Rasselas

The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia by Samuel Johnson, 158 pages

Rasselas was raised, like all of the sons and daughters of the King of Abyssinia, in a mountain valley entirely closed to the outside world, aside from an annual royal visit.  Waited on by an army of servants and provided with every luxury, Rasselas nonetheless comes to feel dissatisfied with life.  Accompanied by his sister, Princess Nekayah, her servant Pekuah, and the sage Imlac, Rasselas manages to escape from his gilded cage and experience the wider world beyond, embarking on a quest for the secret of happiness.

Rasselas is a fable, and provides little in the way of drama or character.  A considerable amount of the work's not inconsiderable charm lies in the contrast between the eager naivete of the main characters and Johnson's own fundamentally pessimistic view of this life.

The Alchemist

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho          208 Pages

This short novel was recommended to me by a friend. I’d had it on my shelf for many years, but had never gotten around to reading it.  But based on my friend’s endorsement, I grabbed it and started reading. It was nothing like I expected. I imagined a traditional novel, not a fable.

The Alchemist is the story of Santiago, a young Andalusian shepherd boy. He travels from his home in Spain to Morocco and across the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried at the Pyramids. Along the way he meets many spiritual advisors who are represented in such forms as a camel driver and a well-read Englishman. It’s in one of the Englishman’s books that Santiago learns the definition of an alchemist---one who believes that if metal is heated for many years, it frees itself of all individual properties.

Along his journey, Santiago does meet an alchemist who helps him find the true meaning of finding the treasure. It’s a story of becoming self-empowered and believing in your dreams.

I found this book very similar to Joan Brady’s God on a Harley. I didn’t relate to it as much, but it was still a wonderful read.  I give it four out of five stars.

The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho  197 pages

         I picked up a copy of The Alchemist at the suggestion of one of my coworkers here at the library, and I was really pleased to do so.  The book felt shorter than its 197 pages, but not rushed.  The story is a simple one, one that I felt I should resist (the story is SO optimistic)- but won me over because of the prose.  It is a lyrical fable of a boy searching for treasure, and the things he learns along the way.
          The tale is one that tells us to follow our dreams- and laments their loss when we choose to give up on them. Various characters are stuck in the lives they have settled for because they got in their own way.  It felt like a "spiritual" book, or a self help book, but wasn't forceful/preachy enough for me to put it down.  I feel like it should be in the same group as Siddhartha, or The Prophet- timeless, and worth revisiting.