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  • The Alchemist

  • A Fable About Following Your Dream
  • By: Paulo Coelho
  • Narrated by: Jeremy Irons
  • Length: 4 hrs
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (8,167 ratings)
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The Alchemist cover art

The Alchemist

By: Paulo Coelho
Narrated by: Jeremy Irons
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Summary

Paulo Coelho's enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its simplicity and wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of 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 meditation on the treasures found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is art eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.
©1988 Paulo Coelho (P)2005 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"The story has the comic charm, dramatic tension and psychological intensity of a fairy tale, but it's full of specific wisdom as well, about becoming self-empowered, overcoming depression, and believing in dreams." (Publishers Weekly)

"It is short, but certainly packs a wallop. What makes the story even better is Jeremy Irons's unforgettable narration.... Irons's voice is crystal clear, and every word is given its own starring role in the text. He creates wondrous characters, male and female, that stay with us." (AudioFile)

What listeners say about The Alchemist

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Life changing

Just amazing, my life has begun a new chapter, I've quit my job and I'm moving abroad in 3 weeks.

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67 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Mr Irons makes this reading beautiful

Whilst a lot of people may debate aspects of the book and its content in their review, I would like to comment on the extraordinary power and beauty of the reading by Jeremy Irons. His voice made this story a real joy to hear, I am going to search and see if he narrates any more on here. Having read the book before I can honestly say that Jeremy Irons' reading surpassed my reading by far. His dynamic tone and characterisation truly transport you on the magical journey of wonder that this book is all about. Thank you Audible, thank you Mr Irons, a beautiful 4 hours indeed.

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58 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Such an inspiring story

This was recommended by Will Smilth during an interview on his ideas of success.
It's a simple and interesting tale with lots of twists and thought provoking ideas.
Highly recommended to anyone, especially those interested in "the way" or personal development.

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24 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Pregnant with wisdom

The Alchemist stirred questions within me. It revealed wisdom that had been staring me in the face, which I had failed to recognise.

The story of the Centurion struck a deeply personal nerve, at a most vulnerable time, bringing tears to my eyes .

Jeremy Irons made the words leap of the page, as though they have a life of their own. I would recommend this book to anyone who is afraid of failure.

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18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

This story moved me.

Would you listen to The Alchemist again? Why?

This is a wonderful and thought-provoking tale. I wanted to listen again as soon as it was finished! It really invites you to read between the lines and reflect upon your own life story. Highly recommended.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely loved it

I had just listened to 5 second rule by mel robbins who in her book suggested this book i am so glad i decided to listen to this. Such a beautiful & inspiring story with a lot of spiritual meanings. I listened to it in 1 day i just couldnt put it down. I have now ordered 2 of the paperback books for my children to read. This is a must on any book shelf :)

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Trite, obvious and irritating

I struggled with this book. I think I must be swimming against the tide of love this book generates! It’s like a cross between an Aesop’s fable and ‘Jonathan Livingstone Seagull,’ which an ex-boyfriend of mine made me read once in an attempt to help me understand the universe from a more ‘spiritual’ perspective. Suffice to say, he became a monk and I became a committed pragmatist. This book is eerily reminiscent of the kind of trite and patronising nonsense that I really dislike in a book. The constant reference to ‘omens’ and ‘destiny’ became tedious quite quickly. It’s fairly obvious to me that life offers some wonderful opportunities which sometimes take real courage to engage with - that message isn’t particularly profound. The assertion that the universe works with you to ‘achieve your personal legend’ is fanciful at best and a beautiful lie at worst. Luck can play a big part in life’s fortunes, along with hard work, self-belief, resilience, and the support of one’s family and friends. But the universe itself couldn’t care less: life can end randomly and pointlessly at any time for no reason, so the message to ‘grab it whilst it lasts, challenge yourself and try to be happy’ is fairly obvious, isn’t it? Or perhaps I’m missing something? It probably didn’t help that Jeremy Irons’ reading of it is overwrought. His dodgy accents are awful (especially the cockney one for the Desert, Sun and Wind,) and some are just noisy and grating. This one is for me.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

I don't understand the fuss over this

Jeremy Irons was great. However I am either not intelligent enough to 'get' this story or it's just a case of the emperor's new clothes. I found it hard to want to listen to it so took a while to finish it. I haven't really taken much from it. It did have a certain dreamlike style.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Soft, easy and inspiring

What made the experience of listening to The Alchemist the most enjoyable?

This book is all it's hyped to be. A warming and inspiring story with great characters and intrigue. A nice twist too ;)

Jeremy Irons really enhanced the story for me too. His accents were apt and sometimes amusing; his voice acting top notch.

What did you like best about this story?

The ending, the characters.

Have you listened to any of Jeremy Irons’s other performances? How does this one compare?

I've not.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Irons made the experience absolutely better.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

General new age BS

I don't understand why this book is so popular. It's just a load of trite statements thrown together.

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9 people found this helpful