Second glance

I think I definitely did and didn't enjoy the Alchemist. I was reading other blogs, and almost everyone talked about how delighted they were with it. They loved how easily the book fit into to themes and how it related to their lives. But then I read some others that said that the book did include all those themes, but they still didn't like it for whatever reason. I really like Sarah B's blog. She said that story was engaging and she was sure it was meaningful and profound, but the message was lost to her. I think I relate.
I liked the way the book was written and how it flowed- it had a kind of magic to it, like the Little Prince. There are gems of wisdom embedded in it- little sayings that apply to almost any age. In a way, I guess it's like FW, because of how it appeals or applies to any person who can read. Unlike the Little Prince, though, I don't think I would let my children read this book for awhile. I think they would be confused.
People have to go on adventures to appreciate the home and life they left behind, like Wendy. She didn't want to grow up, until she got what she wanted. She left home, had adventures and realized that heroism in real life is different than heroism in stories. I think what frustrated me most about the Alchemist was how it ended. This is what puts me in limbo. When the robber told him about the dream of the churchyard, and the light bulb in his head goes on, I felt that one of the most important lessons he learned in his epiphany was to not listen to anything but himself and his heart. He allowed himself to be persuaded and pushed, maybe to make that link between his mind and heart stronger. I don't know. I know it's just a story, but our lives are just stories too, strung up in patterns and rearranged as we move onward.
I wonder about oracles- in the Matrix and back in the Greek day. If we ever listen to them, we will always live life wondering if all of our actions will fall in line with the pattern they said (which is always the case) or if we can rearrange the story as we go. I'd like to think the second. I think everyone would. Maybe the guy in the story was meant to lose everything three times- three is a magic number.