He says that: our destiny is what which needs to be achieved and we have all the knowledge and power within to achieve it ,all we need is to look inside.
He originally wrote this book in Portuguese in 1988, which didn't sell much but after a decade it became the best selling book and was translated into 76 languages till date. It was number one in the list of New York Times for 400 weeks. The author himself put his book on peer to peer networks(torrents) which helped him increase his sell and fame. It helped him a lot.
I read this book in English, no idea , was it effective as the original version? , but I loved it a lot. He (author) writes the plots very carefully and really explains it to depth and that story really relates to the reader. He wrote this book in two weeks as according to him the story was already written in his soul. The book major focus is on : when the person wants something so badly that the universe itself play a important role in helping. Also it believes in the thought of "The Soul of the World".
Story :
There is the Shepherd named Santiago who is educated person in literature and wanted to travel the world. His parents wanted him to take on the family business. His father owned a slaughter house, he never wanted to work in his father's place so he decided to become a shepherd, who travels with his sheep. He was intelligent and used to read books and also used to learn from things around him , the signs of god(omens). He used to understand them, in short he knew everything, about people ,rituals, language, seasons, places for fodder, etc.
In his journey he walks to a old place which is devastated by floods and spent a night with his sheep. These sheep used to be with him always and he used to learn many things from them. Later he travels to a nearby city which he had visited last season, he left his sheep with his friend and travels the city, where he meets a fortune teller, who tells him that he will find his treasure under the Pyramids of Egypt. He didn't believed her and continued his travel, later he meets us King of Salem, which buys his sheep and tell him the way to Egypt, where he would find his treasure and he should meet a Alchemist.
He in his journey meets various new people which help him, he also meet a Englishmen who is also in search of The Alchemist, who according to him, produce gold from lead. Later he meets an Arabian girl named Fatima, and fells in love, she promise him for the marriage after he returns finding his treasure. Thus, he travel to Egypt with the Alchemist, which teach him about the Soul of the World, and Santiago understand how it works and that he should believe in his heart, the destiny he want to achieve is not that easy but achievable. He learns about self belief. Later the Alchemist leave him alone to travel, and also lend his knowledge of turning lead into gold.
He was told that he would find the treasure below the pyramid where his first tear drop will fall. When he arrives at the pyramids, his tears touch the earth, where he starts digging with no gold at the depth, some people beat him for his money at that spot, but ends up finding nothing, but one of the cruel, tells his friends that he also have seen a dream, where he finds the treasure in a place which is being destroyed by the floods and it's opposite to the desert. Santiago remembers about a place like that, where he had spent a night with his herd and then he finds the treasure at that very spot.
After finding his treasure he recalls the memory of Fatima as the wind touches his cheeks as she had sent him flying kisses through the wind. And the book ends with, Santiago saying "I am coming Fatima...."
Such a beautiful story of a simple boy finding his destiny with his own will and power. The life of that boy did relate to me in some manner. I would definitely want to read this book again.
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