★★★★★ 5
Book Review of The Alchemist
Format: Paperback
In The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho uses diction, syntax, and the hero cycle to keep the pace of the book constant, and keep the reader intrigued. But, he does have a few flaws present in the book.
The Alchemist is a book about a boy named Santiago, who goes on an adventure to find his “Personal Legend” or treasure. Coelho uses the hero cycle to add more emphasis on the plot, which overall makes the story more entertaining. In the story, the Old King tells Santiago that “when someone wants to realize his or her Personal Legend,” he will “always [be] nearby.” (67) This is an example of atonement with the father, because the Old King’s closeness creates a father like figure in him, who is there to support Santiago. The hero cycle for me made the story more enjoyable and kept me reading. Also most of the book is him trying to obtain his Personal Legend, which is “what you have always wanted to accomplish.” (23)
Compared to other books I have read this year in my English class, this one was easier to follow in terms of diction. The language that Paulo Coelho uses in the novel overall is not too difficult to understand. Word choice is done very well, and lets the reader flow through the book at a constant pace. The diction also makes the book a novel for a wide range of readers. The hero cycle with the clean diction made the story very enjoyable.
While reading this book, I found that it was fairly easy to understand the passage, and that it was very inviting. Paulo Coelho structures the syntax of the book in an easy-to-understand format. Throughout the book, the syntax helps the reader understand where they are on the page, and it also positively affects the pace set by the diction in the book. Towards the middle of the novel, the boy says that “An army is coming,” and he knows because he “had a vision.” This dialogue is quickly followed up by a response from a camel driver, saying that “the desert fills men’s hearts with visions.” (104) The quick pace of dialogue keeps the book driving keeps the pace constantly in motion. The syntax made it easier for me to follow the story and follow which character was speaking and what they where feeling or doing.
Even though I enjoyed a great bit of the book, there was still another bit that I didn’t fully enjoy. At the beginning of the Alchemist, the book seems to go a slower speed then the rest of it. The first portion of the book has a lot to do with introducing Santiago, the plot, the setting, and more. There is a part in the story where it goes from page 35 to page 38 with very little dialogue, which I felt stopped progress of the story. The first part also has to do a lot with how he discovers his Personal Legend. It took me a little while longer to read the first part of the book then the rest because I was mostly bored while reading it. I also felt that there was more descriptive text than the rest of the book, which really dragged out the first part.
In conclusion, the book has lots of great traits and only a few bad ones. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend or anyone who enjoys reading about adventure.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2016
