Kireth
What can I say that hasn't been said already? This is one of those "must-read" books. For someone who is strongly guided by spirituality, the fleeting nature of life and time and everyone's individual journeys, The Alchemist was a perfect fit. Coelho blends cultures, locales and lessons in a seamlessly entertaining manner. His prose is poetic in its simplicity and the obvious sincere warmth of the voice. It was a surprisingly quick read, and I can see myself revisiting the world of the Shepard and the desert in the years to come.
From the "10 Years On" Introduction:
Why is it so important to live our personal calling if we are only going to suffer more than other people? Because, once we have overcome the defeats - and we always do - we are filled by a greater sense of euphoria and confidence.
Spoilers in quotes below.
From One:
"I weep for Narcissus, but I never noticed that Narcissus was beautiful. I weep because, each time he knelt beside my banks, I could see, in the depths of his eyes, my own beauty reflected."
"We have to be prepared for change, he thought, and he was grateful for the jacket's weight and warmth. The jacket had a purpose, and so did the boy."
"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."
All things are one. "And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."
There was also the merchant's daughter, but she wasn't as important as his flock, because she didn't depend on him. Maybe she didn't even remember him. He was sure that it made no difference to her on which day he appeared: for her, every day was the same, and when each day is the same as the next, it's because people fail to recognise the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises.
"That's the way it always is," said the old man. "It's called the principle of favourability. When you play cards for the first time, you are almost sure to win. Beginner's luck."
"Why is that?"
"Because there is a force that wants you to realise your Personal Legend; it whets your appetite with a taste of success."
"Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you," said the wisest of wise men. "The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon."
It's too bad that he's quickly going to forget my name, he thought. I should have repeated it for him. Then when he spoke about me he would say that I am “Melchizedek, the king of Salem.He looked to the skies, feeling a bit abashed, and said, “I know it’s the vanity of vanities, as you said, my Lord. But an old king sometimes has to take some pride in himself.”
The sale of his sheep had left him with enough money in his pouch, and the boy knew that in money there was magic; whoever has money is never really alone.
He recalled that when the sun had risen that morning, he was on another continent, still a shepherd with sixty sheep, and looking forward to meeting with a girl. That morning he had known everything that was going to happen to him as he walked through the familiar fields. But now, as the sun began to set, he was in a different country, a stranger in a strange land, where he couldn’t even speak the language. He was no longer a shepherd, and he had nothing, not even the money to return and start everything over.
But now I’m sad and alone. I’m going to become bitter and distrustful of people because one person betrayed me. I’m going to hate those who have found their treasure because I never found mine. And I’m going to hold on to what little I have, because I’m too insignificant to conquer the world.
“I’m like everyone else—I see the world in terms of what I would like to see happen, not what actually does.”
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.
There must be a language that doesn't depend on words, the boy thought. I've already had that experience with my sheep, and now it's happening with people.
From Two:
“Today, I understand something I didn’t see before: every blessing ignored becomes a curse. I don’t want anything else in life. But you are forcing me to look at wealth and at horizons I have never known. Now that I have seen them, and now that I see how immense my possibilities are, I’m going to feel worse than I did before you arrived. Because I know the things I should be able to accomplish, and I don’t want to do so.”
There had been a time when he thought that his sheep could teach him everything he needed to know about the world. But they could never have taught him Arabic.
“Maktub,” the merchant said, finally.
“What does that mean?”
“You would have to have been born an Arab to understand,” he answered. “But in your language it would be something like ‘It is written.”
But the sheep had taught him something even more important: that 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. Tangier was no longer a strange city, and he felt that, just as he had conquered this place, he could conquer the world.
He suddenly felt tremendously happy. He could always go back to being a shepherd. He could always become a crystal salesman again. Maybe the world had other hidden treasures, but he had a dream, and he had met with a king. That doesn’t happen to just anyone!
He still had some doubts about the decision he had made. But he was able to understand one thing: making a decision was only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.
“We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it’s our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand.”
Although the vision of the date palms would someday be just a memory, right now it signified shade, water, and a refuge from the war. Yesterday, the camel’s groan signaled danger, and now a row of date palms could herald a miracle.
The world speaks many languages, the boy thought.
At that moment, it seemed to him that time stood still, and the Soul of the World surged within him. When he looked into her dark eyes, and saw that her lips were poised between a laugh and silence, he learned the most important part of the language that all the world spoke—the language that everyone on earth was capable of understanding in their heart. It was love. Something older than humanity, more ancient than the desert. Something that exerted the same force whenever two pairs of eyes met, as had theirs here at the well. She smiled, and that was certainly an omen—the omen he had been awaiting, without even knowing he was, for all his life.
And when two such people encounter each other, and their eyes meet, the past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written by one hand only. It is the hand that evokes love, and creates a twin soul for every person in the world. Without such love, one’s dreams would have no meaning.
He felt sleepy. In his heart, he wanted to remain awake, but he also wanted to sleep. “I am learning the Language of the World, and everything in the world is beginning to make sense to me…even the flight of the hawks,” he said to himself. And, in that mood, he was grateful to be in love. When you are in love, things make even more sense, he thought.
“You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his Personal Legend. If he abandons that pursuit, it’s because it wasn’t true love…the love that speaks the Language of the World.”
“There is only one way to learn,” the alchemist answered. “It’s through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey. You need to learn only one thing more.”
“The desert will give you an understanding of the world; in fact, anything on the face of the earth will do that. You don’t even have to understand the desert: all you have to do is contemplate a simple grain of sand, and you will see in it all the marvels of creation.”
“Listen to your heart. It knows all things, because it came from the Soul of the World, and it will one day return there.”
“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. 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.”
“And his heart told him something else that the boy had never noticed: it told the boy of dangers that had threatened him, but that he had never perceived.”
In the silence, the boy understood that the desert, the wind, and the sun were also trying to understand the signs written by the hand, and were seeking to follow their paths, and to understand what had been written on a single emerald. He saw that omens were scattered throughout the earth and in space, and that there was no reason or significance attached to their appearance; he could see that not the deserts, nor the winds, nor the sun, nor people knew why they had been created. But that the hand had a reason for all of this, and that only the hand could perform miracles, or transform the sea into a desert…or a man into the wind. Because only the hand understood that it was a larger design that had moved the universe to the point at which six days of creation had evolved into a Master Work.The boy reached through to the Soul of the World, and saw that it was a part of the Soul of God. And he saw that the Soul of God was his own soul. And that he, a boy, could perform miracles.
The alchemist said, “No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn’t know it.”
What can I say that hasn't been said already? This is one of those "must-read" books. For someone who is strongly guided by spirituality, the fleeting nature of life and time and everyone's individual journeys, The Alchemist was a perfect fit. Coelho blends cultures, locales and lessons in a seamlessly entertaining manner. His prose is poetic in its simplicity and the obvious sincere warmth of the voice. It was a surprisingly quick read, and I can see myself revisiting the world of the Shepard and the desert in the years to come.
From the "10 Years On" Introduction:
Why is it so important to live our personal calling if we are only going to suffer more than other people? Because, once we have overcome the defeats - and we always do - we are filled by a greater sense of euphoria and confidence.
Spoilers in quotes below.
From One:
"I weep for Narcissus, but I never noticed that Narcissus was beautiful. I weep because, each time he knelt beside my banks, I could see, in the depths of his eyes, my own beauty reflected."
"We have to be prepared for change, he thought, and he was grateful for the jacket's weight and warmth. The jacket had a purpose, and so did the boy."
"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."
All things are one. "And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."
There was also the merchant's daughter, but she wasn't as important as his flock, because she didn't depend on him. Maybe she didn't even remember him. He was sure that it made no difference to her on which day he appeared: for her, every day was the same, and when each day is the same as the next, it's because people fail to recognise the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises.
"That's the way it always is," said the old man. "It's called the principle of favourability. When you play cards for the first time, you are almost sure to win. Beginner's luck."
"Why is that?"
"Because there is a force that wants you to realise your Personal Legend; it whets your appetite with a taste of success."
"Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you," said the wisest of wise men. "The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon."
It's too bad that he's quickly going to forget my name, he thought. I should have repeated it for him. Then when he spoke about me he would say that I am “Melchizedek, the king of Salem.He looked to the skies, feeling a bit abashed, and said, “I know it’s the vanity of vanities, as you said, my Lord. But an old king sometimes has to take some pride in himself.”
The sale of his sheep had left him with enough money in his pouch, and the boy knew that in money there was magic; whoever has money is never really alone.
He recalled that when the sun had risen that morning, he was on another continent, still a shepherd with sixty sheep, and looking forward to meeting with a girl. That morning he had known everything that was going to happen to him as he walked through the familiar fields. But now, as the sun began to set, he was in a different country, a stranger in a strange land, where he couldn’t even speak the language. He was no longer a shepherd, and he had nothing, not even the money to return and start everything over.
But now I’m sad and alone. I’m going to become bitter and distrustful of people because one person betrayed me. I’m going to hate those who have found their treasure because I never found mine. And I’m going to hold on to what little I have, because I’m too insignificant to conquer the world.
“I’m like everyone else—I see the world in terms of what I would like to see happen, not what actually does.”
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.
There must be a language that doesn't depend on words, the boy thought. I've already had that experience with my sheep, and now it's happening with people.
From Two:
“Today, I understand something I didn’t see before: every blessing ignored becomes a curse. I don’t want anything else in life. But you are forcing me to look at wealth and at horizons I have never known. Now that I have seen them, and now that I see how immense my possibilities are, I’m going to feel worse than I did before you arrived. Because I know the things I should be able to accomplish, and I don’t want to do so.”
There had been a time when he thought that his sheep could teach him everything he needed to know about the world. But they could never have taught him Arabic.
“Maktub,” the merchant said, finally.
“What does that mean?”
“You would have to have been born an Arab to understand,” he answered. “But in your language it would be something like ‘It is written.”
But the sheep had taught him something even more important: that 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. Tangier was no longer a strange city, and he felt that, just as he had conquered this place, he could conquer the world.
He suddenly felt tremendously happy. He could always go back to being a shepherd. He could always become a crystal salesman again. Maybe the world had other hidden treasures, but he had a dream, and he had met with a king. That doesn’t happen to just anyone!
He still had some doubts about the decision he had made. But he was able to understand one thing: making a decision was only the beginning of things. When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.
“We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it’s our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand.”
Although the vision of the date palms would someday be just a memory, right now it signified shade, water, and a refuge from the war. Yesterday, the camel’s groan signaled danger, and now a row of date palms could herald a miracle.
The world speaks many languages, the boy thought.
At that moment, it seemed to him that time stood still, and the Soul of the World surged within him. When he looked into her dark eyes, and saw that her lips were poised between a laugh and silence, he learned the most important part of the language that all the world spoke—the language that everyone on earth was capable of understanding in their heart. It was love. Something older than humanity, more ancient than the desert. Something that exerted the same force whenever two pairs of eyes met, as had theirs here at the well. She smiled, and that was certainly an omen—the omen he had been awaiting, without even knowing he was, for all his life.
And when two such people encounter each other, and their eyes meet, the past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written by one hand only. It is the hand that evokes love, and creates a twin soul for every person in the world. Without such love, one’s dreams would have no meaning.
He felt sleepy. In his heart, he wanted to remain awake, but he also wanted to sleep. “I am learning the Language of the World, and everything in the world is beginning to make sense to me…even the flight of the hawks,” he said to himself. And, in that mood, he was grateful to be in love. When you are in love, things make even more sense, he thought.
“You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his Personal Legend. If he abandons that pursuit, it’s because it wasn’t true love…the love that speaks the Language of the World.”
“There is only one way to learn,” the alchemist answered. “It’s through action. Everything you need to know you have learned through your journey. You need to learn only one thing more.”
“The desert will give you an understanding of the world; in fact, anything on the face of the earth will do that. You don’t even have to understand the desert: all you have to do is contemplate a simple grain of sand, and you will see in it all the marvels of creation.”
“Listen to your heart. It knows all things, because it came from the Soul of the World, and it will one day return there.”
“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. 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.”
“And his heart told him something else that the boy had never noticed: it told the boy of dangers that had threatened him, but that he had never perceived.”
In the silence, the boy understood that the desert, the wind, and the sun were also trying to understand the signs written by the hand, and were seeking to follow their paths, and to understand what had been written on a single emerald. He saw that omens were scattered throughout the earth and in space, and that there was no reason or significance attached to their appearance; he could see that not the deserts, nor the winds, nor the sun, nor people knew why they had been created. But that the hand had a reason for all of this, and that only the hand could perform miracles, or transform the sea into a desert…or a man into the wind. Because only the hand understood that it was a larger design that had moved the universe to the point at which six days of creation had evolved into a Master Work.The boy reached through to the Soul of the World, and saw that it was a part of the Soul of God. And he saw that the Soul of God was his own soul. And that he, a boy, could perform miracles.
The alchemist said, “No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn’t know it.”
Pleasantly surprised by this one. A lot of online chatter placed the Frugal Wizard at the bottom of Sanderson's four (soon to be five) Secret Projects. Perhaps these low expectations aided me, as I found myself on the disappointed end of Tress after all the online praise. In Frugal Wizard I found a character with a somewhat relatable voice, a world with a fun history to unpack, and most importantly themes around the cumulative effect of an individual's wins or losses in life. This last part directly feeds into a lot of the self-development and psychological content I enjoy reading on the non-fiction side of things.
Coming back to the world and story, this is Jason Bourne meets Medieval England but with some futuristic high tech gear. The unravelling of our lead character's past at times became a bit farcical, but overall placed him in a good position to build meaningful relationships in his present situation with the boastful skop Sefawynn and thegn Ealstan. The artwork was fun, the chapter headings and blue text within chapters were genuinely cool, and the interludes regarding the actual handbook were entertaining whilst accomplishing smart worldbuilding.
Perhaps I really enjoyed this because it was so separate to the Cosmere, and felt like Sanderson just having fun as a writer.
Pleasantly surprised by this one. A lot of online chatter placed the Frugal Wizard at the bottom of Sanderson's four (soon to be five) Secret Projects. Perhaps these low expectations aided me, as I found myself on the disappointed end of Tress after all the online praise. In Frugal Wizard I found a character with a somewhat relatable voice, a world with a fun history to unpack, and most importantly themes around the cumulative effect of an individual's wins or losses in life. This last part directly feeds into a lot of the self-development and psychological content I enjoy reading on the non-fiction side of things.
Coming back to the world and story, this is Jason Bourne meets Medieval England but with some futuristic high tech gear. The unravelling of our lead character's past at times became a bit farcical, but overall placed him in a good position to build meaningful relationships in his present situation with the boastful skop Sefawynn and thegn Ealstan. The artwork was fun, the chapter headings and blue text within chapters were genuinely cool, and the interludes regarding the actual handbook were entertaining whilst accomplishing smart worldbuilding.
Perhaps I really enjoyed this because it was so separate to the Cosmere, and felt like Sanderson just having fun as a writer.
Far future of the Cosmere and we get some interesting clues as to what is happening on the other "main" worlds. Dusk is a great protagonist, it is nice to have a more quiet one compared to the talkative others Sanderson is accustomed to giving us. There's a lot in here despite the page count, maintenance of cultures and traditions, passing down skills and preparing for a technological future. Interesting aviary characters too...
Far future of the Cosmere and we get some interesting clues as to what is happening on the other "main" worlds. Dusk is a great protagonist, it is nice to have a more quiet one compared to the talkative others Sanderson is accustomed to giving us. There's a lot in here despite the page count, maintenance of cultures and traditions, passing down skills and preparing for a technological future. Interesting aviary characters too...
A short but effective story set in a new Cosmere world. Silence Montaine is different to other Sanderson protagonists purely based on demographics (older woman taking care of young ones), but she shares the witty and capable traits that are known in his writing. This is definitely a physically darker setting than the worlds we know, but doesn't become full-blown horror - just high personal stakes.
I love how Sanderson still finds a way to introduce a twist at the end, and how it usually revolves around character relationships. Silver is going to be really important in the Cosmere isn't it?
A short but effective story set in a new Cosmere world. Silence Montaine is different to other Sanderson protagonists purely based on demographics (older woman taking care of young ones), but she shares the witty and capable traits that are known in his writing. This is definitely a physically darker setting than the worlds we know, but doesn't become full-blown horror - just high personal stakes.
I love how Sanderson still finds a way to introduce a twist at the end, and how it usually revolves around character relationships. Silver is going to be really important in the Cosmere isn't it?
A stirring collection of short stories. Thanks to the Amsterdam Academy Book Club for recommending this one. So it turns out The Moth is actually a verbal storytelling institute, started in America but travels globally. Because we were reading this book, the AMS ABC went as a group to the Mezrab in Amsterdam which was one of the best experiences of the city for me. Opened me up to a whole new group of people and socialising that I didn't know existed beforehand.
Back to All These Wonders, I enjoyed pretty much every single story. There's a lot to cover but I'll briefly say this: the human condition is vast but relatable, and with the right framing anyone can empathise and understand your story.
Favourite stories TBC
A stirring collection of short stories. Thanks to the Amsterdam Academy Book Club for recommending this one. So it turns out The Moth is actually a verbal storytelling institute, started in America but travels globally. Because we were reading this book, the AMS ABC went as a group to the Mezrab in Amsterdam which was one of the best experiences of the city for me. Opened me up to a whole new group of people and socialising that I didn't know existed beforehand.
Back to All These Wonders, I enjoyed pretty much every single story. There's a lot to cover but I'll briefly say this: the human condition is vast but relatable, and with the right framing anyone can empathise and understand your story.
Favourite stories TBC
Lessons in Chemistry is lighthearted in its tone, but sharp in its critiquing of the treatment of women in 1960s America. Initially I found myself off-put by the manner in which author Garmus seemed to be inserting herself into the book's setting and time period; I believed her to be a modern young feminist asserting her own experiences onto another space. However, I was amazed to realise that the author is in her 60s, and this is her debut novel to boot!
The reason I thought Garmus was so young is due to the aloof and youthful voice of Zott. Our protagonist is clearly an intelligent person, yet remains muddled in some social situations. I thought every scene involving a pencil was brilliant, and the way she was unafraid to take the fight to every level of an institution, whether university or commercial television.
Another fun read that I may not have picked out of a bookshelf, all thanks to the Amsterdam Academy Book Club.
Lessons in Chemistry is lighthearted in its tone, but sharp in its critiquing of the treatment of women in 1960s America. Initially I found myself off-put by the manner in which author Garmus seemed to be inserting herself into the book's setting and time period; I believed her to be a modern young feminist asserting her own experiences onto another space. However, I was amazed to realise that the author is in her 60s, and this is her debut novel to boot!
The reason I thought Garmus was so young is due to the aloof and youthful voice of Zott. Our protagonist is clearly an intelligent person, yet remains muddled in some social situations. I thought every scene involving a pencil was brilliant, and the way she was unafraid to take the fight to every level of an institution, whether university or commercial television.
Another fun read that I may not have picked out of a bookshelf, all thanks to the Amsterdam Academy Book Club.
What can I say that hasn't been said already? This is one of those "must-read" books. For someone who is strongly guided by spirituality, the fleeting nature of life and time and everyone's individual journeys, The Alchemist was a perfect fit. Coelho blends cultures, locales and lessons in a seamlessly entertaining manner. His prose is poetic in its simplicity and the obvious sincere warmth of the voice. It was a surprisingly quick read, and I can see myself revisiting the world of the Shepard and the desert in the years to come.
What can I say that hasn't been said already? This is one of those "must-read" books. For someone who is strongly guided by spirituality, the fleeting nature of life and time and everyone's individual journeys, The Alchemist was a perfect fit. Coelho blends cultures, locales and lessons in a seamlessly entertaining manner. His prose is poetic in its simplicity and the obvious sincere warmth of the voice. It was a surprisingly quick read, and I can see myself revisiting the world of the Shepard and the desert in the years to come.
Pleasantly surprised by this one. A lot of online chatter placed the Frugal Wizard at the bottom of Sanderson's four (soon to be five) Secret Projects. Perhaps these low expectations aided me, as I found myself on the disappointed end of Tress after all the online praise. In Frugal Wizard I found a character with a somewhat relatable voice, a world with a fun history to unpack, and most importantly themes around the cumulative effect of an individual's wins or losses in life. This last part directly feeds into a lot of the self-development and psychological content I enjoy reading on the non-fiction side of things.
Coming back to the world and story, this is Jason Bourne meets Medieval England but with some futuristic high tech gear. The unravelling of our lead character's past at times became a bit farcical, but overall placed him in a good position to build meaningful relationships in his present situation with the boasting woman and village leader (names TBC). The artwork was fun, the chapter headings and blue text within chapters were genuinely cool, and the interludes regarding the actual handbook were entertaining whilst accomplishing smart worldbuilding.
Perhaps I really enjoyed this because it was so separate to the Cosmere, and felt like Sanderson just having fun as a writer.
Pleasantly surprised by this one. A lot of online chatter placed the Frugal Wizard at the bottom of Sanderson's four (soon to be five) Secret Projects. Perhaps these low expectations aided me, as I found myself on the disappointed end of Tress after all the online praise. In Frugal Wizard I found a character with a somewhat relatable voice, a world with a fun history to unpack, and most importantly themes around the cumulative effect of an individual's wins or losses in life. This last part directly feeds into a lot of the self-development and psychological content I enjoy reading on the non-fiction side of things.
Coming back to the world and story, this is Jason Bourne meets Medieval England but with some futuristic high tech gear. The unravelling of our lead character's past at times became a bit farcical, but overall placed him in a good position to build meaningful relationships in his present situation with the boasting woman and village leader (names TBC). The artwork was fun, the chapter headings and blue text within chapters were genuinely cool, and the interludes regarding the actual handbook were entertaining whilst accomplishing smart worldbuilding.
Perhaps I really enjoyed this because it was so separate to the Cosmere, and felt like Sanderson just having fun as a writer.