The Alchemist

by

Paulo COELHO

Graphic novel – 208 pages

ABOUT THE BOOK

Andalusian shepherd boy Santiago travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a 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 discovery of the treasure found within.

Since its first printing The Alchemist has been translated into seventy-one languages and sold forty million copies worldwide, establishing itself as a modern classic that will enchant and inspire readers for generations to come. Beautifully rendered, The Alchemist: A Graphic Novel is a must have for any collector’s library. [Goodreads]

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Brazilian author PAULO COELHO was born in 1947 in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Before dedicating his life completely to literature, he worked as theatre director and actor, lyricist and journalist. In 1986, PAULO COELHO did the pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostella, an experience later to be documented in his book The Pilgrimage. In the following year, COELHO published The Alchemist. Slow initial sales convinced his first publisher to drop the novel, but it went on to become one of the best selling Brazilian books of all time. Other titles include Brida (1990), The Valkyries (1992), By the river Piedra I sat Down and Wept (1994), the collection of his best columns published in the Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo entitle Maktub (1994), the compilation of texts Phrases (1995), The Fifth Mountain (1996), Manual of a Warrior of Light (1997), Veronika decides to die (1998), The Devil and Miss Prym (2000), the compilation of traditional tales in Stories for parents, children and grandchildren (2001), Eleven Minutes (2003), The Zahir (2005), The Witch of Portobello (2006) and Winner Stands Alone (to be released in 2009). During the months of March, April, May and June 2006, Paulo Coelho traveled to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostella in 1986. He also held surprise book signings – announced one day in advance – in some cities along the way, to have a chance to meet his readers. In ninety days of pilgrimage the author traveled around the globe and took the famous Transiberrian train that took him to Vladivostok. During this experience Paulo Coelho launched his blog Walking the Path – The Pilgrimage in order to share with his readers his impressions. Since this first blog Paulo Coelho has expanded his presence in the internet with his daily blogs in WordPress, Myspace & Facebook. He is equally present in media sharing sites such as Youtube and Flickr, offering on a regular basis not only texts but also videos and pictures to his readers. From this intensive interest and use of the Internet sprang his bold new project: The Experimental Witch where he invites his readers to adapt to the screen his book The Witch of Portobello. Indeed Paulo Coelho is a firm believer of Internet as a new media and is the first Best-selling author to actively support online free distribution of his work. [Goodreads]

REVIEWS BY OTHERS

“The Alchemist: A Graphic Novel reinterprets Paulo Coelho’s international best-seller with dramatic illustrations, offering readers a fresh take on the magical tale of a shepherd’s journey.” (O, the Oprah Magazine )

“A beautifully done story with gorgeous illustrations. What’s truly important about the story comes shining through in the dialogue as well as the images; the most important thing is to strive to accomplish your dreams. A beautiful story, well worth the time to read.” (There’s a Book )

“This modern classic, a celebrity…translates perfectly to the graphic-novel genre, enlivening the story of Santiago’s search for treasure from Spain to Tangier and across the Egyptian desert.” (USA Today )

MY OWN THOUGHTS

I have been trying to delve gently into Graphic Novels, and one of the best way for me is to revisit classics in this genre. It works perfectly for The Alchemist. The drawings and colors are fantastic, and they really add to the depth and beauty of the story, making it even more inspirational, I think. If you have not read yet this work, the Graphic Novel format could be a good idea. The artists Daniel Sempere and Derek Ruiz really did a fantastic job.

HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK YET?
DO YOU FEEL LIKE READING THIS BOOK?
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT USING THE GRAPHIC NOVEL FORMAT
FOR THIS WORK?
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS  IN A COMMENT PLEASE