The Alchemist

[Fifty]

A lot of people love the book The Alchemist. I can't see anything in it that isn't just silly feel-good uninsightful crap.

Could someone who likes it explain to me why it doesn't suck?

 

[Narz]

I read it and found it somewhat entertaining. Partly because I read it when I was supposed to be working.

Why do you hate it so much?

 

[Fifty]

Why do you hate it so much?

Well its not like I have some crazy vendetta against it. I'm just utterly baffled as to how so many people find that book so great and inspiring apparently.

 

[JerichoHill]

feel-good uninsightful crud that , in my experience, only religiousy folks who are unhappy with thier lives love.

kinda like The Secret.

 

[Masquerouge]

I heartily second what Fifty and JH said. Feel-good crap that sounds grand but is utterly devoid of any meaning.
I also do not understand the craze about that book.

 

[luiz]

It's a terrible book, just like everything that Paulo Coelho ever wrote. It is a shame that he is the best selling brazilian author of all times.

The guy is a quack who actually claims to possess wizard powers. His books are so meaningless and poorly written it makes me mad.

I do not respect the intelligence of anyone who is a fan of Coelho. And this includes Bill Clinton and Chirac, BTW

 

[Masquerouge]

and for the anecdote, this guy started hitting on my mom while she was interviewing him. Another reason to not like him.

 

[Ansar]

Never heard of it.

 

[LightFang]

I liked it...vaguely. I read it too long ago to tell you; it was probably some feel-good religious stuff that makes religious people will go "oh, that's very good!" and everybody else go "bleh this is dumb".

Not to say that it was bad.

 

[Atlas14]

Weird. I'd vaguely heard of the book up until last week, and then my roommate and our two friends from xc read the book right after each other. The apparently loved it and began debating about its meaning for hours.

It sounded like something worthy of reading, but apparently not. I'll go with my CFC gut and trust you all that it sucks.

 

[LightFang]

Naw; you should read it yourself. It can be deep if you approach it the right way.

 

[Fifty]

Weird. I'd vaguely heard of the book up until last week, and then my roommate and our two friends from xc read the book right after each other. The apparently loved it and began debating about its meaning for hours.

It sounded like something worthy of reading, but apparently not. I'll go with my CFC gut and trust you all that it sucks.

I'll distill the entire sack of crap into one sentence:

"Do what you like doing."

 

[Narz]

"Do what you like doing."

All in all, it's not a bad messege though.

There are plenty of books (movies, music, etc.) in popular culture than are worse than the Alchemist and even more popular.

 

[Rambuchan]

For those who don't like The Alchemist:

If you were to have just one iota of interest in your heart for it, then the whole universe will bear witness to your inherent goodness and longing and it will conspire to make you love it.

IOW: Yeah, it's crap.

and for the anecdote, this guy started hitting on my mom while she was interviewing him. Another reason to not like him.

As her son, you're bound to say that. But, maybe to others, she's hawt? OK. You don't need to answer that.

 

[Pannonius]

Where I come from, it's a favorite book of every dumbass model and Miss (insert the title) pageant contester. So the only reason on Earth why should a sane person read this literary diarrhea is to get (dumb) chicks.
And then they'll give you the goodies b/c you're so sensitive and enlightened.

 

[Mirc]

Didn't find it special at all. I found it boring, and pretty stupid.

And I know too lots of people that are in love with this book.

 

[kuukkeli]

I once loaned it from a library but didn't have time to read it. Maybe I didn't miss that much after all?

 

[Ansar]

I once loaned it from a library but didn't have time to read it. Maybe I didn't miss that much after all?

By the looks of the thread, it looks like you shouldn't even have loaned it from the library.

 

[ohcrapitsnico]

Its been a while since I read it, but I found it entertaining nothing overly special but entertaining enough. I didn't find it "inspiring", to me it is like harry potter, pure entertainment.

 

[eddfire3]

Well I enjoyed it, it was a fun read. I had no idea it was supposed to be insightful, joyous, religious crap! In fact I usually dont like those kind of books...maybe reading it without ever hearing about it or knowing what it was supposed to be about was good.