Comments on: The Secret? The Alchemist Sucks http://semanticdrift.com/books/the-secret-the-alchemist-sucks/ I've Got a Be-Dazzler So My Outfit's Tight Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:06:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: semanticdrifter http://semanticdrift.com/books/the-secret-the-alchemist-sucks/#comment-938 semanticdrifter Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:17:55 +0000 http://semanticdrift.com/books/the-secret-the-alchemist-sucks/#comment-938 <cite> <blockquote>he had to take all of his accumulated pointless, random rhetoric that he has ever heard, and shove it down the throats of his readers.</blockquote> </cite> Amen, brother. Although since the reader has to seek out his work, I can't really say that he shoves it down our throats. And obviously there is a whole sea of people who find his pseudo-philosophy useful. I'm just not one of them.

he had to take all of his accumulated pointless, random rhetoric that he has ever heard, and shove it down the throats of his readers.


Amen, brother. Although since the reader has to seek out his work, I can’t really say that he shoves it down our throats. And obviously there is a whole sea of people who find his pseudo-philosophy useful. I’m just not one of them.

]]> By: Jay http://semanticdrift.com/books/the-secret-the-alchemist-sucks/#comment-930 Jay Mon, 29 Sep 2008 02:14:49 +0000 http://semanticdrift.com/books/the-secret-the-alchemist-sucks/#comment-930 It's relieving to hear people talk about what this book really is: a regurgitation of all the random personal philosophies that Paulo Coelho has picked up over his mostly-intoxicated, partially-hippy life. And it's a shame because the story of Santiago had a lot of potential, he could've weaved just one or two nice little themes into the story. But no, he had to take all of his accumulated pointless, random rhetoric that he has ever heard, and shove it down the throats of his readers. Personally, I found this book to be an utter waste of my time. It’s relieving to hear people talk about what this book really is: a regurgitation of all the random personal philosophies that Paulo Coelho has picked up over his mostly-intoxicated, partially-hippy life. And it’s a shame because the story of Santiago had a lot of potential, he could’ve weaved just one or two nice little themes into the story. But no, he had to take all of his accumulated pointless, random rhetoric that he has ever heard, and shove it down the throats of his readers. Personally, I found this book to be an utter waste of my time.

]]> By: semanticdrifter http://semanticdrift.com/books/the-secret-the-alchemist-sucks/#comment-362 semanticdrifter Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:56:00 +0000 http://semanticdrift.com/books/the-secret-the-alchemist-sucks/#comment-362 I've got nothing against simplicity, or spartan prose. I admire the discipline required to get one's point across with as few storytelling tricks as possible. If I understand Greg correctly, what he finds shallow (and I agree) is the quality of the fiction. If we look at the Alchemist as a novel, it just doesn't work. Even as a novel of ideas, there's barely enough of an actual story to hang his quasi-mystical observations on. I’ve got nothing against simplicity, or spartan prose. I admire the discipline required to get one’s point across with as few storytelling tricks as possible. If I understand Greg correctly, what he finds shallow (and I agree) is the quality of the fiction. If we look at the Alchemist as a novel, it just doesn’t work. Even as a novel of ideas, there’s barely enough of an actual story to hang his quasi-mystical observations on.

]]> By: Pilar http://semanticdrift.com/books/the-secret-the-alchemist-sucks/#comment-360 Pilar Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:46:54 +0000 http://semanticdrift.com/books/the-secret-the-alchemist-sucks/#comment-360 Paulo Coelho is only for the soul of people who was not affected by being "mature". He writes for the child within ourselves, and therefore it looks simple, but it is not. Try to read the book again, in a different period of your life. You will see. By the way, I discovered that the "grain of sand" reference is based on William Blake, one of the greatest visionaries of all times, and we cannot see Blake as shallow. Paulo Coelho is only for the soul of people who was not affected by being “mature”. He writes for the child within ourselves, and therefore it looks simple, but it is not. Try to read the book again, in a different period of your life. You will see. By the way, I discovered that the “grain of sand” reference is based on William Blake, one of the greatest visionaries of all times, and we cannot see Blake as shallow.

]]> By: Greg http://semanticdrift.com/books/the-secret-the-alchemist-sucks/#comment-357 Greg Tue, 11 Sep 2007 01:44:34 +0000 http://semanticdrift.com/books/the-secret-the-alchemist-sucks/#comment-357 It's good that more people are critical of Coelho. I thought Road to Santiago was highly derivative of Lord of the Rings... I think they are forumlaic novels. Valkyries was another unsatisfyingly shallow desert/road trip. Not terrible books, but not to be over rated either... It’s good that more people are critical of Coelho. I thought Road to Santiago was highly derivative of Lord of the Rings… I think they are forumlaic novels. Valkyries was another unsatisfyingly shallow desert/road trip. Not terrible books, but not to be over rated either…

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