8 Great Books Like The Alchemist | Must Read

When we speak of classics, if we don’t include Paolo Coelho’s masterpiece The Alchemist, then I don’t think that list will ever be complete or competent. Every reader respects Coelho as a writer and he has definitely carved his name to our human history with the help of his numerous works. His Alchemist was called out to be a life-changing book by a lot of readers.

For those of you who haven’t read it, it revolves around the story of Santiago, who is a young shepherd. He lives in southern Spain and has a dream of a treasure in Egypt that is waiting for him. And then he obviously sets off on a journey to get a grip of this treasure. His journey through northern Africa to Egypt in search of his treasure enlightens him as well as the reader.

The way everything is set in this book is pretty admirable and the philosophical elements put forward in it by Coelho are commendable. So it is obvious that any reader would want to read similar books for inspiration because this one is a legend. Also, it is a pretty short book which is why readers often need a similar inspirational book after this one. So we have prepared a list of books for you to check out after the Alchemist.

8 Books like The Alchemist

#1. The Pilgrimage

The Pilgrimage

This book is written by Paolo Coelho. And I think that it is pretty obvious to know that the most familiar book to Paolo Coelho’s The Alchemist would be one written by himself. This is why I think that it is quite justified for this book to be on the top of this list. If you actually admire the work of Coelho, then I think this is the book for you.

It is an inspirational book that represents the true story of Coelho when he had to walk the Camino de Santiago. This was conducted in Spain and he had to do it as a part of an initiation. It is also one of those stories that might transform your life. Through it, the author tries to cover the traveling part of the journey along with the reality of mental and physical challenges faced throughout which makes it uplifting in an obvious sense.

#2. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

This book is written by Robin Sharma. And it isn’t really possible that you haven’t ever heard the name of this book before. It is a modern classic and an absolute delight to go through. And just like the Alchemist, this book tries to provide an inspirational story that will knock your socks off. It revolves around the story of a very high profile lawyer named Julian.

This person is very rich and successful but barely ever has time for himself. His work keeps him occupied so much so that he is stressed almost all the time and he can’t even enjoy his life. The story takes a massive turn when Julian has a heart attack and then disappears. He then visits a colleague and explains to him what actually happened. The story put forward by the book might actually be the push that you need to start new, so checking it out won’t be a bad idea.

#3. Shantaram

Shantaram

This book is written by Gregory David Roberts. And to be honest, I heard of this book quite recently. I was skeptical as to if it will be of any use to me but it didn’t turn me down. The experience I got through this book was pretty amazing which is why I recommend this to every dedicated reader out there. It is quite familiar to the Alchemist and almost everyone would recommend this book after it. it revolves around the story of a felon who was convicted in Australia.

The name of this person was Lin and he fled to India after escaping jail. Thus it is quite obvious that the book shows his experience in the giant subcontinent of India. The author tries to highlight the experiences of Lin as a foreigner in the country and how his interactions turned out to be. The story tackles some serious topics with the utmost impression which is what appealed to me the most. The characters are well placed and the storyline is pretty intriguing which is why I would recommend reading this book.

#4. Life of Pi

Life of Pi

This book is written by Yann Martel. And it is one of the most popular books around since the release of its movie adaptation. The author won the Man Booker Prize for fiction due to this book and I think it was well deserved. The experience put forward by the book really enlightens the reader and inspires them into a new life. It is the story of a young boy whose name is Pi, which isn’t a surprise as evident from the title.

The story revolves around a magical experience which changes Pi’s life forever. His father owns a zoo and wishes to immigrate to Canada. They do so by getting on board a ship along with all the animals of the zoo and due to some tragedies, Pi ends up on a small lifeboat with some animals alongside him. The book continues to weave forward the story of Pi and how he survives the whole experience and comes out to be a better person.

#5. The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner: books like the alchemist

This book is written by Khalid Hosseini. And I think it is pretty different from all the books that are included in this list. It isn’t actually compatible with the Alchemist in a travel or philosophical inspiration way, but it definitely accommodates a similar writing style as that used in the Alchemist which is why I think it deserves being on the list. It initially tells the story of two Afghan boys who go by the names Hassan and Amir.

These two Afghan boys are good friends but come from different tribes of their particular society in the 1970s. The storyline goes on to tell how their friendship starts to weaken due to an incident and Amir has to leave the country along with his family in 1979 due to the Soviet invasion. He immigrates to the USA for the time but somehow needs to go back to his previous country and life in Afghanistan. The book concentrates on the struggles that Amir faces while reverting to his old life.

#6. Wild

Wild

This book is written by Cheryl Strayed. And it concentrates more on traveling than philosophy and the other topics. And just to stay on the same page, it is the actual story of the author when she decided to traverse through the Pacific Crest Trail all alone after her drug problem period and the death of her mother. The book is pretty great to go through at least once in a lifetime as it might change your perspective entirely.

The element of spirituality in this book is pretty impressionable even if it doesn’t get much into philosophy. Due to this, the book was adapted into a movie that was appreciated by a lot of its audience. The author talks about mental and physical challenges that are put forward by the journey and the changes that took place in her own life and how it actually feels on the trail, which is what I thought was moving. It makes the reader feel like a new person when they come out of this book.

#7. Into the Wild

Into the Wild

This book is written by Jon Krakauer. It is also about one and the same topics of needing a new life and leaving behind the previous life. And just like the previous book on the list, this one too is a true story of a guy named Christopher McCandless. The book might teach you a lot including the importance of enjoying your life while doing something useful on the journey.

Christopher was a US college student who decided to travel across the country and donate his life savings as an act of charity after being done with school. His ultimate aim was to go to Alaska and stay off the grid while enjoying his life. The book presents people and adventures that he comes across on the journey and how everything teaches him something new all through his way. This is one of the only books that account for the family of the guy involved as well which is why it was turned into a major motion picture and was appreciated by many.

#8. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

This book is written by Robert M. Pirsig. The title of this book is really intriguing which is what grabbed my attention instantly. The way everything was set out in the book is pretty fascinating and I won’t just recommend reading this book but to actually pay some attention to what it is trying to portray. Just like the Alchemist, this book is a great one when it comes to traveling and philosophy.

The story is about the time when the author took a trip on the motorcycle along with his son one summer. The author then cuts in with some details while telling the story, that how they got involved in the bigger topics of life while fixing the motorcycle. The storyline concentrates more on actual informational topics rather than traveling and that is why I think it will be a pretty transformational read for any reader who goes into it with an open mind.

I hope this list of books was helpful to you and you found these books inspirational, just like the Alchemist. Each of these books is my personal recommendation and might be quite fascinating to a lot of readers. If the content was helpful, please drop a comment below or leave a like on our post.

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