Key Takeaways
- The Alchemist is a short novel by Paulo Coelho, first published in nineteen eighty-eight, about a shepherd named Santiago and a dream of treasure.
- The book reads like a modern fable, with simple scenes and big ideas about purpose, courage, and paying attention.
- Many people remember the ending as “the treasure was under his bed,” but the story does not end that way in a literal sense.
- An audiobook version was recommended on YouTube, and a single reminder line was kept in a neat, numbered style.
- A tiny Dutch mini-lesson can help turn a quick note into a clear message.
Story & Details
The piece is about The Alchemist, a slim, famous novel that often travels by word of mouth as much as it travels by page. It follows Santiago, a young Andalusian shepherd from Spain (Europe) who keeps having a dream about treasure. That dream becomes a push. It pulls him away from the safe routine of sheep and fields and into a long journey across North Africa toward Egypt (Africa).
The tone is calm and clear, like a fable told by a friend. The scenes are easy to picture. The ideas are bigger than the plot: a personal calling, the fear that stops people, and the small signs that feel meaningful when someone is brave enough to look. The book also divides readers. Some feel lifted by it, especially in moments of change. Others find it too tidy, too repeated, or too close to advice.
In December two thousand twenty-five, the same plot question still shows up in casual retellings: is it true that the dream sends the hero searching, only for the treasure to end up under his bed? The dream part is true. The under-the-bed part is the common mistake. The ending plays with the idea that what is most valuable can be closer than expected, but it does not land on a simple, literal “it was under the bed” twist.
There was also a practical detail that fits the book’s mood: a clean little system for staying on track. The rule was simple—keep the original order, delete what is no longer needed, and renumber in jumps of ten. One note was marked as pending on WhatsApp. One reminder line was kept exactly in that style: “10. Listen to the audiobook of The Alchemist on YouTube.”
A Tiny Dutch Note
Dutch can turn a quick status into a clear, polite line.
“In afwachting op WhatsApp.”
A very simple word map:
- In = in
- afwachting = waiting
- op = on
- WhatsApp = WhatsApp
This sounds neutral and practical. It fits a short message, a task note, or a calm follow-up.
Conclusions
The Alchemist stays popular because it is easy to follow and easy to feel. A dream starts the motion, a road tests the traveler, and the final point is less about a trick ending and more about what the journey teaches a person to see.
Selected References
[1] https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Alchemist-novel-by-Coelho
[2] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Paulo-Coelho
[3] https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-alchemist-paulo-coelho
[4] https://www.paulocoelho.com/product/?isbn=9780062315007
[5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l6JHMBVYhM
Appendix
Alchemy: A traditional idea of turning ordinary material into something more precious, often used in stories as a symbol for inner change.
Audiobook: A spoken recording of a book that can be listened to instead of read.
Andalusian: From Andalusia, a region in southern Spain (Europe), used here to describe Santiago’s home.
Egypt: A country in Africa, named as the goal of Santiago’s journey in the story.
Fable: A short, simple story that carries a lesson through clear events and characters.
North Africa: A region in Africa, named as the broad setting of Santiago’s travels.
Omens: Small signs that a person reads as meaningful, especially when making hard choices.
Personal Legend: The book’s term for a person’s life goal or true calling.
Santiago: The shepherd who is the main character of The Alchemist.
Treasure: The thing Santiago thinks he is searching for, and also a symbol for what the journey changes in him.
WhatsApp: A messaging app, used here as a place where a note was marked as still pending.
YouTube: A video platform where an audiobook version was recommended and where a single related video link is listed in the references.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 