[Sorry about the long break since my last post. With finals, graduation, moving, and getting set up in Cleveland, I've been a bit too busy to write. But now I've got almost nothing to do except read books and screw around on the Internet, so I'll try to make up for it.]
There’s a reason the fable is no longer an important form of literature. It is a simplistic genre that is best suited for conveying basic moral ideas or maybe some sharp satire. Paolo Coelho’s The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream tries to use the form to convey inspirational philosophy, and it fails miserably.
The plot is simple enough. A shepherd boy has a dream. A gypsy and a mysterious man claiming to be a king convince him that this dream means that his destiny is to find a buried treasure near the Pyramids. With no further prompting, he’s off to face the predictable sequence of adversity, perseverance, self-discovery, and success. Oh yes, and of course true love.
The Alchemist would be nothing more than a trite, boring children’s story if not for Coelho’s unnerving sincerity. The inescapable impression is that Coelho believes he is conveying deep philosophical insights. That makes for an awkward reading experience when all the reader can see is the stale leftovers of a mediocre inspirational speaker.
Fantasy elements have a rich history in literature, particularly in Latin America. But where other authors have used the supernatural to make the world seem richer, Coelho makes it shallower. His mythology centers around the idea that everyone has a “Personal Legend,” a particular destiny of his very own, which the universe conspires to help people achieve. Coelho seems to think the concept is an empowering one, but I can’t imagine why. The author’s vision of life as a sort of cosmic scavenger hunt might offer some hope to the alienated and disaffected, but I find the idea of a benevolent fate planning out everyone’s destiny to be simply depressing.
At least Coelho deploys some solid technique in his misguided philosophical quest. I was particularly struck by the way he manipulated the time setting of the book. At some points, I would have sworn the story took place in the fourteenth century. At other times, it seemed to be no more than a hundred years ago. Even now I’m not really sure when it was. Coelho aims to produce a timeless, vague setting, and he succeeds.
Neat authorial tricks aside, The Alchemist remains a deeply disappointing book. The plot is unexciting and the philosophy vapid. I sincerely hope that your Personal Legend does not include reading this book.
June 8, 2007 at 5:29 am |
that was roughly my reaction after reading the book. i sure don’t get why it’s so raved as it is in general.
http://sulz.daria.be
June 13, 2007 at 10:31 pm |
Interestingly enough, I actually read this on June 6th and 7th. Quick read — compelling as the story goes, but ultimately empty and vapid. It really was like a children’s fable, except that the fable was totally lame. Entertaining, but much like candy, faded away quickly.