I am excited to announce that after a wonderful Summer break, the Butterfly Book Club is back in action!
We have taken time off, enjoyed the weather, and read our own personal book picks. Now it’s time to reconvene to collectively get our juices flowing with an exciting and intriguing story laced with life-changing principles and lessons. It doesn’t get any better than that!
Our latest pick is…
“The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho
(Click on the picture to read customer reviews and purchase the book.)
From Amazon.com:
The Alchemist presents a simple fable, based on simple truths and places it in a highly unique situation. And though we may sniff a bestselling formula, it is certainly not a new one: even the ancient tribal storytellers knew that this is the most successful method of entertaining an audience while slipping in a lesson or two. Brazilian storyteller Paulo Coehlo introduces Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who one night dreams of a distant treasure in the Egyptian pyramids. And so he’s off: leaving Spain to literally follow his dream.
Along the way he meets many spiritual messengers, who come in unassuming forms such as a camel driver and a well-read Englishman. In one of the Englishman’s books, Santiago first learns about the alchemists–men who believed that if a metal were heated for many years, it would free itself of all its individual properties, and what was left would be the “Soul of the World.” Of course he does eventually meet an alchemist, and the ensuing student-teacher relationship clarifies much of the boy’s misguided agenda, while also emboldening him to stay true to his dreams. “My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer,” the boy confides to the alchemist one night as they look up at a moonless night.
“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself,” the alchemist replies. “And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity.” –Gail Hudson
Check out this video from Paulo Coelho, in honor of the 20th Anniversary of “The Alchemist”, where he discusses his views on “Luck, Coincidence and Faith”
I’ve heard a lot of mention of this book, but have never delved into it myself. So I’m excited to get lost in this adventurous story and be moved by its powerful lessons.
We start reading “The Alchemist” the weekend of September 10th (or whenever you’d like) and we will be discussing it on September 24th. If you would like to join us, go to: The Butterfly Book Club to sign up and get all of the details.
I look forward to reading and discussing with you!
Share your thoughts in the comments: Have you read “The Alchemist”? What did you think? What do you love most about book clubs?
Peace, Love, & Books!
~Alexis~
