The Alchemist
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho can be the topic of a world literature research paper on Brazilian authors. Custom written world literature research papers can be ordered from Paper Masters on any topic you need discussed.
The following are some facts regarding Paulo Coelho's novel The Alchemist:
- The Alchemist is a 1988 novel written by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho.
- Originally written in Portuguese, the novel has been translated into over 67 other languages
- Setting a Guinness World Record for the most translated book by a living author.
- The novel is allegorical, telling the story of an Andalusian shepherd on his journey to Egypt.
The plot of The Alchemist details the story of Santiago, a young shepherd boy with a recurring dream. Living in the southern region of Spain, Santiago travels to a nearby town in order to consult a gypsy fortune-teller as to the meaning of his dream. The gypsy woman tells Santiago that his dream is revealing the presence of a treasure inside the Egyptian Pyramids.
During his journey, Santiago meets Melchizedek, a king who convinces Santiago to sell his sheep in order to finance his travels. Melchizedek also tells Santiago of a Personal Legend, described as what a person has always wanted, something the universe helps a person to achieve. Later, Santiago meets The Englishman, who is traveling to al-Fayoum in order to meet a famous alchemist.
Eventually, it is revealed that Santiago is the true apprentice of the Alchemist. Coelho has said he wrote The Alchemist in a mere two weeks, with the story already written in his soul. At first modestly received, The Alchemist has won international praise.