The Alchemist (novel)
| The Alchemist | |
|---|---|
 1st edition cover |
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| Author | Paulo Coelho |
| Original title | O Alquimista |
| Country | Brazil |
| Language | Portuguese |
| Genre(s) | Quest, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy |
| Publisher | HarperTorch (Eng. trans) |
| Publication date | 1986 |
| Published in English |
1993 |
| Media type | Print (hardback, paperback and iTunes) |
| Pages | 163 pp (first English edition, hardcover) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0062502174 (first English edition, hardcover) |
| OCLC Number | 26857452 |
The Alchemist (Portuguese: O Alquimista) is an allegorical novel by Paulo Coelho first published in 1988. It has been hailed as a modern classic.[1][2] The Alchemist was originally written in Portuguese and has since been translated into 56 languages, winning the Guinness World Record for most translated book by a living author.[3] It has sold more than 65 million copies in more than 150 countries, becoming one of the best-selling books in history.[4]
Contents |
Plot
The Alchemist details the journey of a young Spanish shepherd named Santiago. Santiago, believing a recurring dream to be prophetic, decides to travel to Egypt to find treasure. On the way, he encounters love, danger, opportunity and disaster.
Reception and Cultural Influence
The Advertiser, an Australian newspaper, published one of the first reviews of The Alchemist in 1993 saying, "of books that I can recommend with the unshakable confidence of having read them and been entranced, impressed, entertained or moved, the universal gift is perhaps a limpid little fable called The Alchemist... In hauntingly spare prose, translated from the Brazilian original in Portuguese, it follows a young Andalusian shepherd into the desert on his quest for a dream and the fulfilment of his destiny."[5] Since then, the novel has received nearly universal praise, making it to the top spot on best seller lists in 74 countries and winning prestigious awards in Germany and Italy.[3][6][7] It has been called a "charming story," "a brilliant, simple narrative," and "a wonderful tale, a metaphor of life," from people in places as diverse as South Africa, Finland, and Turkey.[8] It has been praised by public figures like Will Smith[9], Russell Crowe[10] and Jorge Garcia. Arash Hejazi, the Iranian publisher of Paulo Coelho believes that The Alchemist is exceptional on several counts. He notes that the book has had a 'longer than expected life-cycle... It was not supported by high marketing budgets in the first few years after its publication. It was not written in French or Spanish. It did not enjoy a film tie-in and was not recommended by positive reviews and the media, but it is still selling, only relying on the word of mouth as its main marketing tool.'[11]
File Sharing
Paulo Coelho is a strong advocate of spreading his books through peer-to-peer file sharing networks. He put his own books on file-sharing networks like BitTorrent, and noted that The Alchemist received a boost in sales due to this.[12] He stated that "I do think that when a reader has the possibility to read some chapters, he or she can always decide to buy the book later."[12] Currently, chapters from The Alchemist can be found on Google Books and Coelho's agency Sant Jordi Associoados.[13][14] Entire copies of his books, including translations, can also be found on Pirate Coelho, a blog off Coelho's main blog.[15]
Adaptations
In 2003, Warner Bros. bought the rights to the film adaptation of The Alchemist. The project stalled and the movie never materialized, reportedly because of problems with the script.[16] At one point, the script had a battle sequence with 10,000 soldiers, which was "not what the book is about."[17]
During the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, Harvey Weinstein announced that he had bought the rights to the film and will serve as its producer. Laurence Fishburne is set to direct, and to play the eponymous character. It will have a reported budget of $60 million. Weinstein, who rarely personally produces movies, stated that "My loyalty is not to Laurence [Fishburne], my loyalty is not to me, my loyalty is not to anyone other than Paulo Coelho."[18] Coelho added "I am very happy that my book will be filmed in the way I intended it to be and I hope the spirit and simplicity of my work will be preserved. I am excited my friend Laurence Fishburne and Harvey Weinstein will be working together."[7]
A theatrical adaptation of The Alchemist has been produced and performed by the Cornish Theatre Collective, which is their most successful production to date.[19]
References
- ↑ The Alchemist - 10th Anniversary Edition Books Christian.
- ↑ Paulo Coelho HarperCollins Publisher. "In celebration of its 20th Anniversary, Paulo Coelho's modern classic The Alchemist is now available in a special edition."
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Paulo Coelho Biography on PauloCoelho.com.
- ↑ Film to be made of Coelho's 'Alchemist AFP. May 19, 2008.
- ↑ Guy, Bill. "BOOKS OF THE YEAR." The Advertiser. December 4, 1993.
- ↑ A Brief History of the Book Saint Jordi Asociados
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 The Weinstein Company to Bring 'The Alchemist' to the Big Screen Zoom In Online: Film & TV.
- ↑ The Alchemist: Reviews on Sant Jordi Associados.
- ↑ Will Smith Interview Tavis Smiley on PBS. December 13, 2007.
- ↑ Interview with a Gladiator
- ↑ 'The Alchemy of the Alchemist: How Paulo Coelho became the most translated living author for the same book.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Best-Selling Author Turns Piracy into Profit TorrentFreak. May 12, 2008.
- ↑ The Alchemist Book Preview Google Books.
- ↑ Extract from The Alchemist Sant Jordi Associados.
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ Fishburne to direct The Alchemist The Guardian. June 27, 2007.
- ↑ Doland, Angela 'The Alchemist' to be made into movie USA Today. May 18, 2008.
- ↑ Weinstein to produce 'Alchemist' film adaptation Muzi.com News. May 18, 2008.
- ↑ The Cornish Theatre Collective The Alchemist.
External links
- Paulo Coelho Fan Site
- Review from the book 50 Self-Help Classics
- The Alchemist Reviews
- A lengthy summary of the plot
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