An essential read for anyone at a crossroads in their life. This fantastic story of magic and dreams cements in the readers mind the value of adventure, and accordingly, how irrelevant the destination becomes.
Notable Excerpts
The boy could see in his father’s gaze a desire to be able, himself, to travel the world—a desire that was still alive, despite his father’s having had to bury it, over dozens of years, under the burden of struggling for water to drink, food to eat, and the same place to sleep every night of his life.
It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting
Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.
“What’s the world’s greatest lie?” the boy asked, completely surprised. “It’s this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s greatest lie.”
Maybe God created the desert so that man could appreciate the date trees, he thought.
“Well, maybe I just want to know the future so I can prepare myself for what’s coming.”
“If good things are coming, they will be a pleasant surprise,” said the seer. “If bad things are, and you know in advance, you will suffer greatly before they even occur.”
The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better.
“Isn’t wine prohibited here?” the boy asked “It’s not what enters men’s mouths that’s evil,” said the alchemist. “It’s what comes out of their mouths that is.”
the darkest hour of the night came just before the dawn.