The Alchemist - Book Review

The Alchemist

-by Paulo Coelho 

The Physical 
and 
The Philosophical 
Perspectives

The Alchemist is a must-read, a book for a lifetime. A single read is enough to hit a raw nerve deep within the consciousness and shake up the core of one’s very being. It shreds all prejudiced perceptions about Life to bits. It leaves an everlasting impact on the reader with profound insights into human life and the Universe, encompassing everything between and beyond.

The book is at once both worldly and outworldly. While the book narrates the outward journey of the protagonist, with its many ups and downs, there is an underlying current of wisdom which pulls the readers inward, towards their own true selves. The external journey brings excitement, curiosity, thrills, and a euphonium of joy at the end when the protagonist succeeds in his mission. But the internal journey is reversed, it steadily calms the mind as one progresses deep into the tale, making one more open to marvelling at the Magic that is Life itself, so much so that the treasure at the end appears irrelevant.

Both perspectives need separate analysis. The external perspective is the journey of the Hero, which is analysed using Aristotle's Theory of Tragedy. The internal journey requires analytical tools from ancient Oriental wisdom, so the Theory of Nine Rasas, as explained in the Natyashastra and other Scriptures, is used. Taking hold of these two ancient theories helps in exploring and uncovering the depth and various dimensions of the story.