The Alchemist Book Summary

Introduction

The alchemist tells the a story of young shepherd named Santiago who follows his dream and able to find the treasure and lives with his love.

Chapter 1 : About Santiago and his dream

Santiago was a Shepherd boy who lives in Andalusia, Spain

He likes Freedom and he used to go around with his goats

A beautiful girls picture was running in his mind with whom he once met in Tarifa.

He was going to Tarifa then to try to meet that girl.

And when the night happens in the path of Tarifa, he decided to rest at night and to go ahead in the morning.

Then he saw a deserted church on that road and thought he would spend the night there. He kept his sheep, goats in the church and sleep under a sycamore tree.

Here he watched a dream, in his dream he saw that there is a lot of treasure under the pyramid in Egypt and that treasure is calling Santiago towards it.

Chapter 2: Santiago meets dream interpreter

Now, Santiago got up and he was more confused because he had seen this dream before also.

So he thought, let’s ask someone what’s the meaning of this dream.

So he went to a woman who was famous to tell people the meaning of their dream. He told her about his dream.

That woman said that I will tell you what it means but when you get the treasure then you have to give me 1/10 of treasure.

Santiago thought, okay, 1/10 so I can give to anyone. But if I find this treasure, then she deserves this much.

He said you tell me what it means. That woman told you will have to go to Egypt, its sure you will get the treasure under the pyramid.

Then Santiago thought that anyone could tell me this, I do not know whether she is speaking truth or not, let’s try and see.

Chapter 3: Santiago learns more from the wise man Melchizedek

Then he came back to his city and was thinking something sitting on the bench.

Only then a old man came to him and the man said that my name is Melchizedek. I am the king of Salem.

Santiago ignored him because he was wearing poor clothes, it seemed like lie to him.

And then suddenly the man said that I can help you find that treasure

He said that everyone has a personal dream in his life

And you should follow them when you are pursuing that personal dream. You will find a lot of people, there will be a lot of things with you that will help you.

And that old man told Santiago, go and sell your sheep goat and follow your personal legend.

Chapter 4: He goes to foreign.

Santiago was not so sure, but that old man convinced him.

Then Santiago sell all his sheep and goats to that old man and collected money and went on a ship which was going Africa.

From this moment Santiago’s journey was started.

Now Santiago arrived in Tangiers , which is a city in Morocco.

And as soon as he reached there, somebody stole all of his money

Now he got disturbed but he said no matter, I am on my mission, I will fulfill my mission.

Chapter 5: Santiago did job near crystal merchant.

He went to a crystal merchant who was selling crystals in his  shop.

And he said that I will clean the crystals of your shop. It will be sold a bit more and you will give me just food.

So, as Santiago cleaned his crystals, people started coming in his shop and started buying crystals.

So that merchant thought to give that job to Santiago.

There used to be a Santiago job in a crystal merchant’s shop.

And gradually he brings new business to sell crystals more faster.

Slowly his sales grew very well

And Santiago also got good money, and that merchant became rich.

Chapter 6: Finally moving towards his goal.

But even then Santiago had his mission.

So as soon as he heard that some people have come out to go to Egypt by crossing all the Desert, he also went towards his Journey by saying goodbye to that crystal merchant

From that people he found an English man who was going to find an alchemist.

And that English man said that alchemist is so powerful that he can turn copper into gold.

Too Santiago and the English man became friends because they were both going on their own mission.

Now when the people were crossing the Desert, gradually a rumor began to blow that a war is going to start in the Desert.

And everyone was scared after  hear it

So all the people have decided  that, it is better to take risks by going to Oasis. There is a place in the middle of the desert whose name is Al-Fayoum, we stop there until the war ends.

Now this war can last from weeks to years, no guarantees that when the war will end . The Santiago is a little disappeared, I do not know when I will reach pyramid.

Still he did not give up

Chapter 7 : Met with Fatima and finding the alchemist.

And as soon as they reached the Oasis, he and the Englishman started finding for Alchemist.

Now they met a girl, which name is Fatima.

Who gave him the address of alchemist.

They not only got the information of  alchemist but  also Santiago fall in love with that girl.

Santiago went daily to met Fatima near the well .

And that English man went near alchemist,

alchemist told to  the Englishman, you been looking for me for 10 years, Have you ever tried yourself to convert copper into gold.

The English man replied and says NO.

So Alchemist gave him an assignment that, you try yourself, to convert copper into gold.

So the English man got busy now, and Santiago got Fatima

Chapter 8 and 9:

One day when Santiago was going in the desert, Suddenly he watched a vision that,

someone is going to attack on Oasis and a war is going to happen.

Now he went and told all of this things with Oasis chief.

The Chief said, we will make preparations, but if there is no war, then we will kill you.

The surprise is that the next day a army attacked on Oasis in real.

And those people were defeated by the army of Oasis  because they had already prepared.

Chapter 10:

The Chief’ was very happy and he gave Santiago a lot of gold and made him a councilor of the Oasis.

Now Santiago became more happy, and thought that, I got a good job and I have too much gold . Now I can live here happily by marrying Fatima.

Chapter 11:

But then Fatima told her that true love will never keep you away from your dream. She said that she will wait for him and told him to follow his dreams.

Now that evening alchemist met with Santiago. And he also heard that Santiago watched a dream through which he helped Oasis from the attack.

Alchemist also said that you should follow your dream and come with me to the side of Pyramid.

Chapter 12:

Both of them started walking towards the pyramid

Now some goons caught them on the way, and they snatched gold from Santiago and going to kill them.

And suddenly the alchemist said, you do not know how big a magician he is.

He will turn himself into the wind and blow all the people

Then all those people started to laugh, they said, “Let us give you three days.” If this boy did not change himself in the air in 3 days, then we will kill you.

Now Santiago was scared and said, you got us both kill.

How can I change myself to the air 😡

Alchemist said keep calm. You can do it. Just keep confidence in yourself.

Try to understand Desert’s language

Now 2 days Santiago tried, nothing happened.

On the third day she was very tension-ed.

And he tried to understand the heart of the desert.

He suddenly turned to air and blew all the tents.

Seeing this, the goons were very scared, and they left them.

Chapter 13:

Now Santiago and Alchemist arrived at a monestry. Here alchemist changed copper to gold and give a little gold to Santiago. And said that from here you go to Egypt alone.

As soon as the Santiago reached the pyramid and started searching for treasure by digging, some more goons came and attacked him.

took gold from him

Then Santiago lost his senses. And started talking.

He said that he had a dream because of that he came to Egypt.

At last, the goons started to laugh. And a goon talked out that it was a madman

It seems, who thinks about his dreams in this way.

One of the goon said , I had also dreamed of having a lot of treasure buried under the sycamore tree present in a church in Spain. But I didn’t followed my dreams. I’m not stupid like this.

And those people went away laughing out of him.

At the same time, Santiago knew where the real treasure was.

He went back to Spain and began to dig down the sycamore tree.

And he got the jackpot at that place.

Then Santiago thinks that he will give the 1/10 of jackpot  to that lady, go to the Desert and stay with Fatima.

Here the Story is Ended.

What’s this story teaches us?

According to me , you can learn three very important things from this story.

1. The treasure is where you are, but you have to go out to understand it.

The treasure was right there where Santiago’s Journey was started, but he could never find that treasure if he did not completes his Journey.

Our life is also like the story of alchemist, where we people transform ourselves from copper to gold.

2. Don’t stop till you archive your goals.

Many thing happen wrong with Santiago.  He could stop and say, “I’m going back to Spain”. But he continued his journey.

That’s why if any thing happens in your life, do not stop moving towards your dream.  Occasionally you may have to wait for a while, like Santiago did a 2 year job in the merchant’s shop.

But even then he remembered his mission, and as soon as he got the chance, he started moving towards his dreams. We all have to do the same.

3. Listen to your heart

The theme of the entire book is to listen to your heart.

Yes, your heart can sometimes put you in difficulty. Sometimes you will not be so easy to archive mission. But as long as you listen to it, you will never failed to archive your dreams. And the same journey will change you completely.

SO friends, Listen to the sound of your heart.

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