Book Review: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
by Yvette, The TechieScrapper
Hello everyone, I’m finally back. As you may know, the last time I read a book was in June. Life was Lif’in. Starting school, moving my daughter off to college, and just being burnt out. My reading aspiration for this year is to read 52 books—one book per week. When I took stock of the books I had read since June, I realized that I had already read 40 books since January 7, 2025. This realization canceled my mental spiral. I had to remind myself that 40 books by June was a huge accomplishment, and I had to just sit in that for a moment. After I came back to reality, I took a baby step. I looked for a book that was a short/quick read. A couple of the goals I set for this year, besides reading 52 books, were to read a book from an author not on my shelf, to read an author who is not from the US., to read a book that was translated into English, to read a book on a banned book list, to read a classic, to read a nonfiction book, to read a memoir, and finally to read a book from a genre not on my bookshelf.
That leads me to borrowing the audiobook from my local library through Libby. I chose “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coehlo. This book helped me achieve three of my goals. The author is not on my shelf, the book was translated from Portuguese into English, and it is on the banned list. Additionally, the author is not from the U.S. Sadly, I can only choose one slot for this to fit into. I am categorizing the book as one translated from another language into English. This book is banned as well, but I have already read a banned book this year. It was “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison. I searched the internet to find out why “The Alchemist” was banned. According to the Google AI overview, I have copied the reason for the book being banned below.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is not banned in the US. Still, it has faced book challenges and bans in individual schools and libraries for various reasons, including perceived "offensive language," "sexually explicit content," and being deemed "unsuited to any age group." Some also found its philosophical and spiritual themes controversial or "juvenile". However, these were typically local actions, not a nationwide ban, and the book remains widely available.
Reasons for Challenges and Bans:
· "Offensive Language": Some challenges cited offensive language as a reason for banning books in schools.
· "Sexual References": Challenges have also noted sexually explicit content or references.
· "Too Controversial": Some found the book's social and political themes to be too controversial or deemed its themes too juvenile and simplistic.
· Spiritual Themes: For some, the book's mystical or spiritual themes were deemed inappropriate or too different from their own beliefs.
· Unsuited to Age Group: Challenges have sometimes stated that the book was not appropriate for the intended age group.
Important Context:
· Local vs. Nationwide: Book banning attempts for The Alchemist have been isolated incidents in specific schools or libraries rather than a widespread, official national ban.
· Banned Books Week: The American Library Association (ALA) has organized Banned Books Week to highlight censorship efforts, with books like The Alchemist sometimes facing these challenges.
· Not a Current Ban: The book remains popular and readily available in the United States.
Please click the video below to watch my book review of “The Alchemist”. Also, Like, Comment, Subscribe, and Share.
