Phrases from "The Alchemist" - Part I

Before I commence writing some phrases from this book, a quick preface. I basically started reading this after so many of my friends asked me (currently, which I am doing with my other friends and colleagues), if I had read The Alchemist. The number of questions that were fired at me made me think that I would end-up being a low-life if I wouldn't read this book. So, when I finally decided to read this book, I received it as a package from one of my good old friends. That was quite unbelievable. If I were Paulo Coelho, probably I would have said to myself "And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it"

Page 16:
When someone sees the same people every day, as had happened with him at the seminary, they wind up becoming a part of that person's life. And then they want the person to change. If someone isn't what the others want them to be, the others become angry. (Here comes the super-phrase) Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.

Three facts brought out cogently by the author

Pages 16-17:
He started to read the book he had bought. On the very first page it described a burial ceremony. And the names of the people involved were very difficult to pronounce. If he ever wrote a book, he thought, he would present one person at a time, so that the reader wouldn't have to worry about memorizing a lot of names.

What a smart of way of telling the reader how he suffered when he read other authors' books and how he intended to write the current book!

Page 20:
... when you are talking to people, they say some things that are so strange that you don't know how to continue the conversation

I have suffered this suffering a number of times, especially at the most critical places and times!

Page 23:
And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it

This is the vehicle on which the novel runs, I guess!

Page 25:
If you start out by promising what you don't even have yet, you'll lose your desire to work toward getting it.

Reminds me of the weekly meetings with my supervisor!

Pages 33-34:
Never forget what facilitated and helped you in reaching your dreams.

Just a cliche sentence, but still makes a lot of sense. However, reminds me of my cliche-hating buddy, who would have destroyed this book after reading the above line! Good that I still haven't asked him to read this book.

Page 42:
I am like everyone else - I see the world in terms of what I would like to see happen, not what actually does.

No matter how many times ever I would read this sentence, anywhere else, I would still be like "everyone else". I am just curious to see how Mr. Coelho lives his life.

Page 44:
As he mused about these things, he realized that he had to choose between thinking of himself as the poor victim of a thief and as an adventurer in quest of his treasure. "I'm an adventurer, looking for treasure", he said to himself.

The everlasting fight between optimism, and pessimism!

Page 64:
Never stop dreaming

Weren't those President Kalam's words? Who was the plagiarist here? Or, is it common sense?

... there was a language in the world that everyone understood, a language the boy had used throughout the time that he was trying to improve things at the shop. It was the language of enthusiasm, of things accomplished with love and purpose, and as part of a search for something believed in and desired.

I second that!