The Alchemist

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, translated by Alan R. Clarke

This book reminded me (and others) of The Little Prince (a classic, for those of you who haven't read it). A little longer, but still very much like a parable. The language was similar, too, although I'm not certain of what the language was originally like in either of them, before translation. I'll assume that the translators were good though. A simple and beautifully told tale.

The philosophy, now... I had fewer reservations about The Little Prince. The Alchemist had a lot of good principles and a lot of truth, but it was mixed with other things. Humans are made in the image of God, but we are not God and our souls do not contain God. I suppose that's my biggest caveat. There really were some good things in there. Listen to your heart -- that doesn't mean obeying it, just listening to it. Getting to know it. It may not be the source of knowledge and learning, but it's still a good idea.

Good book. Recommended.