I chose to read The Alchemist because the subject of wanderlust really interests me and when researching this topic, this book was recommended by multiple sources. I like the idea of adventure, mystery and not knowing who you will meet or where you will be the next day. There is a huge world waiting to be explored and because I am currently not exploring it myself, I want to read about other people who have, fiction or nonfiction. Santiago is a young shepherd who leaves his supportive family for the life of adventure. He has a severe case of wanderlust and uses his sheep to make money to support himself along the way. For a few years, he grows very close and familiar with his beloved animals, wandering the pastures of his country, Andalusia. He then has a reoccurring dream that causes him to believe that he should find treasure hidden beneath the Egyptian pyramids. He goes on his way to sell his sheep so that he may have enough money to travel to Egypt. After selling his livestock, his money is stolen from him and Santiago is in despair and dreading the idea of starting over, or worse, returning home empty …show more content…
I did anticipate the protagonist giving up everything to travel the world because that was his passion- in the book, his Personal Legend. What surprised me was how metaphorical, and almost spiritual, the story was. Santiago fell in love and then turned himself into the wind because he wanted to return to the oasis. He had to go through a long journey and discover what the language spoken by all was in order to feel fulfilled, so the most of the plot line was more than I was originally looking for. This book was pretty easy to read because it seemed to be at a lower reading level and most of the chapters were filled with blunt, basic sentences. There were certain points when everything would become colorfully descriptive, but this only occurred when something important or deeply metaphorical was