The document provides a detailed book review of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It summarizes the key details of the novel including the main characters Santiago and the Alchemist, as well as the themes of pursuing personal legends and the symbolic importance of the desert journey. The review also analyzes archetypal symbols in the novel like alchemy, the desert, and treasures. Overall, the review comprehensively summarizes the influential 1988 novel The Alchemist by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho.

1. A Book Review
W o r l d L i t e r a t u r e
I V – B S P T
O r d i n a d o , F . A . M a r t i n e z , Z . E .

2. W e w i l l b e d i s c u s s i n g a b o u t
o n e o f t h e m o s t i n f l u e n t i a l
b o o k s o f a l l t i m e s . C a n y o u
g u e s s w h a t b o o k i t i s ?
L e t u s s e e i f y o u c a n g u e s s
i t u s i n g 4 P i c s 1 W o r d

3. I
L
A
S
D
A
F
Y
R
N
A
C
E
T
H
G
M
K

4. D
A
F
Y
R
N
A
G K
A L C H E M I S T

5. O u r b o o k r e v i e w w i l l b e f r o m :

6. THE AUTHOR
Name:
Born:
Nationality:
Language:
Occupation:
Twitter:
Paulo Coelho
Aug. 27, 1947
Brazilian
Portugues
Novelist
@paulocoelho

7. THE BOOK
Title:
Type:
Genre:
Year:
Place:
Author:
Publisher:
The Alchemist
Novel
Fiction
1988
Brazil
Paulo Coelho
HarperOne

8. THE BOOK
Narrator:
POV:
Tone:
Tense:
Themes:
Motifs:
Omniscient
3rd Person
Myth/Fable
Past Tense
Centrality of Personal
Legends; Unity of
Nature; Danger of Fear
Dreams; Maktub;
Omens

9. THE BOOK
Setting
(time):
Geographic
Setting:
Pre-modern
time / Past
Spanish
pastures,
Spanish town
of Tarifa, the
city of Tangier
in North
Africa, and the
Sahara desert.

10. Characters

11. CHARACTERS
Santiago
The Book’s central
character: An
adventurous shepherd
who have unwavering
resolve to accomplish
his personal legend of
finding a treasure.

12. CHARACTERS
The Alchemist
200-year-old,
extremely potent
alchemist
inhabiting in the
Al-Fayoum Oasis.

13. CHARACTERS
Crystal Merchant
A struggling
merchant who owns a
crystal shop on top of
a desolate hill. He is
a good-hearted,
devout Muslim, but
has a crippling fear
of change.

14. CHARACTERS
Englishman
A well-educated
science scholar gritty
to learn the
clandestine of
alchemy by learning
from a factual
alchemist. He is a
cynic and adore
reading his tomes.

15. CHARACTERS
Melchizedek
The King of Salem.
He appears to
possess magical
powers and helps
those pursuing their
Personal Legends.

16. CHARACTERS
Fatima
A gorgeous and
innocent juvenile
"desert woman" who
lives at the Al-
Fayoum Oasis.

17. CHARACTERS
Gypsy
An old
women living
in Tarifa who
interprets
dreams.
Camel Driver
A friendly
former orchard
owner and
devout Muslim
The Tribal Chieftain
of Al-Fayoum
A strict and ruthless
tribal chieftain who
lives in luxury.

18. CHARACTERS
Merchant’s
daughter
The beautiful
and intelligent
raven-haired
daughter of the
merchant .
Merchant
A merchant who
buys wool from
Santiago on a
yearly basis.
Caravan Leader
The bold leader of a
caravan traveling across
the Sahara Desert from
Tangier to Egypt.

19. Summary

20. SUMMARY
Santiago is a shepherd
who journey
everywhere with his
sheep. One day he had
a dream about
treasures in the
pyramids in the desert.
So he sell his sheep
and journey to the
desert.

21. SUMMARY
Upon his journey,
he was robbed so
he work under a
crystal merchant.
After saving an
amount of money,
he join a caravan
which will travel
across the Sahara
desert.

22. SUMMARY
In the journey, he
met an Englishman
who wants to be an
alchemist. The
caravan stops on an
Oasis because there
is tribal war further
beyond the desert.
There, he met
Fatima, the girl he
loved.

23. SUMMARY
In the oasis, he also met the 200-
years-old alchemist. Then when they
taught that it is safe to travel, they go
along their journey to the pyramids.
But they were captured by the
tribesmen.

24. SUMMARY
To be fled by the
enemy, Santiago
proved that he was
powerful by morphing
into wind. After their
escape, they go
separate ways.
Santiago go on to the
pyramids.

25. SUMMARY
In the pyramids,
Santiago found
nothing. He met
someone who
dreamed about a
treasure in a ruined
church. Then
Santiago realized
that his treasure is
in Spain. So he went
back and found his
treasure.

26. Archetypal Symbols

27. Santiago’s sheep symbolize the sort of
existence lived by those who are
completely blind to their Personal
Legends.
Alchemy, in which a base metal is transformed
into a more valuable metal like gold, functions
as the dominant symbol in The Alchemist and
represents Santiago’s journey to achieve his
Personal Legend.
The desert, with its harsh conditions and tribal wars,
symbolizes the serious difficulties that await anyone in
pursuit of their Personal Legend, but it also serves as an
important teacher to Santiago during his journey to the
pyramids.

28. Crystal Glassware: Fragility and clarity are
the characteristics represented by the crystal
merchant's crystal glassware.
Urim and Thummim: These stones stand
for the characters' needs to respond to
omens, which are essential motivating
factors.
Sycamore Tree: This tree represents
Egypt, the place where sycamores
come from.

29. Oasis: The oasis symbolizes life,
love, and domesticity.
The pyramids represent the
ancient and inscrutable.
Thieves represent everyone who tries to find a shortcut
to his or her Personal Legend; the journey is necessary,
according to The Alchemist.
Water: Life is synonymous with water in
the novel, and perhaps for love too.

30. End.
Thank You!
S O U R C E S :
• C o e l h o , P . ( 1 9 9 8 ) . T h e a l c h e m i s t . S a n F r a n c i s c o :
H a r p e r S a n F r a n c i s c o .
• S p a r k N o t e s E d i t o r s . ( 2 0 1 0 ) . S p a r k N o t e o n T h e
A l c h e m i s t . R e t r i e v e d D e c e m b e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 4 , f r o m
h t t p : / / w w w . s p a r k n o t e s . c o m / l i t / t h e - a l c h e m i s t /
• P a u l o C o e l h o . ( 2 0 1 5 ) . T h e B i o g r a p h y . c o m w e b s i t e .
R e t r i e v e d 1 0 : 4 5 , J a n 0 4 , 2 0 1 5 ,
f r o m h t t p : / / w w w . b i o g r a p h y . c o m / p e o p l e / p a u l o -
c o e l h o - 5 5 2 4
• S e x t o n , A d a m . C l i f f s N o t e s o n T h e A l c h e m i s t . 0 4
J a n 2 0 1 5