From a land where the horizon is tinged with red and the countryside is filled with magnificent wonders of nature comes a story of dreams, magic and exploration. Paulo Coelho's bestseller is a novel about the mystic journey of the soul, realizing one's destiny amid the signs and symbols sent from the heavens. A story of a young man in his quest of unearthing the secrets of the world, Coehlo compels his readers with the transforming power of our dreams and of our hearts. Subtitled " A Fable About Following Your Dream", The Alchemist is a tale about the shepherd boy named Santiago who traveled all over the countryside in pursuit of his passion for discovering the world. Because of a recurring dream about a hidden treasure near the great pyramids of Egypt, Santiago journeyed through an entire desert in search of his "Personal Legend" and met certain individuals full of valuable wisdom and insights along the way. Realizing that the true treasure lies not in the amount of gold but in the lessons he learned and the person he becomes, Santiago uncovered the secret of listening more closely to his heart and becoming one with the Soul of the World. .
Encompassing a universal wisdom spiced with colors, flavors and subjects like a fairytale, The Alchemist offers optimism to those searching for their dreams as he writes about how " whoever you are or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe." All things are possible when the desire to achieve is great because for all we know, the whole universe conspires in making it happen. Coelho talks about courage despite the risk of failure for without the pursuit of dreams and one's mission, life becomes a meaningful void. As part of the Master Work from which the Soul of the World budded from, our lives, our destiny are ours alone and it is only in seeing what is ours alone can we begin our journey and perceive the world clearly and simply as it really is.