Paulo Coelho: A True Literary Alchemist

by Songül Arslan

I heard a lot about one of Paulo Coelho's books called The Alchemist and decided to read it. I thought it would literally be a book about an alchemist, a person who tries to turn metal into gold. Who could describe my surprise that the title of the book was a mere figure of speech? From the moment I started the book I was captivated and devoured it in no time. When I finished it, I beat myself on the head for not having prolonged the reading. Leaving the world Coelho had created was a major let-down. When I finished the last page, I spent hours contemplating this literary gem. That's what's so wonderful about it. This book makes the reader think. Not only does it make the reader think about dreams, but it makes the reader think about all the big and small questions of life and the magic that comes with simply living.

Coelho masterfully tells a spiritual story as well as travel story in The Alchemist. By the time I was halfway through the book I learned not to take Coelho's words literally. Instead, I had to let to of reality and understand the book figuratively. I am sure he wrote the book with the intention of letting people travel and wander in their own minds to find their own treasures--their own personal gold.

The Alchemist is a story about a young boy following his dreams and visions. The book is filled with magical elements and elements that touch those chords of the spirit that were alive when you were a daydreaming person with many, many lively dreams that seemed real or were about to become real someday. Paulo Coelho shows us that it is only human to be afraid to follow your dreams. We are afraid of what we will find and also we are afraid of the heartbreaking disappointment that occurs if we don't find anything. I am convinced that Coelho is of the opinion that you will always find something and that it will exceed your expectations.

Having finished the book I thought about how 'experienced' I found this author. He described thoughts that were incredibly human and seemed to know where human pain and joy were coming from. Combined with an intense spiritual consciousness, I regarded this author as elevated.

Needless to say that I started soon another of his books, Veronika Decides to Die. This book is a totally different book with totally different characters, but nonetheless is as fascinating as The Alchemist. It clearly illustrated how easy it is to become prejudiced and to regard somebody else as being the one that has it all wrong. I can imagine this book increased awareness and consciousness about people that are in mental hospitals. Veronika, the main character decides to die. She lives in her own world where she wonders why she is being seen as the one who is crazy, why don't other people ask themselves if maybe they are crazy and the ones in the mental institutions/hospitals are not. This time I tried to enjoy the thoughts that were conveyed by reading the book and Coelho's words got to me. What if we are wrong when we label somebody as crazy? Where do my tightly held opinions come from? The book is definitely an eye-opener and will hopefully cause you to examine your own preconceived notions and while opening you up to the possibility that others may have equally valid opinions.

Coelho writes with in-depth knowledge about Veronika and her mental situation--maybe a little bit too much knowledge. Paulo Coelho himself was put in a psychiatric ward three times by his parents because he was a bit too rebellious in their eyes.

Paulo, who was born in 1947 in Brazil, was to become a religious person. That is what his parents had decided for him and how they had planned his future. At the age of seven he was put in a religious school where he detested the doctrines but where he found out that he loved writing. He rebelled against his parents rules and the future they had laid out. His parents didn't understand the rebellion. His father decided the rebellion was a result of mental illness and had him committed on three separate occasions.

These experiences were not all he went through. Because he was a freedom activist, he got detained and was tortured by the military for several days. One can only wonder how he survived all these horrible experiences. After learning these facts of his life I realized that it is why his narrative voices in his books seem so experienced--it is his experience that shines through.

Most of Coelho's books share the magical elements and spiritual aspects that make reading him a spiritual journey. But there is one that I found not so magical in the sense that it seemed utterly realistic: Eleven Minutes (2003). This book describes the quest of a young Brazilian woman for happiness. Through her naivete she is lured to Switzerland with the promise of getting a glamorous job. The job turns out to be the oldest profession in the world. Despite her shock and disillusionment, she decides to stay and earn money this way. At first she promises herself it will be temporary but it is hard for her to break free since with money comes opportunities, conveniences and some luxuries. Of course, this lifestyle can't appeal for long and Maria eventually has to find a way to break free. The book has diary entries of Maria, the main character, whose thoughts are once again human, recognizable and sometimes sad. Many times while reading this book I knew that no matter how bad Maria's situation was, there are numerous women in even worse situations working in that 'business sector,' but whose stories never will be told.

I can go on and on about Coelho's books and the profound thoughts that are evoked by them, but I can only advise you to read his books so you can experience what I have described above. Paulo Coelho is an extremely gifted gifted author who touches the lives of people because of the universal ideas and elements that he weaves into his books. Yet at the same time, you feel that the books are written especially just for you personally since they speak to you personally. I am glad Coelho has a new release this year, O Zahir (2005), so I can indulge myself in a new, fresh journey to the soul and ponder and wonder about the marvels of the world.