The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo

Santiago, a shepherd from Andalusia, stops one night in a ruined church. There he dreams of finding treasure.  He visits a fortune teller who confirms that the dream is a prophecy, and that he will find a treasure near the great pyramids. Santiago decides to go in search of the treasure.  On the way he meets an old man calling himself Melchizedek, who gives him advice and two prophetic stones. He continues his travel, eventually crossing into Egypt. There he meets more people has more experiences, and faces more danger until he finally comes to the end of his quest. 

I checked this book out not knowing what it was.  I just had a vague idea that it was a classic. It turned out to be fascinating and very thought provoking. It is an extended parable, intended to communicate a specific philosophy of life. The thing that was intriguing was that I couldn't be sure what that philosophy was until I reached the end.  If the book ended well, I could guess that the philosophy was optimistic.  If it ended in disaster, then I would know it was a satire. I really couldn't tell which way it was going to go until the last chapter.  The writing is very lyrical, almost poetic.  The whole thing comes across as rather mystical.  It is interesting that it was published in the 1980's, and that the author is still living, as it feels much older. This one would be a great choice for a book group. (1988, 208 p.)