Review: The Alchemist: A Graphic Novel by Paulo Coelho |

Hardcover: 208 pages

Publisher: HarperOne (November 23, 2010)

ISBN-10: 0062024329

Source: Publisher

Santiago is a Spanish shepherd boy who sells his herd of sheep to pursue a dream of discovering treasure in the pyramids of Egypt. He leaves everything he knows behind in order to pursue his dream. He meets several people on his trek including a gypsy, a king, & an alchemist. Each give him a “message” to aid him in his journey. Throughout this journey, Santiago comes across various obstacles. Just when he’s about to give up and his spirit wanes, the messages of these individuals gives him the strength to strive forward. He eventually learns that the treasure he is seeking isn’t in a pyramid in Egypt, but within his own soul.

I read the original version of The Alchemist several years ago and it remains one of my most treasured books. The message it relays is simple and on the surface; the reader doesn’t have to delve far into the text to find it.

When I learned a graphic novel of The Alchemist was to be released, I can’t deny that I was skeptical. How would it be possible to transfer the message from a novel to a graphic format?

Daniel Sampere is the artist who rendered the graphic novel. He quite literally brought the characters to life in his drawings. I was concerned that they would be misrepresented in this format, but he has picked up the very essence of the characters.

My only complaint about the illustrations is how women are portrayed as having large busts and tiny waists. While this is a common look of women in graphic novels, I think it took away from the feel & the character of the book itself.

I don’t believe the graphic novel should be read in place of the original. While it does portray and represent the novel accurately, I believe there are key parts that the reader must invision and put to image on their own.

Ultimately, I highly recommend the graphic novel version to anyone who has read the original novel. Reading it reawakened my love of the novel and added a new perspective.