Book Review: The Alchemist

Still getting caught up on book reviews!


The Alchemist by Paul Coelho


Rating: 0 of 5 STARS
Source: E's World Lit Class

I've never given a book a zero before, but this one is truly awful. The only reason I finished it was because it was E's reading assignment for world literature. It's a typical "all-roads-lead-to-God-we-are-one-you-can-find-your-meaning" book. I just don't get it's popularity. Really. The writing was horrible, the story was juvenile, and the underlying message was shallow. Huh. Even E found it ridiculous. I was ahead of her in reading and she asked me, "Please tell me he (the protagonist) dies at the end?!" Imagine reading a book and hoping the "good guy" doesn't make it because he's so annoying.

Interesting thought: this is a recommended reading for our county's public schools English II courses. Wow.


A friend who had read it and liked it ok asked if I really thought this was the worst book I've ever read. She suggested that maybe because this has been a bit of a tough period for me, I'm feeling a little dark? No, I really think this is the worst book I've ever read. I think the key is I had to finish it for E's school...otherwise I wouldn't have wasted more than 20 pages on it. Ugh.


Sorry to sound so harsh, but man-oh-man! I've read another book by this author that wasn't nearly so bad....Veronki Decides to Die. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, either, but it didn't reach the depths of silliness as this one.

Don't waste your time and if you're a teacher, there's so many better choices for World Literature! E and I are reading One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn next.