The Alchemist Paulo Coelho

I think this book is meant to challenge you on so many levels. It's clever and extremely enthralling. Kind of like a grown up's Fable. I would, without a doubt, say this is one of the best book ever written and definitely in my top ten!!

this book really makes you think - where you came from, what you're doing, where you're going. It difficult to describe beyond that - but it was a best seller around the world for a very long time - translated into a large number of languages all to access the masses.

Great book. Thought provoking. I read it on holiday which was the perfect place. However not the best book ever.

I avoided reading this book for ages as I was in awe of it thanks to all the hype and incredible reviews it has always received. I was not disappointed as such just perhaps not quite as taken with it as I had hoped. Yes, it is a clever book and has plenty of potential for the reader to spend hours contemplating it. However, it was just a little too vacant and mysterious for me in places. I can handle abstract and implicit imagery in a book but this stretched me a bit too far!

I love all his books (even the not so good ones!) and they work on many different levels.

A great read but not Best Book Ever category for me

It makes you really think about life overall - puts things into perspective. It isn't a trashy romance (we all need those) or a murder mystery (enough of that in the night news), but an easy thought provoking read.