Book Club Friday: The Alchemist

So I just heard of this Book Club at Blonde...Undercover Blonde. Link up below and share your latest read!

My latest read was...

The Alchemist

from Amazon.com: "Like the one-time bestseller Jonathan Livingston Seagull, The Alchemist presents a simple fable, based on simple truths and places it in a highly unique situation. And though we may sniff a bestselling formula, it is certainly not a new one: even the ancient tribal storytellers knew that this is the most successful method of entertaining an audience while slipping in a lesson or two. Brazilian storyteller Paulo Coehlo introduces Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who one night dreams of a distant treasure in the Egyptian pyramids. And so he's off: leaving Spain to literally follow his dream.

Along the way he meets many spiritual messengers, who come in unassuming forms such as a camel driver and a well-read Englishman. In one of the Englishman's books, Santiago first learns about the alchemists--men who believed that if a metal were heated for many years, it would free itself of all its individual properties, and what was left would be the "Soul of the World." Of course he does eventually meet an alchemist, and the ensuing student-teacher relationship clarifies much of the boy's misguided agenda, while also emboldening him to stay true to his dreams."

This is actually the second time I've read this book. One of my besties said that this is her litmus test for being friends. If the person doesn't like this book (and/or the comic "Get Fuzzy"), she's not friends with them (or not good friends with them, I forget her exact words). However, we've been friends for about 9 years now. (Whoa,...definitely did not realize it's been that long!) Anyway, I told her I didn't like it after my first reading...but I didn't realize what that meant to her! So when she told me, and made forced strongly urged me to read it again, I did. 

I liked most of it. What I don't like is when he's with the alchemist, and they get captured, and he has to make himself into the wind. That's when the author lost me. I lost interest, and didn't understand how/why he was talking with all the different elements. And then, I didn't understand if he actually became wind or not. I liked the whooole rest of the story. It was fast paced, easy to read, and full of adventure. I felt for Santiago completely. And I liked everything after the wind part too- I thought it was such a smart ending. Also, it really made me think afterwards, about how it related to my own life. 

Overall, I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Did you ever read something a second (or third, or fourth) time and understand it better or have it take on new meaning?

Have a wonderful weekend!