I almost gave up the book halfway, but I'm glad I pushed through. It's a quick morning read, but I'm sure it can be influential to someone reading this at a transitional point in their life.

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The book is a fable, and it does introduce the reader to some level of philosophy. However, I am disappointed that it did not dig deeper into the human experience. I found many of the "philosophy" largely pretentious due to the way they were presented at face-value.

Love was a central theme to the protagonist's motivation, but the way in which love was presented in the book was at best, shallow and uninspired; and at worst, downright misogynist. It was a shame that the women presented in the book had no personality and life beyond their interactions with the male protagonist. Dialogues were unrealistic all throughout.

What compelled me most about the book, however, is its commentary on the relationship of man and nature. The powerful imagery towards the end has, in some way, made up for some of the book's shortcomings. It left me to wonder on some things.

It's bad, but not that bad, I'll say. I can see how different people can derive different insights after reading The Alchemist. And due to that, perhaps, it's worth the hype. Even though it's not a good book in the literal sense, its value is in its potential to inspire someone to chase their dreams and aspirations.