Paulo Coelho has published over 30 books, many of which carry similar tones and themes. Spiritual traditions are often woven through his work with a focus on developing wisdom through the individual journeys of his characters.
This guide uses themes from Joseph Campbell's work on the Hero's Journey to help guide the reader and interpret the role of myth and storytelling used in the novel.
There are some works that share pieces of The Alchemist's story and were written earlier. Jorge Luis Borges published a story in 1935 titled Tale of Two Dreamers. In this story, two men dream of each other's treasures. The Thousand and One Nights by E. W. Lane also overlaps with part of the story in The...
