Read by millions and one of the most widely translated books in the world, The Alchemist is a wealth of wisdom and uplifting, thought-provoking Paulo Coelho quotes about life, love, fate and more.
Whether you’re searching for your calling, pursuing your destiny or need a spark of inspiration, the book is a must-read. Paulo Coelho will take you on a journey that could change your life. Who knows, you might even find your Personal Legend just like Santiago in the story did.
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Who is Paulo Coelho?
If you haven’t heard of Paulo Coelho, what rock have you been hiding on? Not only is Coelho one of the most translated authors in the world but he’s among the richest authors bagging the 7th place with a net worth of $500 million. Paulo Coelho is not a billionaire yet but he’s halfway there.
Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian author, born on August 24, 1947, and married to Christina Oiticica in 1980. He has written over 17 books and has sold a whopping 165 million copies and counting to date. “Eleven Minutes,” “The Zahir,” “Aleph” and “The Pilgrimage,” are some of his famous works.
Like many authors, his early years were not easy until he wrote his most notable masterpiece, “The Alchemist,” and the rest, as they say, is history. Universally loved around the world, it has been translated into 80 languages and has catapulted Coelho into a household name.
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The Alchemist Short Summary
Dubbed as a modern classic, “The Alchemist” was originally published in 1988 and became one of the top bestselling books of our time. Read by over 62 million readers around the world, it’s not just a book but a literary phenomenon that continues to inspire and change lives today.
Why is The Alchemist so popular? A fable about pursuing dreams, it’s a simple story with profound life lessons. It chronicles the story of a young shepherd who lived in Andalusia, Spain tackling universal truths and timeless wisdom every one of us can relate to.
The novel revolves around Santiago’s exciting journey to the Egyptian pyramids to find a hidden treasure. In the pursuit of his dreams, he encountered Melchizedek, an old king who motivated him to find his “personal legend”. He also met an Englishman and fell in love with Fatima.
Along the way, he overcame several obstacles and challenges and learned that the real treasure is not material things but the journey. In the end, Santiago’s odyssey is a tale of self-discovery, understanding the balance between free will and fate and the excitement of pursuing one’s dreams.
It’s a story that transcends time, a journey we can all learn from.
What is a Personal Legend?
“Personal Legend,” according to Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist is one’s unique calling. It’s the fulfillment of your destiny, the path you are supposed to take if you follow your heart and understand yourself.
King Melchizedek introduced the concept to Santiago as something one deeply wants, your greatest desires, the ultimate dream you want to accomplish in life. In the case of the story’s protagonist, his “personal legend” was his journey through the Sahara Desert to the Egyptian Pyramids. In the end, it wasn’t about the treasure but how he was able to listen to his heart and understand himself better.
Just like Santiago, you have a unique “personal legend” and it’s your job in this lifetime to find and achieve it.
Best Paulo Coelho Quotes from The Alchemist
Whether you want to be inspired or uplifted, here are some of the most popular Paulo Coelho quotes from The Alchemist:
1. “It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”
2. “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
3. “When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”
4. “One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.” – Paulo Coelho quotes on love
5. “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
6. “So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you.”
7. “The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.” – Paulo Coelho quotes on not giving up
8. “The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them.”
9. “Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.”
10. “I can control my destiny, but not my fate. Destiny means there are opportunities to turn right or left, but fate is a one-way street.”
11. “Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity.”
12. “Don’t give in to your fears. If you do, you won’t be able to talk to your heart.”
13. “This is what we call love. When you are loved, you can do anything in creation. When you are loved, there’s no need at all to understand what’s happening, because everything happens within you.”
14. “People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.”
15. “We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.”
16. “Everything that happens once can never happen again. But everything that happens twice will surely happen a third time.”
Highly Recommended Paulo Coelho Books
Though not as popular and world-acclaimed as “The Alchemist”, Coelho has more books you should check out. Here are some of his bestsellers other readers highly recommend:
- Eleven Minutes – published in 2003
- The Pilgrimage – published in 1987
- The Zahir – published in 2005
- Aleph – published in 2010
- Brida – published in 1990
- The Fifth Mountain – published in 1996
- Magtub – published in 1995
- The Witch of Portobello – published in 2006
- The Spy – published in 2016
- The Archer – published in 2020
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