The Alchemist is his one of the best novel as I mentioned it earlier. This is very conversant and inspirational novel in the sense that it tells about seeking guidance from nature and nurture and following the path that leads to one’s destiny in order to achieve one’s destiny. The novel opens the forum of discussion that nothing in this world is useless and everything possess purpose and language the only need is to enables oneself to understand that language of things and meaning of sings to interpret that things in time to use them for betterment. The story of the novel revolves around the shepherd boy Satiago and his journey to achieve his destiny and his encounter with alchemist who guides him in his journey.
As I am supposed to write the review of this novel as per command of my instructor so I read novel The Alchemist. I found this novel quite interesting and inspirational. My review of this novel is part wise and I presented the brief summary of each section and at the end I did the critical analysis of novel according to my opinion about this novel.
The Alchemist is in two parts; part one and part two that enlists the journey of the shepherd boy Satiago (The man lead of the novel).The novel is in dialogue form and is also in descriptive form.
Part One
The plot of the novel gets started from part one when Satiago experienced his recurrent dream again in the abandoned church of getting treasure in the pyramids of Egypt. He is a shepherd boy and is very happy with wandering around different pastures and regions. The dream does not bother him at all but its recurrence start bothering him and he consulted a women who has some powers to interpret dreams and after some interested conversation and after a influential discussion with King of Salem he decided to follow the path of his dream .The king of Salem also told him about good and bad omens and then gives Santiago two stones, Urim and Thummim, with which to interpret omens. Santiago thinks briefly before selling his flock about his experience. Santiago recalls the day he told his father he wanted to travel instead of becoming a priest. His father told him that travelers see other lands, but do not change as a result. They just end up being nostalgic for the past. His father said the only people of their class who travel are shepherds. The next day, Santiago’s father gave him three gold coins to purchase a flock of sheep. He encouraged Santiago to travel, but said Santiago would learn that their own countryside is best. As he recalls the scene, Santiago senses that his father also would have liked to travel, but could not afford to while raising a family. Santiago wonders if his sheep enjoy discovering new roads and sights each day, but decides they only care about eating. He compares the flock’s single-mindedness to his own preoccupation with the merchant’s daughter ( the girl to whom he felt attraction or some intimate feelings.) After all this he purchased a ticket to Tangier, in northern Africa, to which he travels by boat. Shortly after he arrives there, a thief steals all of Santiago's money, so the shepherd boy decides to look for a way to make enough money to return home. He finds work in the shop of a crystal merchant, where Santiago makes improvements that reap considerable financial rewards.
Part two
Second part of this novel is quite extensive as compared to first part that enlists his travel history towards Egypt, passing by of Sahara desert and his encounter with Alchemy (The man who turn metal into gold) and also enlists his experience of understanding the language of world and symbols and sign’s language. The brief summary of this part is given below:
After eleven months of working in the shop, Santiago is unsure of how to proceed. Should he return to Andalusia a rich man and buy more sheep? Or should he cross the vast Sahara in pursuit of the hidden treasure of his dreams? After thinking a lot finally he decides to go to Egypt. So he joins a caravan traveling to Egypt.
Over there Santiago meets an Englishman who wants to learn the secret of alchemy, or turning any metal into gold, from a famous alchemist who lives at an oasis on the way to the pyramids. While traveling, Santiago begins listening to the desert and discovering the Soul of the World. The caravan eventually reaches the oasis, and there Santiago meets an Arab girl named Fatima and falls in love with her instantly. The caravan leader gathers the travelers together and tells them that tribal warfare prevents them from continuing their journey.
Santiago wanders from the oasis into the desert and, seeing two hawks fighting in the sky, has a vision of an army entering the oasis. Because attacking an oasis is a violation of the rules of the desert, Santiago shares his vision with the oasis's tribal chieftain. Soon afterward, Santiago is confronted by a black-garbed, veiled stranger with a sword, who sits atop a white horse. It is the alchemist. The tribal chieftain arms his men, and they are well-prepared when the oasis is indeed invaded. The alchemist offers to cross the desert with Santiago.
Soon the two men enter into an area of intense tribal warfare. Warriors hold the two men captive, but eventually allow them to continue their journey. The alchemist tells Santiago that he needs to return to the oasis, and that the rest of the trip is Santiago's to make alone so that he can claim his Personal Legend.
Santiago arrives at the Egyptian pyramids and begins to dig. He finds nothing buried in the ground. Thieves beat Santiago and rob him of his money. After he tells them of his dream, though, one of the thieves recounts his own dream about a buried treasure in the sacristy of an abandoned church.
Returning to Andalusia, Santiago goes back to the church where he dreamed of the treasure near the pyramids. He digs where he slept, beneath a sycamore tree, and there it is: Santiago's treasure.
