The Alchemist (Portuguese: O Alquimista) is an allegorical novel by Paulo Coelho first published in 1988. It follows Santiago, a young Spanish shepherd, on a journey to fulfill his Personal Legend. It has been hailed as a modern classic. The plot is inspired from Jorge Luis Borges' short story: Tale of two dreamers.
The Alchemist was originally written in Portuguese and has since been translated into 67 languages, winning the Guiness World Record for most translated book by a living author. It has sold more than 65 million copies in more than 150 countries, becoming one of the best-selling books in history.
Santiago, a boy living in Spain, leads a common life of travel through his trade of shepherding and entertains thoughts of marrying a merchant's daughter. One day, he has a dream in which a child tells him to go to the Egyptian pyramids, which will lead him to hidden treasure. He consults a gypsy to interpret his dream, who tells him that it is a dream in the language of the world, and he must go to the Pyramids. Santiago dismisses this and plans to continue on with his daily life. While he sits to read a book, an old man strikes up conversation with him. The old man reveals that he is Melchizedek, the King of Salem. The King tells Santiago that in exchange for one-tenth of his sheep, he'll tell him where to find the treasure. Santiago agrees and buys a ticket to Tangiers.
In Tangiers, Santiago is tricked by a thief and loses his money and ...
