The Alchemist

I picked up this book because it’s an infamous classic which I felt I’d have to read sooner or later.

The first couple chapters felt very dry, infused with unnecessary symbolism, and excessive prophetic meaning. But as you keep reading, you begin to see more of yourself in the main character as you follow his journey to realize his personal legend. The purpose of the book is not to tell the story of a young boy who overcame hardships to follow his dreams, but is written to show that it is never too late to follow your own. Don’t just blindly follow the crowd assuming your dreams are out of reach, and don’t just settle for a comfortable life because it’s easy. You must push yourself outside of your comfort zone. You must be willing to make sacrifices. You must be ready to fall down. But, most importantly, you must keep your eyes on the prize and simply keep on going. Persistence, candidness, fear, confidence are just a few of the qualities you need to achieve your dream, but are only second to realizing what you dreams really are.

The book itself is very short, constructed of concise and succinct sentences, with a very good flow. One could argue that the writing style is a depiction of the protagonist’s laconic character. It was very motivation, inspiring and emotional. A must read for everyone.

Maktub.