The Alchemist, and a message from god.

[Dreamings Life]

After reading The Alchemist i have been opened to a new view as to what a dream really is not hypothetically speaking. I am only eighteen but do not mistake my age for a weakness. Yes i am not as wise as someone who has been on this earth for longer than me but i am well aware of my surroundings. Sorry for the long introduction but felt it was needed as to a message that has just been delivered to me after pondering to myself before bed what it is to actually dream. I am going to share what i instantly woke up after thinking oh so hard to what the true message of The Alchemist is. Hence not being the only message. Here it is.

A dream is nothing specific. Once you reach the end of your life your dream is fulfilled. Life itself is the dream. There will be personal omens to follow that lead you to complete the best dream you can have. Everyone has to realize and interpret their own omens. Your personal legend is what completes yourself and what makes you happy. There will always be downfalls from keeping you to recognize your own omens and for the bigger picture your own personal legend. But to follow your dream is to realize life itself and that its and extraordinary gift from god. Study the lord’s ways to fulfill your own dream. For when you awake, you’re with me happily forever.
Friday July 17, 2009, 2:00 a.m.

And for having a rough life i am not easily to shed a tear but this message from god brought a few to my cheeks. Please feel free to reply and share with me some of the messages that this novel has opened up for you. I know there well over 65 million outlooks on this book. I'm not byes on other religions for i respect everyones beliefs but please don't criticize my religion because you cannot change my mind. Thanks everyone !

[hoope]

Discovering, Finding .. dreaming ... is what life is all about.. all been together in a novel by Paulo .... I enjoyed it alot. Life can be so harsh and can be so sweet too only if we chose to.

Your words up there r very marvelous & i enjoyed ur vision.

[JBI]

It's a load of nonsense all that third age rubbish. The truth is, people don't know what they want, and rarely even think they know what they want - as for dreams, you'll find they aren't all what they are meant out to be, and after chasing one dream, one ends up empty.

The book sucked, and the worst part was how in pursuit of this random "treasure", he leaves the girl in the desert. Failure already, anyone with any brain knows that that was the wrong thing to do.

Coelho isn't a philosopher, and isn't even a good writer - his dream nonsense is a mere misreading of fairy tales designed to appeal to readers who a) are unsatisfied, and b) have no real depth of imagination.

[JCamilo]

It is not fairy tales per si, or even re-reading, since he just copy and pastes, anyways
the Two Man that Dreamed is a traditional arabian history. It is not about finding happiness, it is about obeying Allah. Coelho just leveled it down to the most basic literal meaning. It is not about the quest (the story barelly talks about it), but reward. Coelho just copies it to some new age (Coelho books where published by Planeta. Planeta main product was a magazine with all short of "believe in gnomes, new age, random mysticism, Allan Kardec, and here in brazil since we have a strong african heritage, the cults that are mixed between christianism and african religions. They still do it) version that does not even elaborate futher than what Borges did (who saw that the real thing about the story is that two individuals could dream the same dream at same time).
His portuguese is also notorious for the mistakes and his complete lack of skill, to the point that makes my english looks like written by Oscar Wilde. Kudos for Coelhos translators around the world.

[Dreamings Life]

Great theories ! Keep debating . Thank you for the kind request Hoope. And for you J Camilo i hadn't copy and pasted my text. I quoted the date and time underneath my message for personal refrence in the future. But thanks for the try bud !

[Buh4Bee]

I just started this book and am on page 20. So far it seems to be a book for dreamers and the idealistic. Of course, I am old and wouldn't fall into any of those categories. However, I think I like the book so far.

[JCamilo]

Great theories ! Keep debating . Thank you for the kind request Hoope. And for you J Camilo i hadn't copy and pasted my text. I quoted the date and time underneath my message for personal refrence in the future. But thanks for the try bud !

Sorry for misunderstanding, he that copy and pastes is Coelho, not you. (There would no problem if you copy and paste your own text).

[Buh4Bee]

Still reading and I might agree with JBI, that the story is a bit simplistic and preachy. But haven't finished yet.

[Scheherazade]

This is one of the most overestimated books I have read... My disappointment was beyond words. Feel good stuff dipped in further sugar coating.

[JCamilo]

but then, you are Scherazade, seeing arabian stories turned from gold to mud and under the pretense cure, must really make you wish to see Sharyar mad again...

[Buh4Bee]

Sorry for the disappointment. I think the book should be listed under juvenile fiction. Maybe then, we'd all feel better about it.

I'm more than a hundred pages in and can seem to read more then 15 pages at a time without getting bored, irritated, or tired.

[Buh4Bee]

This is the quote from the book that I will take with me as I continue to develop my own personal philosophy and continue to pursue my own personal legend.
"Every search begins with beginners luck and ends with the victor's being severely tested."

Although the writing can be somewhat simplistic at times, I do not think the reader should underestimate the allegorical quality to the story. At moments, I put down the book to ponder the meaning and think about the real life relevance of Coelho's message. I can see why people think the book overestimated or juvenile. It's not an academic book.

[RichardHresko]

The Alchemist is this generation's Jonathan Livingston Seagull.

[Buh4Bee]

I can't agree more thoroughly! Great comparison!

[blazeofglory]

If you are a real observer you cannot distinguish between dreams and realties. I have read a Zen story somewhere wherein the master was relating his dream in which he was a butterfly and when awake he was confused whether he was really a butterfly dreaming of a man or the man dreaming of a butterfly. In fact everything in the world is as fading and unreal as dreams and nothing remains, neither realities nor dreams as a matter of fact.