“The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.”
Santiago was in training to become a priest when he decided it was not what he wanted to do – he wanted to travel. So, his father gave him some money to buy sheep and he became a shepherd who traveled about the countryside. A pretty girl tempts him to settle down until a dream comes to him – twice – about finding a treasure at the Pyramids. It calls to him as his personal legend and after some help from a king in disguise, he starts after his treasure.
I checked out The Alchemist from my local library as part of their Blind Date with a Book contest. The books are wrapped in brown paper and you pick one and check it out without knowing what it is. Then you turn in a review about the book to be entered into a drawing. The last time I participated, I discovered A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron.
As Santiago pursues his treasure, he encounters troubles and obstacles along the way that test him. At each point, he has to decide to stay and be content where his is or keep going. As he keeps going, he keeps learning more about himself and the world. He learns what is important in life, what love is and how to get in touch with the Creator of all. The story is a good reminder that sometimes the journey is just as important as the destination.
The Alchemist is a story told fable-style. It has the feel of a story passed down through the ages; yet, it was written in 1988 in Portuguese. It has since been translated into many languages and sold 21 million copies worldwide. It reminds me of The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom and The Immortal Nicholas by Glenn Beck. Each book has the main character go through an epic journey to tell us a lesson about the true meaning of life.
Do you enjoy fables? If so, share your favorite on the blog!