• The Alchemist

  • A Fable About Following Your Dream
  • By: Paulo Coelho
  • Narrated by: Jeremy Irons
  • Length: 4 hrs
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (81,000 ratings)

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The Alchemist  By  cover art

The Alchemist

By: Paulo Coelho
Narrated by: Jeremy Irons
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Editorial review


By Madeline Anthony, Audible Editor

THE STRANGE ALCHEMY OF THE ALCHEMIST, THE NOVEL TURNED SELF-DEV PHENOMENON

At its core, The Alchemist is a spiritual guide. Packed into the form of a short fable, it follows young Santiago, a shepherd boy who travels far and wide in hopes of finding his life’s treasures. Within the simplicity of the story, universal messages are able to unfold in profound ways, ringing true with a newfound sense of urgency—listen to your heart, follow your intuition, and have the courage to walk towards your dreams even when you are afraid of what might happen next.

Far from an expansive, ancient desert, I listened to this story for the first time on the beach. After hearing rave reviews of The Alchemist for several years from friends and acquaintances, I had decided to listen to the audiobook on a rare week off. It was Christmas, and for the first time in a long time, I was not with my family for the holidays. I was spending that lost week between Christmas and New Year's on a bed of white sand in the Hawaiian Islands, on something of an engagement-moon with my fiancé. It was all gorgeous—the sun, the purplish mountains in the distance, the giant sea turtles that gently floated in the water like kids on a perpetual vacation. Taken at face value, there should have been no worries in sight. But secretly, I was worried. In fact, I was extremely worried. I was living with a nagging feeling that I kept trying to push down, and that each time I did, would inevitably rise again. In the end, listening to a story about a young boy in Egypt helped me to tap into my own heart of hearts, inevitably realizing the truth—I did not want to marry this man, and in fact, I wouldn’t.

Continue reading Madeline's review >

Publisher's summary

Paulo Coelho's enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its simplicity and wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an Alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a meditation on the treasures found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is art eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.
©1988 Paulo Coelho (P)2005 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"The story has the comic charm, dramatic tension and psychological intensity of a fairy tale, but it's full of specific wisdom as well, about becoming self-empowered, overcoming depression, and believing in dreams." (Publishers Weekly)

"It is short, but certainly packs a wallop. What makes the story even better is Jeremy Irons's unforgettable narration.... Irons's voice is crystal clear, and every word is given its own starring role in the text. He creates wondrous characters, male and female, that stay with us." (AudioFile)

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What listeners say about The Alchemist

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amazing

incredible story.
great narration.
you will love this story and the performance.
enjoy and share.

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Loved it

I enjoyed this story. It was entertaining, interesting, inspiring, encouraging, and just plain beautiful. It makes you stop and think, and take notice of all your blessings.

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A Must Read

I heard so many positive reviews about this book that I finally gave it listen. And now that I've finished it, I'm looking forward to reading it again.
Overall very inspirational and full of life lessons. Just start it. You won't regret it

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very easy read

loved this book and very easy read, suggest all should read this book to be inspired.

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fantastic book

loved it. many life lessons can be pulled from this book. very well written also good the narrator.

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Alchemist

A good reminder why we are all here. It was written well and the nairater read it with appropriate feeling.

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follow your dreams !

life is generous to those whom pursue their personal legends, so keep at it !

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a wonderful journey

prepare yourself for an inspiring journey filled with so many real life lessons you will want to revisit it over and over. how wonderful life is.

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Love everything about this book

I've listened to this book several times and it gets better every time! I'm sure I'll listen several more.

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Everything one needs to know about life!

This is a wonderful story about living in the present moment and following one's dream.

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