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The Alchemist

A Fable About Following Your Dream

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The Alchemist

Written by: Paulo Coelho
Narrated by: Jeremy Irons
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About this listen

AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • OVER 120 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE • PUBLISHED IN 89 LANGUAGES

“Teaches us about dreams, destiny, and the reason we are all here.”—Oprah Daily, “Best Self-Help Books of a Generation”

A spellbinding audio presentation of the extraordinary bestseller, narrated by Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons–Discover the true power of trusting your intuition, honoring your instincts, and tapping into your innate inner wisdom

Combining magic, mysticism, wisdom, and wonder into an inspiring tale of self-discovery and spiritual healing, The Alchemist has become a modern classic, moving millions across the globe and transforming the lives of countless readers across generations. Helping them find inner peace, strength, gratitude, and a deeper, divine connection with themselves and the world around them.

This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and soul-stirring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried near the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself a king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles in his path. But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery that the most valuable treasures are those found within.

Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts. No matter where you are in life’s journey, allow this profound fable to awaken you to the beauty of the present and the hope of the future, and what it truly means to be human and at peace.

Year after year, across generations, Paulo Coelho's profound and enduring work remains fresh and vital for readers today. These words beam with the message that if we trust in ourselves and our inner strength and wisdom, we can navigate all of life’s complexities with grace and resilience. Discover your dreams and your truth with The Alchemist.

“We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.”—Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

“It changed my whole life. I realized all of the people who had conspired to get me to this place.” —Pharrell Williams, musician and songwriter

©1988 Paulo Coelho; (P)2005 HarperCollins Publishers
Classics Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Personal Development Dream Inspiring Heartfelt Middle East Thought-Provoking Feel-Good Fantasy Wisdom Magic Career Change New Age Spirituality

Editorial Review

The Alchemist tells the story of Santiago, a young shepherd who quests through the desert to find a treasure. He runs into many obstacles during his journey, but what if the treasure was inside him all along? Santiago learns important life lessons through his hurdles, and inspires listeners to follow their dreams and change their lives forever.

The Alchemist takes place in an indistinct period of the past, but clearly in a pre-modern era. The main plot is set in the Spanish pastures, the Spanish city of Tarifa, the city of Tangier in North Africa, and the Sahara Desert. The Alchemist has been translated into 67 languages and has won the Guinness World Record for the most translated book by a living author. Paulo Coelho has written over 25 titles in all and is one of the best-selling writers in the world. Besides The Alchemist, his other best sellers include Eleven Minutes and The Pilgrimage, which are also available for download on Audible.

Jeremy Irons narrates The Alchemist in a captivating, silky voice, with a flawless pacing that brings unexpected dimensions to Santiago’s journey. The award-winning film, television, and stage actor has narrated many other world-renowned audiobooks, such as Lolita and Brideshead Revisited.

The Alchemist was not an instantaneous international success, selling just 900 copies at first. Yet now with more than 85 million copies sold worldwide, it is one of the best-selling titles in history. The literature classic has won several international awards, including the 2004 Nielsen Gold Book Award for outstanding sales in the UK, and Germany’s 2002 Corine International Award for best fiction.

Featured Article: Inspirational Quotes About Hope

Check out Audible’s list of inspiring quotes about hope. These quotes, passages, and phrases from some of our favourite audiobooks are sure to inspire. The human capacity and need for hope is astounding. It is one of those universal truths that spans age, gender, and location. Everyone knows what it means to feel hopeless, and what it’s like to find that glimmering ray of hope when everything seems lost.

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Unreal, great reading, great book! I have listened to it over and over again...A great way to reset and refocus when things need to slow down and be simplified!

unreal

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Loved it almost meditative! need to listen quite a few times to cement some ideas!

hitting replay again! best for driving!

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This book was recommended in another book I listened to "The 5 Second Rule" by Mel Robbins and I am so glad I tried it because the book is amazing. It kept me interested the whole time and the story was beautifully written. I could feel this book was special shortly after I started listening to it. I strongly recommend this book to be inspired, to appreciate life's journey and to simply be entertained #Audible1.

I Am So Glad I Listened To This Book

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This book took me through the dangerous "Highway From Hell" Coquilahla during a snow storm. I don't remember the drive, but I do remember the incredible story playing over my carplay. Paulo Coelho was touched and through him came this incredible story which felt as though I was privy to some unearthly spiritual text, it helped that the classical trained English actor Jeremy Irons was reading it. It is not a long story, but it is divine! I loved every minute of it! #Audible1

Life Changer

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I've been wanting to read this book for a long time considering i've read almost all other paulo coelho books. I was skeptical of audio books but i honestly love the narration. It really brings the book to life and it is great when you are on the bus or driving and you can really read a book. #Audible1

Great book with amazing narration

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