Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist: Rumi's 13th-Century Tale Behind Santiago

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

Paulo Coelho said he wrote The Alchemist in 14 days in 1988, and the novel went on to sell more than 150 million copies in over 65 languages. It follows Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd who sleeps in a ruined church, dreams of treasure at the Egyptian pyramids, and is urged on by the king Melchizedek to pursue his Personal Legend. He sells his sheep, is robbed in Tangier, works for a crystal merchant, meets Fatima at an oasis, and learns from an alchemist, at one point turning himself into a wind to escape a war zone.

At the pyramids a thief mocks Santiago with his own dream of treasure under a tree in a ruined church in Spain, revealing the treasure was at home all along. The episode traces that plot to tale type 1645 in the Aarne-Thompson-Uther index, a 13th-century poem by Rumi and a variant in the One Thousand and One Nights. It then weighs fans such as Bill Clinton and Will Smith against critics who call the book a self-help placebo or spiritualized selfishness, and recounts its adaptations and stalled film rights.

In Rumi's version a man from Baghdad travels to Cairo, where a guard describes dreaming of treasure at the man's own house.
Psychologists cited in the episode warn that treating optimism as a cosmic guarantee can lead people to blame themselves.
The New York Times treated the book less as fiction and more as a self-help manual.
Adaptations include graphic novels illustrated in part by Moebius, a 1997 symphony and a Singapore indie rock concept album.
Film rights passed from the Weinstein Company in 2008 to PalmStar Media in 2016, then to Legendary and TriStar in 2023.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(16184)

The Art of Adult Friendship: Why Quality Matters More Than Quantity

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore how our understanding of friendship changes as we grow old...

9 Nov 18min

Summer Explained: The Science, History, and Traditions of the Warmest Season

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore summer, the season most closely associated with sunshine, ...

7 Nov 18min

Sir Patrick Stewart: From Shakespeare to Star Trek, the Life and Legacy of a Legend

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the extraordinary life of Sir Patrick Stewart, the acclaim...

7 Nov 49min

Larry David: The Genius of Social Awkwardness, Seinfeld, and Curb Your Enthusiasm

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the life and career of Larry David, the comedian, writer, ...

6 Nov 38min

Why Australian Shepherds Aren't From Australia

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the history of the Australian Shepherd, an intelligent, en...

5 Nov 45min

Labrador Retriever: From Newfoundland Fishing Dogs to Modern-Day Heroes

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the remarkable history of the Labrador Retriever, one of t...

4 Nov 53min

Discovering Ireland: A Journey Through History, Culture, and the Wild Atlantic Way

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore Ireland through the philosophy of slow travel: go slower, ...

3 Nov 48min

Willie Hutch: An Overnight I'll Be There Lyric and The Mack's Soundtrack

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!William McKinley Hutchins was born in Los Angeles in December 1944 and raised in Dallas, where h...

2 Nov 21min