the Grimm's Fairy Tales and fables when I was young too but it seems sooo long ago.

I read mostly for pleasure and always have,and when you read that way you don't necessarily put much thought into it. This book definately made me think alot. Thank you for picking it out. But I warn you all I will probably pick something fluffy when it comes my turn to suggest a book, you will be lucky it won't be a comic book, lol