• The Alchemist

  • A Fable About Following Your Dream
  • By: Paulo Coelho
  • Narrated by: Jeremy Irons
  • Length: 4 hrs
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (81,089 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)

Featured Article: Audiobooks Like The Alchemist to Expand Your Horizons


Since it was published in 1988, The Alchemist has remained a universally relatable work about what it means to find yourself and reach enlightenment. Paulo Coelho’s simple but profound writing style leaves listeners captivated—a style only heightened by the impeccable narrative performance of prolific stage and screen actor Jeremy Irons. If you’re one of the countless fans who’ve fallen in love with this title and find yourself wanting more, we’ve got you covered.

What listeners say about The Alchemist

Average customer ratings
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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Whimsical tale of the journey of the soul.

Outstanding performance by Jeremy Irons as he tells the journey of a boy in search of his treasure. Wonderful allegory with which we all can identify.

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Wonderful Masterpiece!!!!

What did you love best about The Alchemist?

This "book" took me away and inspired me to buy the hardcopy. What a wonderful story with so many inspirational and meaningful points. I can't wait to read and/or hear it again. Also, this version is wonderfully narrated.

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favorite

one of my favorite books of all time. you should read it. it will change your life.

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Read it!

This book is truely amazing and is worth the listen or read!! Trust me you must experience it yourself to know.

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Highly Captivating!

I like novels that contain a lot of wisdom in them, and this is definitely one of them. I totally recommend it. I finished it in a couple of days.

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Not big into fiction, but this was quite the story

Any additional comments?

I usually center my books towards more business oriented topics, such as finance, strategy, startups, etc. I decided to put this book on the back burner to mix things up a bit. If after a 6 hour dive into a finance book I wanted something different (I work long shifts with headphones, very easy for me to listen to a lot of books), I'd put this on.

In terms of the actual book, it was really good. The narration is awesome, one of the better I've listened to with Audible. In terms of the story, it was also very well written and received.

Personal Rotten Tomatoes score: 81%

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Amazing story

This book moved me to tears like literal tears. Such a moving book and the narrator did such an awesome job bringing this beautiful journey to life.

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Awesome read

This is an awesome book and I would recommend this to anyone!!! Life coach book

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The voice really made this awesome story more interesting

The voice really made this awesome story more interesting. I listened so many times. My favorite book of all!

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MORE THAN WILL DELIVER

Much of this story is found not in the words but between the lines. Thought provoking!

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