The Alchemist (novel)
The Alchemist is a novel by the Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho. He appeared in 1988 under the original title " O Alquimista ". The German edition appeared in 1991 in the Peter -earth -Verlag. The novel has sold good, but was not nearly as successful as in other countries. The Zurich Diogenes Verlag bought after long negotiations, the hardcover and paperback rights. In September 1996, the book was published for the second time in the well-known today, it being a different picture was used on the cover page in the first edition, as the current was still being used at that time for an advertising campaign of Geo.
Content
The young Andalusians Santiago dreams since childhood from meeting the wide world. To realize his dream, he defied the wishes of his father to become a priest. He is a shepherd.
He dreams the same dream twice by a child who shows him a treasure of the Pyramids. " It was the opportunity to realize a dream, makes our lives worth living ", pondered and he goes to a Traumdeuterin. She asks him to go to Egypt and to trust the child in a dream. On the question of how to get there, they can not help him. For their advice she calls the tithe of the treasure. Then he meets an old man: Melchizedek, king of Salem. The King teaches him that "our only obligation is to fulfill our personal way of life ," and gives him two stones: Urim and Thummim (3 Mos 8.8 EU ) to him always to remember that he is his dream should fulfill.
Santiago is on his way to Egypt. Just arrived in Africa, he is betrayed by a robber and begins to work at a crystal ware dealer. The crystal goods dealer has the dream to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, but he has become so accustomed to its monotonous, dreary life that keeps him only the dream alive. By the blessing, the Santiago brought him, he is very sad because he has not realized his dream. After almost a year the young man has collected enough money and continues his journey to the pyramids.
In a caravan across the desert he meets a young Englishman who is looking for an alchemist who teaches him to turn lead into gold. The Englishman seeks the universal sign language in the study of books, instead of the characters to be observed around them. The Englishman knows that there is no luck or chance, but that the words are the universal language.
In the caravan Santiago meets a camel driver who has lost everything in an earthquake. He teaches him that no one has to fear the unknown, because each person can achieve what he wants and what he needs.
During the journey through the desert war has broken out between the desert tribes. In the oasis of El- Fayum arrived, all men must give up their weapons because the oasis is a neutral place. Because the onward journey is prevented, Santiago examined the alchemist together with the Englishman. Looking he meets Fatima, the love of his life. She wishes that he fulfilled his dream of traveling to the pyramids to find his treasure. One evening he sees two Sperber fight and suggested the fight as a raid on the oasis. He shares his vision with the leaders of the oasis, which can then arm the men of the oasis. If the vision is not met, Santiago must pay with his life for it. In this situation, the alchemist shows the young man and encourages him to continue to seek the language of the world. The next day, the oasis is attacked, but the attackers are defeated and Santiago will be rewarded.
His love for Fatima grows, he almost want to give up his dream to be with her can, but the alchemist encourages him to go on his personal journey. The Alchemist Santiago accompanied on the journey through the desert to Egypt, where Santiago learns better and better to the characters ( and ) respect the emotions of the heart.
However, he also learns that before he finds his treasure, is constantly faced with new tests. You will be attacked and robbed of warriors. To get free, to Santiago must turn into the wind. He dives into the soul of the world and becomes the wind. Impressed she lets the leader of the warriors free and they continue their journey. Without money, it shows the alchemist, as gold is made of lead, then they separate.
Santiago moves on to the pyramids and is the body that has shown him the child in a dream. He starts digging and finds nothing, but is again attacked by robbers. He told the robbers of his dream. A robber told him that he also had a recurring dream: He dreamed of a treasure in Andalusia with a church where shepherds tending their sheep, and of a fig tree that grows in the sacristy. But he was not stupid enough to cross the desert for a dream. Santiago is everything but clear: Life is one who believes in his dreams and is willing to realize it, always a helping hand. The whole universe is working to ensure that from dreams a reality. In other words, to transform the secret of alchemy, lead ( dreams) in gold ( reality ), is the fulfillment of a personal life plan. Love is the element that connects everything in the "world soul " together.
He travels back to Andalusia, undermines the treasure and is on his way to Fatima, to marry her then. He does not forget, the fortune teller to bring the tithe.
Comments
In the book, two noteworthy interesting stories are included:
Potential adaptation
In June 2005, the author commented on the occasion of the English presentation of his novel The Zahir his displeasure about the fact that it was the producer of Warner Brothers still have not succeeded in the novel to film, The Alchemist, though the studio had the rights since 1993. Neither wanted the studio the rights to four times the price of 1 million dollars selling back to Coelho, yet was accepted there the draft of the script of the actor and director Laurence Fishburne, the Brazilians had endorsed.