The Alchemist

The Alchemist (Portuguese: O Alquimista) is a novel by Paulo Coelho that has since been translated into many languages (English translation by Margaret Jull Costa). It chronicles the story of a young Andalusian man, Santiago, on his journey to find a treasure in Egypt.

Thoughts

A friend of mine gifted me a copy of this novel as a present at the end of my high school years, with the promise that it was magical and life-changing.

I am not a superstitious person, as many who know me would probably agree with, but I am in full agreement. The story itself is nothing special, a mere (retelling of a) fable, but the magic it performs on a person's life force me to designate a special place for this book, both in my writing and my own mind.