The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (Paperback)

I read this book in Spanish, but I don't think the translation to English is too far off. This book has sold more copies than most books ever. Yes, including Harry Potter. This book was a sensation, translated (obviously) into many other languages. It's a story set back in time about a boy who wanted travel and adventure. He became a shepherd. He meets many people and begins to open his heart to learning what life's purpose is. The book emphasizes the connectivity among all living things and how love can transform anyone and anything. I promise it's not as cheesy as I'm making it sound. This is not a mushy love story at all. This is a guy who gets a lot of tough breaks and works hard to keep moving on to the next thing he thinks he should do. I think "The Secret" borrows and doesn't even quite capture many of the ideas shown in this book. It is very spiritual, although the concept of God is universal- the same God, different names for different religions. There is plenty of danger and suspense. It made me question how I make my decisions and live my life. It demonstrates the importance to "tuning in" to what's around you- the clues that tell you how to continue your personal destiny, legend, and journey. It says if you're not open to the signs of what you should do, you will never fulfill your dreams and your life's purpose. You do choose your dreams to some extent, but the book discusses how the universe (or God) knows your true dreams and will conspire with everything to give you opportunities to fulfill your dreams. Those who ignore the opportunities for so long don't get a second chance, so it's a wake-up call. I loved it. There's a lot to analyze on a literary level, if you enjoy doing so, even with just the names. Every name has some deep meaning in an old language like Latin. This is a very universal story, so you can personalize it well if you can handle that it's set in old times. It took a little time for me to get into it, but it might have been different if I had read it in English so there was no question about any word meanings. Knowing how much is hidden deep within the story, it would be more pleasurable to read a second time.