The Alchemist: Background

Today, Paulo Coelho is one of the most prolific writers in the world. The Alchemist is his second book, which is based on the very familiar theme of a quest for a hidden treasure: the theme, for instance, also features in the stories of the Arabian Nights. Coelho wrote the story of this shepherd boy’s quest in just two weeks. Often many of his readers mistakenly assume that Santiago, the protagonist of the novel, got his name from the journey Coelho undertook to Santiago de Compostela. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Coelho, however, mentioned that he named the character Santiago because he was fascinated with The Old Man and the Sea, the book written by Ernest Hemingway, which also had a character of the same name.

Despite all the challenges he faced throughout his turbulent life, Coelho fulfilled his dream of becoming a writer. In a sense, like Santiago, he fulfilled his Personal Legend. His parents, much like Santiago’s father in The Alchemist, did not want him to pursue his dreams, but he did. The central theme of his second novel is born out of his core belief concerning the nature of spirituality, which he has articulated in an interview as follows: “spirituality is being brave, is taking risks, is daring to do something when people are always telling you not to.”