[deleted] t1_jdthjhs wrote on March 27, 2023 at 1:41 AM

I think because it's a fairly shallow in its "inspirational" aspirations.

The "live, laugh, love" of books.

salty-hubbub t1_jdubcji wrote on March 27, 2023 at 6:46 AM

To be honest I believe the issue is not with the book, but with the world, which have eroded and blemished the concepts of faith, self love and forgiveness, endurance, etc. So many books, movies, commercials, "self-help-professionals"(throws up in mouth a bit), ponzi schemes, etc. have chewed and spit out these themes so many times that they became stale.

Also I must add, Coelho was ahead in this as well, because in the book he actually subtly picks at the mythos of "will it to make it true", inclining to question these kinds of this.

Mayor_of_Flavortown t1_jdx2o0d wrote on March 27, 2023 at 8:40 PM

I lol’d

partytown_usa t1_jduau45 wrote on March 27, 2023 at 6:39 AM

Agree. If you enjoyed The Alchemist's themes about fate, determinism, life purpose, etc, then I'd recommend reading Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow next. It's a more nuanced and challenging perspective on those same concepts.

TheGoldenDog t1_jdum9jl wrote on March 27, 2023 at 9:27 AM

If you liked The Alchemist try Gravity's Rainbow? Surely you're joking?!

raelrok t1_jdunfnz wrote on March 27, 2023 at 9:44 AM

If you like making paper airplanes, you should try making a V2 rocket!

I-am-an-onion123 t1_jdunuxw wrote on March 27, 2023 at 9:50 AM

If you're struggling with gravitys rainbow then you can do some supplementary reading on it while you're reading it, maybe summaries and analysis online or such. I understand why it can be a struggle for some but if you put in the effort it's very readable. Everyone can read it with this in mind.

raelrok t1_jdv1gl3 wrote on March 27, 2023 at 12:26 PM

I did really enjoy it. I read it across a 6 month period with a few breaks between putting it down and picking it back up.

It is a book where the reader can suffer from missing context due to their (lack of) knowledge of the period, but I managed to struggle through with the help of Wikipedia where things got murky.

Umbrella_Viking t1_jdv8w2p wrote on March 27, 2023 at 1:29 PM

I’ve read both. The Alchemist is fine.

It’s funny everyone around here trashes a book for being simplistic in its message then go on to praise To Kill a Mockingbird as though that author doesn’t hit you with themes using a cudgel.

The message doesn’t have to be hidden and esoteric and require a companion manual (Weisenberger’s Gravity’s Rainbow companion is excellent - I dare say it’s a must or the multiple references per page fly over your head) to understand.