The Alchemist ... I am wondering why it is a Best-seller !!

As I read about celebrities of the likes of Bill Clinton and Julia Roberts and even literary greats like Naipaul, Barrack Obama and Peter Drucker spotted with the book in their hands, I could not resist the idea of picking up "The Alchemist" at Landmark last week, given to understand that it was also commercially an immensely successful book that has made it to the International Bestsellers hall-of-fame.

But having read, over the past few days, about dreams, symbols, omens, destinies and adventure that follow Santiago, the shepherd boy (the central character of the novel) like echoes of ancient wise voices that combine an atmosphere of Medieval mysticism with the song of the desert, I disapprovingly concluded that Paulo Coelho could have done a much better job to truly deserve the high distinction of "a masterpiece" for his work. I found the book constructed upon a flimsy storyline, wildly out of touch with reality, with less-than-artistic use of language that fails to stimulate even minimal excitement that usually goes with any book reading (let alone the life-change movement that it serves to institute) and was a dismally poor attempt at portraying "The Biblical God's" invisible hand at work behind mankind's self-actualization.

With billions of the living still athirst in this visibly rattled generation in seeking out their "Purpose in Life", true "Personal Calling", and obtaining an understanding about the "Almighty God" and the "After Life", it simultaneously presents a huge untapped market and also makes perfect business sense for an upcoming breed of new-age writers to concoct indigenous remedies and recipes to cater to the world-wide demand for literary-drugs promising "life-change". I am unsure about whether "The Alchemist" is one such prescription.

However, I am still left wondering as I close this blog, as to what captivated the minds of 65 million readers drawing such adoration over time, that was least appealing to me, having now ascertained for sure that the book does an extremely pathetic job of helping the reader accomplish what it advertises. Why would not such purpose-seeking readers rather try "The Bible", the undisputed Queen of the International Bestsellers and the best book ever scripted that promotes and guides "God-assisted life-change" ?