I had been delaying reading 'The Alchemist' for a while. Someone told me that it's about following your dreams. I so wanted to read it, but kept in on hold since the last two years. I did it on purpose. I did not want to read it before I finished writing my first book. However, I finally finished reading it two days back, two months after I finished writing my book, and a month before the launch. I was surprised to find out that the book was published in 1988. It took almost 6 yrs to be a known book, before the buzz hit. I heard a lot of people say that it's an average book where the fantasy part of the mind is being thrust. I took that without responding, because I hadn't read it. Someone said that the book is a waste and that he had read it just because everybody was reading it. I asked him what his opinion was and he replied with thumbs down. Natural tendency to be a critique I would say. Again I never said anything on his face. A few days back again I was caught in the topic.

 
"Who Coehlo?" the other guy said.

"I think that's what his name is. I have never read him though." I replied.

"Give it a shot. I think he is alright."

"The Alchemist; I heard that it's about following your dreams."

"Yeah yeah; and you know very well how frivolous that is."

"What's so frivolous about it? I think we should respect another person's opinion. May be he has a point to make and we with our limited understand actually fail to understand the motive."

"Just don't bull shit; go read it first."

 
I retracted. But when I finished reading it two days back, I actually do admire the book. Although it's a very personal opinion and perspective, I feel that he has a lot more to say than what it suggests. It's not about the boy or the treasure either. It's about the lessons. In a very simple language he has thrown a lot of things on the plate. Rather, he has put forth introspection in front of people in a language that people might understand.

1. I quit my past career precisely for following my own dreams, reciprocating to the call of my instinct.

2. I myself have tried to highlight the call of the instinct, and the relationship with nature, in my forth coming book.



I personally think that in spite of man having evolved so much over centuries, we don't really respect or give the slightest thoughts to the power we possess. We need people to remind us that we are stronger than we feel we are. In the chaos and glamor of this synthetic world, we actually fail to communicate with ourselves entirely. We need more time for ourselves, discover the alchemist in us. Nothing brings more happiness than when a man knows himself, the minuscule edition of the entire universe.

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About the author:  Shubham is a globe-trotter who has lived in lots of places.  He graduated from Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, TN, and worked on Wall Street, in NYC.  Now he is into the outdoors as a profession, truly crazy about nature, wilderness and the mountains.  His upcoming book Glian, the Son of Nature will be seen in stores soon.  He can be checked out here.

He is very fond of classic literature, the likes of Charles Dickens, Ruskin Bond, John Steinbeck, and Jack Kerouac.  He bears a special regard for simplicity, nevertheless, he equally adores the works of James Joyce.

Email: basushubham@gmail.com

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