Preview
  • The Alchemist

  • A Fable About Following Your Dream
  • By: Paulo Coelho
  • Narrated by: Jeremy Irons
  • Length: 4 hrs
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (82,096 ratings)

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The Alchemist

By: Paulo Coelho
Narrated by: Jeremy Irons
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Publisher's summary

Paulo Coelho's enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its simplicity and wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself 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 along the way But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a meditation on the treasures found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is art eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.
©1988 Paulo Coelho (P)2005 HarperCollins Publishers
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Editorial review


By Madeline Anthony, Audible Editor

THE STRANGE ALCHEMY OF THE ALCHEMIST, THE NOVEL TURNED SELF-DEV PHENOMENON

At its core, The Alchemist is a spiritual guide. Packed into the form of a short fable, it follows young Santiago, a shepherd boy who travels far and wide in hopes of finding his life’s treasures. Within the simplicity of the story, universal messages are able to unfold in profound ways, ringing true with a newfound sense of urgency—listen to your heart, follow your intuition, and have the courage to walk towards your dreams even when you are afraid of what might happen next.

Far from an expansive, ancient desert, I listened to this story for the first time on the beach. After hearing rave reviews of The Alchemist for several years from friends and acquaintances, I had decided to listen to the audiobook on a rare week off. It was Christmas, and for the first time in a long time, I was not with my family for the holidays. I was spending that lost week between Christmas and New Year's on a bed of white sand in the Hawaiian Islands, on something of an engagement-moon with my fiancé. It was all gorgeous—the sun, the purplish mountains in the distance, the giant sea turtles that gently floated in the water like kids on a perpetual vacation. Taken at face value, there should have been no worries in sight. But secretly, I was worried. In fact, I was extremely worried. I was living with a nagging feeling that I kept trying to push down, and that each time I did, would inevitably rise again. In the end, listening to a story about a young boy in Egypt helped me to tap into my own heart of hearts, inevitably realizing the truth—I did not want to marry this man, and in fact, I wouldn’t.

Continue reading Madeline's review >

Critic reviews

"The story has the comic charm, dramatic tension and psychological intensity of a fairy tale, but it's full of specific wisdom as well, about becoming self-empowered, overcoming depression, and believing in dreams." (Publishers Weekly)

"It is short, but certainly packs a wallop. What makes the story even better is Jeremy Irons's unforgettable narration.... Irons's voice is crystal clear, and every word is given its own starring role in the text. He creates wondrous characters, male and female, that stay with us." (AudioFile)

Featured Article: The Audible Essentials—The Top 100 Well-Being Listens of All Time


We assembled our editors, scoured listener reviews, polled our most-trusted colleagues, and listened our ears off to bring you this list of 100 must-listen well-being titles on Audible. Whether you’re looking to get organized, stay motivated, find creative inspiration, or relieve stress, these audiobooks and podcasts are packed with insights from self-development and wellness experts to help you take the next step—or the first—in your personal journey.

What listeners say about The Alchemist

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    66,080
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Enduring and Peaceful

This modern parable is a beautifully simple tale, beautifully read by Jeremy Irons. If you've read this before, then you won't be disappointed by this production. If you've not read it before, then do yourself a favour and listen to it now. Yes, it has a deep religious undercurrent, but you can take that in or just be swept along on the top of the wave of poetic language. So graceful. So peaceful. Truly enduring.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Jeremy Irons brings the book to life

Where does The Alchemist rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

For fiction, this book ranks in the top 20. I only wish there were sequels!

Who was your favorite character and why?

The shepherd boy... because even though I don't herd sheep, I have dreams too.

Which character – as performed by Jeremy Irons – was your favorite?

Melchizedek


Any additional comments?

I wanted to curl up on the couch next to Uncle Jeremy and have him tell me more and more... What is it about the voice of Jeremy Irons? He did a fantastic job with the various characters.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Metaphor of Life

Loved reading the book years ago, but loved it even more listening to it narrated by Jeremy Irons! Lovely heartwarming story.♥️💖💋

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Spiritual but not religious or preachy

What did you love best about The Alchemist?

Made me want to keep listening. Filled with inspiring thoughts but also an really good story. I love the British narrator too, such a nice change from so many of the harsh American accents of many Audible books.

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1 person found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Expected more

great story and narration... just had higher expectations based on other reviews and top lists this one made

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Special Book

Sitting by the pool, I wanted something to inspire me for 2020. Perfect length and interesting story.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Jeremy Irons made this read all the more magical.

An amazing story about realizing your mission in life. Uplifiting and full of light - a lesson from the SOUL of the Universe! Jeremy Irons made this audio book doubly special to me. His voice brings me comfort and captivates.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Beautiful example of how we should live

Loved this. Beautiful example of how we should live our lives. it has a ton of quotables.

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1 person found this helpful

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Good

A self help tale based on superstition and fairy tales. One of my must reads.

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Blown Away!

Amazing story, great narration, you can’t go wrong listening to this one! Definitely one of my all time favorites now!

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