The Alchemist (novel)
 1st edition cover | |
| Author | Paulo Coelho |
|---|---|
| Original title | O Alquimista |
| Language | Portuguese |
| Genre | Quest, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy |
| Publisher | HarperTorch (Eng. trans) |
Publication date | 1986 |
| Publication place | Brazil |
Published in English | 1993 |
| Media type | Print (hardback, paperback and iTunes) |
| Pages | 167 pp (first English edition, hardcover) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0062502174 (first English edition, hardcover) Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character |
| OCLC | 26857452 |
The Alchemist (Template:Lang-pt) is an allegorical novel by Paulo Coelho first published in 1988. It follows Santiago, a young shepherd who lives in Spain, on a journey to fulfill his Personal Legend and find his Treasure at the Pyramids in Egypt. It has been hailed as a modern classic.[1][2] The plot is inspired by Jorge Luis Borges' short story: Tale of two dreamers.[3]
The Alchemist was originally written in Portuguese and has since been translated into 67 languages, winning the Guinness World Record for most translated book by a living author.[4] It has sold more than 65 million copies in more than 150 countries, becoming one of the best-selling books in history.[5]
Inspiration
The novel's central plot of two dreamers dreaming of treasure is inspired from Jorge Luis Borges' short story: Tale of two dreamers, from the 1935 collection A Universal History of Infamy.[3] However the concept of dreamers who seek treasure abroad only to find it at home has been quite common in literature and folk tales. Other examples of similar plots can be found in:
- one of the poems of the Mathanawi titled "In Baghdad, Dreaming of Cairo: In Cairo, Dreaming of Baghdad" or "The Man who dreamed of a Hidden Treasure" in Book VI, by the 13th century Persian-Seljuq Islamic scholar and poet Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi;[6]
- the tale from The One Thousand and One Nights: The man who became rich through a dream;[7]
- How the Junkman Traveled to Find Treasure in His Own Yard (Turkish folklore);[8]
- The Pedlar of Swaffham (English folklore published by Joseph Jacobs);[9]
- Upsall Castle (English folklore);[10]
- Dundonald Castle (Scottish folklore);[11]
- Themselves (Manx folklore);[12]
- The Dream of Treasure under the Bridge at Limerick (Irish folklore);[13]
- The Dream of the Treasure on the Bridge (German folklore published by the brothers Grimm);[14]
- The Dream of the Zirl Bridge (Austrian folklore).[15]
- the fable "The treasure under the bridge" by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov;[16]
- By Night under the Stone Bridge by Leo Perutz;[17]
An interpretation of "The treasure under the bridge" by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov is given as "The meaning of the parable is this: The fear of God is a buried treasure concealed in the heart of every one of us, but one has to journey to the Tzaddik to discover it."[16] This interpretation is similar to Jalal al-Din Rumi's universality, as shown in another of Rumi's poems:-
I searched for God among the Christians and on the Cross and therein I found Him not.
I went into the ancient temples of idolatry; no trace of Him was there.
I entered the mountain cave of Hira and then went very far but God I found not.
Then I directed my search to the Kaaba, the resort of old and young; God was not there.
Finally, I looked into my own heart and there I saw Him; He was nowhere else.[18]
Reception and Cultural Influence
The Advertiser, an Australian newspaper, published one of the first reviews of The Alchemist in 1993 saying "of books that I can recommend with the unshakable confidence of having read them and been entranced, impressed, entertained or moved, the universal gift is perhaps a limpid little fable called The Alchemist... In hauntingly spare prose, translated from the Brazilian original in Portuguese, it follows a young Andalusian shepherd into the desert on his quest for a dream and the fulfilment of his destiny."[19] Since then, the novel has received nearly universal praise, making it to the top spot on best seller lists in 74 countries and winning prestigious awards in Germany and Italy.[4][20][21] It has been called a "charming story," "a brilliant, simple narrative," and "a wonderful tale, a metaphor of life," from people in places as diverse as South Africa, Finland, and Turkey.[22] It has been praised by public figures like Will Smith[23], Russell Crowe[24],Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers and Nobel Prize winner Kenzaburō Ōe[failed verification] Arash Hejazi the Iranian publisher of Paulo Coelho believes that The Alchemist is exceptional on several counts. He notes that the book has had a 'longer than expected life-cycle... It was not supported by high marketing budgets in the first few years after its publication. It was not written in French or Spanish. It did not enjoy a film tie-in and was not recommended by positive reviews and the media, but it is still selling, only relying on the word of mouth as its main marketing tool.'[25]
File Sharing
Paulo Coelho is a strong advocate of spreading his books through peer-to-peer file sharing networks. He put his own books on file-sharing networks like BitTorrent, and noted that The Alchemist received a boost in sales due to this.[26] He stated that "I do think that when a reader has the possibility to read some chapters, he or she can always decide to buy the book later."[26] Currently, chapters from The Alchemist can be found on Google Books and Coelho's agency Sant Jordi Associoados.[27][28] Entire copies of his books, including translations, can also be found on Pirate Coelho, a blog off Coelho's main blog.[29]
Adaptations
In 2003, Warner Bros. bought the rights to the film adaptation of The Alchemist. The project stalled and the movie never materialized, reportedly for problems with the script.[30] At one point, the script had a battle sequence with 10,000 soldiers, which was "not what the book is about."[31]
During the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, Harvey Weinstein announced that he had bought the rights to the film and will serve as its producer. Laurence Fishburne is set to direct, and to play the eponymous character. It will have a reported budget of $60 million. Weinstein, who rarely personally produces movies, stated that "My loyalty is not to Laurence [Fishburne], my loyalty is not to me, my loyalty is not to anyone other than Paulo Coelho."[32] Coelho added "I am very happy that my book will be filmed in the way I intended it to be and I hope the spirit and simplicity of my work will be preserved. I am excited my friend Laurence Fishburne and Harvey Weinstein will be working together."[21]
A theatrical adaptation of The Alchemist has been produced and performed by the Cornish Theatre Collective, which is their most successful production to date.[33]
Anniversary
The 20th anniversary of the novel's publication was celebrated in the Theatre Palacio Valdés of Avilés, Asturias (Spain), with Coelho in attendance. The event was transmitted through the Internet.
The act was related to the "Fundación Centro Cultural Oscar Niemeyer".
References
- ^ The Alchemist - 10th Anniversary Edition Books Christian.
- ^ Paulo Coelho HarperCollins Publisher. "In celebration of its 20th Anniversary, Paulo Coelho's modern classic The Alchemist is now available in a special edition."
- ^ a b The Writers Almanac
- ^ a b Paulo Coelho Biography on PauloCoelho.com.
- ^ Film to be made of Coelho's 'Alchemist AFP. May 19, 2008.
- ^ The Essential Rumi, transl. Coleman Barks, New York: HarperCollins, 1995
- ^ The Book of the Thousand Nights and a night, (The Man Who Became Rich through a Dream) translated by Richard F. Burton (London: The Burton Club, 1885), vol. 4, pp. 289-90. Translation revised by D. L. Ashliman
- ^ Told in the Coffee House: Turkish Tales; By Cyrus Adler, Allan Ramsay; Published by Macmillan Co., 1898; link to text
- ^ The Pedlar of Swaffham
- ^ The Vale of Mowbray: A Historical and Topographical Account of Thirsk and Its Neighbourhood; By William Grainge, John Gilbert Baker; Published by Simpkin, Marshall, and co., 1859; link to text
- ^ The popular rhymes of Scotland, with illustr.; p. 236-238; collected by R. Chambers; By Robert Chambers; Published 1870; link to text
- ^ Manx Fairy Tales; Sophia Morrison; Published London: David Nutt, 1911; link to text
- ^ Visions and beliefs in the west of Ireland; p.36-37; By Gregory, William Butler Yeats; Compiled by Gregory; Published by G. P. Putnam's sons, 1920; to text
- ^ Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Traum vom Schatz auf der Brücke, Deutsche Sagen (1816/1818), vol. 1, no. 212; link to text
- ^ Ignaz D. Zingerle, Sagen aus Tirol (Innsbruck: Verlag der Wagner'schen Universitäts-Buchhandlung, 1891), no. 624, pp. 353-54; link to text
- ^ a b Stories by Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav: The Treasure
- ^ By Night Under the Stone Bridge By Leo Perutz; (First published in 1953); Published by Arcade Pub., 1990 ISBN 1559700556
- ^ muslimmedianetwork.com
- ^ Guy, Bill. "BOOKS OF THE YEAR." The Advertiser. December 4, 1993.
- ^ A Brief History of the Book Saint Jordi Asociados
- ^ a b The Weinstein Company to Bring 'The Alchemist' to the Big Screen Zoom In Online: Film & TV.
- ^ The Alchemist: Reviews on Sant Jordi Associados.
- ^ Will Smith Interview Tavis Smiley on PBS. December 13, 2007.
- ^ Interview with a Gladiator
- ^ [http://arashhejazi.com/en/2009/06/alchemy-of-the-alchemist/ 'The Alchemy of the Alchemist: How Paulo Coelho became the most translated living author for the same book; A trans-cultural and trans-lingual publishing phenomenon' ].
- ^ a b Best-Selling Author Turns Piracy into Profit TorrentFreak. May 12, 2008.
- ^ The Alchemist Book Preview Google Books.
- ^ Extract from The Alchemist Sant Jordi Associados.
- ^ [1]
- ^ Fishburne to direct The Alchemist The Guardian. June 27, 2007.
- ^ Doland, Angela 'The Alchemist' to be made into movie USA Today. May 18, 2008.
- ^ Weinstein to produce 'Alchemist' film adaptation Muzi.com News. May 18, 2008.
- ^ The Cornish Theatre Collective The Alchemist.
M.Swapna G.Youveniya
