The Alchemist: A Graphic Novel

by Paulo Coelho, Derek Ruiz (Adaptor), Daniel Sampere (Illustrator)

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho continues to change the lives of its readers forever. With more than two million copies sold around the world, The Alchemist has established itself as a modern classic, universally admired.

Paulo Coelho’s masterpiece tells the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure as extravagant as any ever found.

The story of the treasures Santiago finds along the way teaches us, as only a few stories can, about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life’s path, and, above all, following our dreams.

Acclaimed illustrator Daniel Sampere brings Paulo Coelho's classic to new life in this gorgeously illustrated graphic novel adaptation.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fiction, Comics, Fantasy, Philosophy, Classics, Adventure

208 pages, Hardcover

First published November 23, 2010

About the author

The Brazilian author PAULO COELHO was born in 1947 in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Before dedicating his life completely to literature, he worked as theatre director and actor, lyricist and journalist. In 1986, PAULO COELHO did the pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostella, an experience later to be documented in his book The Pilgrimage. In the following year, COELHO published The Alchemist. Slow initial sales convinced his first publisher to drop the novel, but it went on to become one of the best selling Brazilian books of all time. Other titles include Brida (1990), The Valkyries (1992), By the river Piedra I sat Down and Wept (1994), the collection of his best columns published in the Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo entitle Maktub (1994), the compilation of texts Phrases (1995), The Fifth Mountain (1996), Manual of a Warrior of Light (1997), Veronika decides to die (1998), The Devil and Miss Prym (2000), the compilation of traditional tales in Stories for parents, children and grandchildren (2001), Eleven Minutes (2003), The Zahir (2005), The Witch of Portobello (2006) and Winner Stands Alone (to be released in 2009). During the months of March, April, May and June 2006, Paulo Coelho traveled to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostella in 1986. He also held surprise book signings - announced one day in advance - in some cities along the way, to have a chance to meet his readers. In ninety days of pilgrimage the author traveled around the globe and took the famous Transiberrian train that took him to Vladivostok. During this experience Paulo Coelho launched his blog Walking the Path - The Pilgrimage in order to share with his readers his impressions. Since this first blog Paulo Coelho has expanded his presence in the internet with his daily blogs in Wordpress, Myspace & Facebook. He is equally present in media sharing sites such as Youtube and Flickr, offering on a regular basis not only texts but also videos and pictures to his readers. From this intensive interest and use of the Internet sprang his bold new project: The Experimental Witch where he invites his readers to adapt to the screen his book The Witch of Portobello. Indeed Paulo Coelho is a firm believer of Internet as a new media and is the first Best-selling author to actively support online free distribution of his work.

Reviews

[Liong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the novel before, and discovering the graphic novel made me want to reread it.

A visually stunning graphic novel adaptation that is captivating, thought-provoking, and a delight to read.

The novel shows that the real treasure wasn't just the gold but the knowledge and experiences Santiago gained during his journey.

Hope you like it too. 😉

[Brittany Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A read for when the soul needs RESToration. I re-read this a couple of times a year, ever since I first picked it up in 2016.

2018 Review
WAKE UP AND REMEMBER WHO THE EFF YOU ARE! My heart and soul needed this wisdom. It did indeed, create a spiritual awakening within me.

Self-worth, determination, and sprinkles of enlightenment will be bestowed upon those who are ready to dig deep within themselves for the messages contained within. Some people are visual learners and do best with no words, while others miss the message(s) if there are no words. This is why Paul Coelho adapted this spiritual GRAPHIC NOVEL from his original wordy version of The Alchemist. So if you like pictures, finding multiple perspectives, and deciphering your own spiritual interpretations, this graphic novel is for you. I think it's great the author provides different versions of the same book so that people who learn in different ways have options. So brilliant!

Many think this book is over-hyped. If you are new(ish) to spirituality, I doubt you will find things so cliché. If you already know it all, you will not take anything away from this book, it will have no benefit and you will not like it, more so than not, resulting in a bad rating. In my opinion, you either love this book or hate it. Some people can take hints and incorporate things into their life without concrete direction, while others need a roadmap written out word for word, and also even more help along the way. This used to be me. It is now something I consciously work on because it is one of the many lessons I acquired whilst reading this. This story made me realize many things that I needed to personally work on.

Everyone is at a different place in life- and the timing of reading The Alchemist in people's lives needs to line up. 7 years ago, I would have hated this book...I would have been like- What messages? What digging deep? I would have perceived this one-dimensionalensional and woo-woo. My heart and soul would not have been ready for the mind-blowing reality that was about to unfold. This started me on such a bigger path, but I had to be in a place of openness and willingness to learn new concepts.

If you didn't like this book, I encourage you to try to pick it up again when your heart is more open to new ideas and you are ready to start letting go of some of the views that were put into you by society, your parents, or whomever. You do not have to be a certain religion because you were raised that way, you do not need to fear money or divorce because those were your parents' problems. Do you see how we can instill other people's fears in us and let that subconsciously run our lives? (I will not be like *inserts name here*, when in fact it drives us to that very same place.) (Another key lesson in this story!) We need to let these thoughts go: I will be this way because it was the way I was raised. Or - This is just the way I am. Don't let other people steal your personal power that is yours. Yes, these are the profound insights and messages I received from this story. I'm not saying it was easy, but I had to admit to myself a lot of truths before this story would sit with me. If I were not at a mentally/spiritually mature place in my life, pretty sure this book would have gone right over my head because I did not care for this type of info in my heart earlier on.

There were many topics presented here that I'd simply never been taught or even heard of before. I had never heard about divining with stones —and trusting your intuition isn't something the cultures of America necessarily embrace. Quite the opposite actually... Oh, you are feeling something? Here, take this pill and only call us if you have side effects. These are more the vibes I have come into contact with. I come from a background where my religion was picked for me when I was younger, as are most people. You are Christian and Luthern, even though we didn't have much to do with the Church or the community. I mostly felt like an outsider because fearing people into something isn't the path to enlightenment for me. I was never confirmed in a church but nonetheless, I still believe in A Creator, among other things. Being a God-fearing woman was NOT ok with me. Another deep personal message I received from reading this story was to reverse this. Become a God-empowered woman instead. There should be no fear in faith and it should not feel heavy in the heart. I had never learned this profound positive thinking before. Being raised with a Western or Mid-Western mindset can really dampen the spirit and the soul that's for sure!

After reading this graphic novel I had tears of joy, smiles, and lightness in my heart for the first time! Truths in my heart were being unlocked as I couldn't fly through the pages fast enough. Sometimes the happy tears were flowing so much I had to take a break from reading which made me cry even more because it was that good to me. I learned to look at every trial and tribulation- not as the world striking out against me, not as the Creator hating me...but saw naysayers and tests towards the path of enlightenment. If you let the naysayers keep you down you will never rise above them. Enlightenment is purely blissful but the journey there can feel like Hell. Your path may not be someone else's path and that is OK. This book helped me see all of this.

The Alchemist graphic novel changed my perspective on life and truly shifted something meaningful in my heart. I am someone who was always looking for better, this book taught me lessons my soul needed. It showed me to enjoy the moment and step back from that longing attachment I had been creating by always wanting/wishing/praying for things to be better. Resisting and staying small day in and day out, always listening to others or trying to avoid their opinions, shutting down or hiding my own, afraid of speaking up because girls didn't grow up that way can truly hurt one's spirit without you even knowing it
— is a problem. As children, most of us were not allowed to have opinions- that's just the way it was because they said so! Well, no more! This book gave me my personal power back. Strength in mind, body, and soul.

If you have holes and cannot seem to fill them with anything, no amount of food, friends, booze, or external substances help, then I highly suggest you check out this graphic novel, or read the wordy version, or try both, and see if you can do some INTERNAL soul searching like I was able to do.

I think if you loved this book as much as I did, it is because the warm spiritual messages were needed. It gave me the determination to stop letting me get myself down so much by letting others get to me. I now have the wisdom to know that others will not understand my path, but the closer I feel to peace, well that's the direction I am going in.

I cannot thank the author enough for his ability to write a story that I connected with on such a deep level! This review definitely cannot describe all the emotions I felt while reading this.

I also want to thank my Decongestive Lymphatics teacher, Dr. Corey Carter of Blackhawk, South Dakota (Owner of Alt. Med Services), for recommending me this glorious read. I am forever changed by this wisdom. Namasté

I was under no obligation to write a review, my honest opinion is freely given. I purchased the small hardback, graphic novel (physical) edition of "The Alchemist" from Amazon.

I look forward to reading the lengthier, "wordy" version, which I have waiting on the Kindle App.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obviously, the Alchemist is about Alchemy. This is talking about spiritual alchemy. We each have a personal legend. How do we go about making that happen. Alchemy is taking a solid object, melting it into something else and it transforms so when it becomes a solid, it is something new. So, how do we take our life and change it. The book gives a story of what that might look like.

Like any good spiritual story will relate, usually we go on a journey and end up back where we started. That is the whole thing about enlightenment. Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. The difference is before enlightenment, it is a chore, something we have to do. After enlightenment, we just do, it is no longer a chore.

I read the Alchemist many years ago when it came out. I have forgotten much of the story. This was a great way to read the book again and enjoy the beautiful art. Much of the wisdom of spiritual teachings from the world are part of this story. I enjoy it. We are more powerful than we can fathom as people. The message of this book is saying, if we are willing to embrace that power, then we can be powerful. Most of us are scared of our own power and we stop ourselves from living our personal legends.

I need to reread some other spiritual books I have forgotten. Who knows what I'll remember.?

[Greta G · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Alchemist was on my to read list for a long time. Then I learned there was this adaptation. Since I love a good graphic novel, I decided to read this first. I'm glad I did. It seems to be a very good adaptation and the graphics were exceptionally good. But the story... Don't get me started. It was absolute nonsense. Ridiculous.
But I'm glad I read this adaptation, because I've always been intrigued by the novel and now I'm pretty sure it's overhyped and I won't ever read it.
My two star rating is only for the lovely graphics.

[Nnedi · Rating 3 out of 5]

meh. was alright.
i started reading this in april. it's november. 'nuff said.
it says two stars means it's "ok". and that's all it was. but 2 out of 5 seems harsh for a book i didn't loath.
absolutely loved the original novel, though.

[EZRead eBookstore · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading “The Alchemist: The Graphic Novel”, I still felt the same way as I did at the end of the regular “The Alchemist”. Both made me twirl my invisible beard and go “hmmmm”. But even after reading both books, I’m still not sure how to uncover the magic of “The Alchemist” that has made it an enduring classic since the late 80’s when the original was released. I blame my parable overload on Sunday school.

And parable this puppy is. Loaded up with allegory and “lesson” stories from the Bible and Greek mythology, Santiago’s journey is a big “what did we learn today?”. The core message, and I’m quoting, is “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” To prove it, Santiago goes through a number of tests and challenges on his journey that prove just how helpful the universe can be when you’re fulfilling your personal quest. Things are turned into gold, people turn into wind, etc. It is nice to see all the pieces fall into place, but I’ll be honest, I’m still not sure what Coelho wants the readers to take away from here. The message is so overwhelmingly positive and magic-heavy that it’s hard for me to apply it to my life in this cubicle.

Normally, this kind of parable is synonymous with religion. After the lesson is done and you’re like, “well. How DO I walk on water?” there is a religious explanation. Here, religion is ambiguously positive, vaguely incorporating Islamic and Christian traditions. Also in “The Alchemist”, only the horrifying use of “follow your heart” or “follow your dreams” is employed, which is seriously terrible advice.

It’s a beautiful graphic novel and a well-done adaptation. But at the end of the day, I just felt like it was nice that Santiago followed his dreams, but didn’t take much more out of it. I’ve seen more informative puppet shows in Sunday school.

-EZ Read Staffer Jenifer

[Zachary Eversole · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Alchemist, By Paulo Coelho, was already a great book but I think the graphic novel made it better. The graphic novel made it easier to visualize all of the characters and the scenery. when talking about the text in the novel, it was simple and I enjoyed how it wasn't too descriptive or long. the pictures, on the other hand, showed everything how the author envisioned it. That didn't leave much up to the imagination but I was personally fine with that. I gave this book a 5-star review and plan on reading the original novel quite soon
.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story beautifully adapted in this format.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to read the graphic novel before reading the novel for various reasons. The main one being, I wasn't too sure if I would make it through the book in it's entirity. I am glad I chose to do this. I don't believe that this story should have been turned into a graphic novel. It had very little action and was very theological. These two things make for uninteresting cells. I did like the art (even if the the genders where very similarily drawn), and the story was a good one. I found that the main points of the story didn't translate well into art and I felt that I was missing major chunks of the plot by reading it this way.
Will I read the novel? No. Probably not. This is one of those books that wants to be more than I want it to be. It wants to wax intelectual and theological ideas and maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it. I can see how many readers would LOVE this book. It makes you think about the way of the world and how God has a plan for us.
Needless to say, if you are looking for a thought provoking story set in an unconventional setting, this is the book for you.

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read "The Alchemist" book about a year ago and then my daughter picked up the graphic novel from the library and read it in an hour and told me I should read it, she had also read the novel previously.

So I read the graphic novel and I feel about it the same way I felt about the novel...I like it, but I do not love it. It is loaded with parables and bible references and nothing is really new and exciting, just a retelling of familiar Sunday school stories. Maybe I have had too much Sunday school for me to be entranced by this story.

The art work just did not wow me, I thought it could be more involved. For example when he is carrying the oil through the majestic rooms, the rooms seem so plain and tiny. I think the art work is lacking in grandeur and depth. I also fell the story adaptation is chunky and does not flow and the grammar seems off in some places.

Definitely recommend the original work to be read and enjoyed first before even considering the graphic version.

[Ata · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have hated The Alchemist ever since I found it. But people do seem to like this book. I thought I might find what is to like in the graphic version. No. It is still a lot of nonsense. There is not a single concrete statement in the entire book. I am glad to say I still hate this book. This author annoys me to no end. Can I please give negative stars as my rating?

The illustrations are nice though.

[Jodi]

DNF'd @ 55% - I know The Alchemist is a much-loved classic but this graphic version was too "busy"-looking and the artwork appeared to make it at least twice the length of the novel! I just lost interest, and this first attempt at reading two books at a time was an abject failure. Never again; from now on, I'm a monogamous reader!😉

[Gayle · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay for me. I kind of enjoyed it....a little. But for the most part, I'm just confused.

[Mj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful! Great graphics and well adapted from novel version!

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've never read the original, so was unsure what to expect. I didn't really think the story lent itself to the graphic medium, or at least the way that it was recounted here which I did not really connect with. It seemed a bit lightweight, as if the author wanted to say something profound, but ended up not really being able to get very deep, relying instead on a hodgepodge of well-worn religious and philosophical ideas, with an unhealthy dose of New Age gibberish. The book was not particularly interesting visually either. I doubt I'll read the novel, unless there is an intervention of Goodreaders who weigh in convincingly on the matter.

[Anna S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember giving The Alchemist bad review. Maybe because I read the Indonesian version and it translated badly. I felt that book is more like a prophet-wannabe bible rather than a good fiction novel.

But maybe that's the reason. I never like Paulo Coelho's quotes and in this book he shut up all that, only graphics talking with the conversation balloon written by someone else. That is how I caught the story more than the smart talk.

[J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't really speak to the original book, but this had some incredibly uneven pacing. Plot-wise, it was sort of a meandering morality tale, sort of Forrest-Gump-ish, but the events were just incredibly uneven. The art, too, appeared to change even in the middle of a section, from solid to uninteresting and back and forth. The story has a solid ending, but so much important (for instance, the love story part) is glossed over....

[Saransh Solanki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. This was a disappointment. Since it was a graphic novel I somehow forced myself to complete it, but after a few pages I knew I didn't like it. It felt forced, disjointed and preachy. The art is mesmerising and I could look through it over and over, but the story was terrible.

[James · Rating 1 out of 5]

At times the dialogue reads like a didactic religious tract; at other moments, small revelations of wisdom. Unfortunately, the former dominates and I'm not sure I'll get to the full text version as a result.

[Anya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't read the original novel, but I didn't find this an enjoyable graphic novel. The art is attractive but the dialogue is stiff and preachy.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally posted on Just a Lil' Lost

The bestselling book gets a graphic novel treatment with Ruiz & Sampere's take on Coelho's tale about an Andalusian shepherd boy who sells his sheep to travel to Egypt in search of a treasure buried by the Pyramids.

Yes, I've heard so much about how life changing The Alchemist is, and I am sad to admit that I have not been able to get through the novel version. So I was interested to see if the graphic novel would be different. And different, it certainly was.

The preface of the book shares that Coelho has long wanted to see his book as a graphic novel and he quickly knew that this proposal would be the one. I'm a bit surprised, as what I had known about the novel was that it was philosophical and deep, allowing readers to ponder life. Yet I found some of the illustrations both distracting and felt out of place altogether. Some of the sexual nature of the drawings (as I snapshot below) did not fit, to me, with the overall theme and message of what The Alchemist should have been. Between that and the adaptation, I felt the story a bit disjointed. At least this version has piqued my interest enough to give the written version another chance so I can see what the original story should have been like.

Some questionably sexual panels from The Alchemist graphic novel:

[Adderlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

"My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer" the boy told the alchemist, "tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse that the suffering itself". No matter how many times I read this story (this was my third time, first time reading the graphic novel version), I take away with a new perspective and life lesson.

No matter where you are in life, the reminders to be courageous and not allow fear to stop you, to follow your heart, to have faith, persevere, follow your dreams, take action - are so powerful. The graphic novel definitely has a different feel, which took some time to get used to, but it brings the story to life with beautiful artwork and imagery.

"When you want something, all the universe conspires to help you achieve it."

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

This graphic novel is so sexist. All the women are boobtastic and have the tiniest pieces of clothing clinging to their nubile bodies . . . oh, except the older ones, who are all ugly, of course. Most of the men are gross and ugly, too. I bought this book because I was teaching a class who were reading the regular version of the book. I have no idea who thought developmental readers would like The Alchemist and I'm disgusted I spent money on two different versions of it.

[Faisal Warraich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clap Clap Clap.... an experience of five hours was like i'm watching "Lord Of The Rings" all part in a sitting. My God, what a graphic novel it is. I red the book years ago, but the graphic novel was an auspicious experience. MUST READ FRIENDS.

[Lacey Meyer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t enjoy this book at all. I wanted it to end immediately beginning at the midway point. I understand what the meaning is behind the book, but I don’t care. I hated every character, and it was a boring read. 😂 10/10 do not recommend.

[David Hilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't quite finished the regular book yet, but I wanted to see what the graphic novel is like. This is a passable version - nothing special, I don't think. Good story, for the most part.

[Clinton · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can really tell a guy used to illustrating superheros drew this comic, but it does give a musing fable some oomph

[Forrest · Rating 3 out of 5]

The artwork in this was amazing, I almost wanted to give it a higher rating. The story was well-written I, personally, just didn't love it.

[Maggi Rohde · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it well enough to think I would enjoy the regular book a lot more than the graphic novel.

[Hitesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have read the Text version. The illustrator has done an excellent job.