Puzzles Presents: Ultimate Reading Challenge 2015 discussion

Post the title, description, and your opinion of the book you read.

The Alchemist

I found The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho to be rather disappointing. The main message behind the book is that each of us has a “personal legend” and if we devote our life to obtaining it, the Universe will help us achieve it. While this message is admirable at face-value, it makes me worried for the readers who take this message to heart, feel they have not achieved their personal legend (most likely due to circumstances out of their control) and blame themselves.

In addition, the author only referred to his male characters as being able to achieve their personal legends. The only female character named in the book was characterized as being a part of the main character’s personal legend (not to mention, she was only characterized by her beauty). In fact, all the women referred to in the book are characterized as being perfectly content staying at home and waiting while their male partners go into the desert and seek their personal legends. There was no reference to any of the women achieving their own dreams. While I understand that the story is about a male character and the limitations on a female perspective may be due to a cultural context, the lack of perspective completely disengaged me. If the story was meant to be a fable for everyone, it should have been directed at everyone.