The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
192 Pages
Harper Collins Publishers (Re release May 2006)
A short while ago, the BK himself told me to read a little book entitled The Alchemist. I went over to amazon.com and gave it a gander and said sure why not. It did help that I found a special edition of the book that came with a nifty slipcase, and one of this built-in ribbon page markers. I like books ok? Anyways, I got it in the mail about a week later and was surprised to find that it was a very small book, like fifth grade summer reading list small. But I can’t knock that, some of the better books I’ve read have been the fifth grade summer list books. I just generally like bigger, more content-heavy books.
The Alchemist starts out with a young Shepard named Santiago sleeping in the ruins of an old church in Spain. He dreams one night of treasure in Egypt near the Great Pyramids. The ensuing tale follows Santiago through cities and villages, through the Sahara desert, and finally to his destination, the Great Pyramids of Egypt. Throughout his journey he meets a gypsy that tells him simply to ‘go to Egypt’, a king that gives him a gift a divination stones to help interpret omens. He also works for a crystal merchant for nearly a year saving money for his trip to Egypt. Once in the desert, Santiago meets a man simply called The Alchemist. The Alchemist teaches the boy of the Language of the World, and how to talk to his heart. He also uses the Philosophers Stone to turn lead into gold, of which he gives some to Santiago. Most importantly, he learns the importance of his Personal Legend and to continue his journey to Egypt in search of it, at all costs.
I’m kind of crossed over this book. I like it, but I also find it way too simplistic for my liking. Some things I’ve read about the book talk about having a hard time understanding it, and it being a wildly enchanting tale of ones search of hidden treasure. In my personal opinion, I could have read this book in middle school and understood it. It didn’t leave my lying in bed awake thinking about my life or the decisions I make, or with some profound epiphany resulting in me wanting to change my life in some significant manner. The Alchemist is a , hmm, a nice little book that urges you to be what you’ve always wanted to be. Did you want to be an astronaut? Well hell, get out there to NASA and start studying. Always persist, and the lessons you learn along the way are more priceless than the end result, or the treasure awaiting you buried in the sands.
I won’t say its a bad book, its decent enough, but it just doesn’t pack the punch that I guess I was expecting. “The Alchemist has been translated into 56 languages, and has sold more than 65 million copies in more than 150 countries, and is one of the best selling books in history.” -says Amazon.com. Why I ask? If you want something to think about, refer back to your middle school reading list. With titles like The Giver, The Lord of the Flies, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Speaker For the Dead, there’s more insightful books out there, by far. Check out The Story of B by Daniel Quinn or The High Man on the Castle by Phillip K. Dick, those books will make you wonder. [2/5]
The Kingkiller Chronicles: Day One
by Patrick Rothfuss
DAW (March 26, 2007 US)
“A silence of three parts. The Waystone Inn was his, just as the third silence was his. This was appropriate, as it was the greatest silence of the three, wrapping the others inside itself. It was deep and wide as autumn’s ending. It was heavy as a great river-smooth stone. It was the patient, cut-flower sound of a man who is waiting to die.”
The last paragraph of the first chapter sums up the whole of what the reader will find in Patrick Rothfuss’ tale of a lonely innkeeper divulging his inner secrets and life story to a traveling writer. This book is both deep and wide. It is also heavy. It can also be quite grim, like the patience of a man waiting to die.
Another new author in the year of 2007 that seeks to fit amongst the ranks of todays premier high fantasy legends. Rothfuss hits the nail on the head his first person narrative debut, The Name of the Wind. Part one of a trilogy (so far), the novel opens with an innkeeper looking inwards and finding not what he wants to see, or rather, not what he use to be. With a great longing to get back what he once had, he sighs to himself and lays in a bed devoid of sleep. Out of nowhere, a traveling writer named Chronicler visits the inn and captures Kvothe’s first person narrative on paper, which is what we, the readers, read. In Day One, Chronicler visits Kvothe’s childhood and early to mid teen years.
Kvothe of the Edema Ruh, a traveling troupe of actors, singers, and musicians, finds himself to be an orphan (much to my dislike, aren’t all of our heroes orphans?). Without his parents and traveling family, Kvothe follows his love of magic to Hogwarts, er The University. While there, the young student proves his talents and knowledge and surpasses his peers in the art of magic and naming. Financially strapped and always in trouble, Kvothe is at constant odds in his first year of magical learning. Ron and Hermione, er, Wil and Sim are loyal and honest friends that are at his side to voice their opinion and deal out sometimes helpful and sometimes not so helpful advice. Then there is Denna, the hard to get flower of a girl that is always at Kvothe’s fingertips but always ever so distant. Harry, er, Kvothe is our lovable hero that is trying to make something of himself in the hard world that he lives in.
I hate comparing this to Potter, but it’s just so much along the same lines plot wise, but aside from the Harry Potter likeness, Patrick Rothfuss’ dive into fantasy has plenty of originality that consumes the reader and saturates the pages with brilliant concepts and characterization. The magic system is quite original, simply put, if you know the name of the wind, fire, water, etc., you can make it do as you please. Of course, wind isn’t simply wind, its some unpronounceable word in a foreign, archaic language thats long forgotten. Kvothe and his relationship with his friends, teachers, and especially the girl Denna, are easily read and make you yearn for more interaction. Kvothe’s chase of the Chandrian, those who killed his troupe, is believable and exciting, you as the reader can’t wait for him to gain just a little more knowledge about the elusive demons. This book releasing the same year that Potter’s story draws to its end is definitely something that older fans of the Hogwarts student may want to check out. It is much more mature, much more believable, on an adult level, and in my opinion, better. Day Two is slated for April 2008. [4/5]
The Darkness That Comes Before: Book One of The Prince of Nothing Trilogy by R. Scott Bakker
608 pages
Overlook Press (June 2004 UK)
This is the fourth series I picked up on from www.sffworld.com. Sffworld readers, publishers, and forum posters praised several series that I decided I had to find and read, the first being The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, which turned out to be one of the past several years best reads. Second was Joe Abercrombie’s First Law Trilogy which also turned out quite spectacular and came to its conclusion earlier this year. Then I picked up probably the most praised on the forum, Steven Erikson’s Fallen Book of the Malazan Series, which turned out to be quite the disappointment, though I only ventured one book deep. I guess I saved the best for last because R. Scott Bakker’s foray into fantasy is leaps and bounds better than Erikson’s, as far as my tastes go at least, and is also better than Lies and The First Law. Lynch’s unfinished series may have better characters and a more accessible, fun story; Abercrombie’s trilogy may be more mainstream and more of what fantasy readers may look for in a book, but Bakker’s Prince of Nothing trilogy presents something on a grand scale. This first book touches only the tip of a presumably immense iceberg, The Darkness That Comes Before threatens the readers religious and moral upbringing and intellect, demanding deep and reflective thinking.
The Darkness That Comes Before is about a land on the brink of Holy War where warlords and leaders are vying for control of a massive marching army. The army is headed for Shimeh where they plan to defeat the Fanim and Cishaurim, the rulers in the southeast and haters of The Tusk and Inrithism, which is the widely accepted, dominant religion across the western Three Seas. The Fanim is an upstart monotheistic faith that is founded on the revelations of the Prophet Fane, and the Cishaurim is their highly feared faction of sorcerer’s.
The novel is seen through several pairs of eyes. Anasurimbor Kellhus is a Dunyain monk that receives dreams from his lost father of an impending holy war. The Dunyain is a hidden monastic sect that focuses on highly refined motor reflexes and higher thinking. They are capable of seeing the future and are highly trained in combat.
Drusas Achamian is a sorcerer of the Mandate, a gnostic school that fights against the Consult (a faction of ancient magi that are bent one bringing about the return of the No-God, whom is responsible for the first apocalypse).
Cnaiur is a ruthless Scylvendi tribal leader that lost his entire clan in a bloody battle against the Nansur Empire. With nowhere to go, he joins with Kellhus and travels through Nansur to join in the Holy War.
Esmenet is a prostitute that resides in Sumni. She is often paid for services by Achamian, and as result, she has further feelings for the sorcery, and he likewise.
It sounds like its a convoluted mess of characters, lands, and religions, but when read each is fleshed out and described in not overly detailed description, but just enough to make you grasp who the person is and what their mission is. Not long into the book you understand where places are, what religion is practiced where, and what ruler wants of this Holy War. This book is like a much better version of my previously reviewed Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson. His novel wasn’t nearly as mapped out as Bakker’s, and the characters weren’t nearly as real.
The plot is original and the characters are believable. Cnaiur is devilishly brutal and Kellhus is god-like in his ability to see what is to come before it happens. Achamian is subject to a dying faction of magic users, but he sees his role in this war. In this initial novel, the Holy War isn’t fought, but its impending doom is foreboding and dark. Common soldiers are excited about the coming battles and chances of glory and fame, yet the players that move the pieces are frightened and reluctant to face the dreaded Cishaurim. Bakker knows what good reading consists of and he litters his debut with it, rarely does he let up and allow the reader to take a restful breath. The Warrior Prophet is next in line on my bookshelf. [4.5/5]
