Colm Holland talks about meeting Paul Coelho who wrote The Alchemist. This is a book about how he went thru the The Alchemist with a fine tooth comb and analyzed everything. He felt that he had found the secret behind the book and decided that his life needed to different. He set out to put what he learned into action by using alchemy. It is well researched and I found it interesting. He speaks of how his upbringing shaped the way his life and how this book helped him I received this book from Net Galley and John Hunt Publishing for a honest review.

I chose this book to read because I only saw "The Secret of the Alchemist" not the "Uncovering the Secret in Paul Coelhe's Besselling Never..." and thought it was a medieval mystery. Boy was I ever wrong!

It is 320 pages and who knows how many hours of my life that I can never get back again. Most of the book is Holland retelling Coelho's novel. Holland also gives his personal experiences as he becomes an alchemist for his life.

When I started reading all I could think of is that this is the typical "name-it-and-claim-it" philosophy that, sadly, some churches have embraced. Do this and you will change your life.

Holland discovered his miserable inner child and reaches the Dark Night of the Soul. (the white phase of alchemy) Then he has to heal that child and experiences past memories going back to the time he was in the womb. (the white phase) Lastly he enters the red phase where things happen!

Scattered through out this, he inserts Biblical references. Some ideas are totally bogus - like the Urim and Thummin. No one really knows exactly what they were or how they were used in the Old Testament. But Holland asserts they gave a "yes" or "no" answer to questions. This all comes up because Melchizadek (there is very little about him in the Bible also) is one of the people that help Santiago in The Alchemist. He attributes things to Melchizadek that the Bible never even hints at. His Scripture references are totally taken out of context, perhaps to give people the idea that this book is fine for Christians. Again, sadly, too many Christians are unaware of what is happening and are like sheep being led to a New Age slaughter.

Before I wrote this review, I checked goodreads to see if there were any other reviews of this book. There were 11 reviews giving 3, 4, and 5 star reviews. I have to believe that anyone who read "The Alchemist" and gave it a lower review would not be inclined to read this one, there for not so many bad reviews. I found a review for "The Alchemist" that says a lot of what I wish I could say here. You can find it under "The Alchemist" Community ratings but Jennifer (aka EM). She gave it 1 star. Although I never read the original book, Holland spends so much time retelling it, I know I needn't bother. And Jennifer's thought on that book are mine on this one.

A good interesting read, inspiring but not life changing. I enjoyed it and liked the author but didn't always see the relevance of his own life story as an example of living the principles. It is a feel good book that is uplifting and it might inspire you to read the alchemist even though you will know all the story from reading this book. It is very well written and easy to read. Enjoyable, definitely worth a dip into.

If you enjoy self-help soul-searching books, this one is for you. It gives examples of soul searching and the possibilities you can give yourself if you can overcome and get past your inner restrictions. I am at a really good place in my life right now so I found some of the suggestions not relevant.
But I also see how this could be life changing for some people.
I want to thank John Hunt Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest unbiased opinion. Comes in with 4 stars.

An interesting guide through the famous book by Paul Cohelo, The Alchemist. It has been a while since I read the book but was reminded of its content which came back easily. I found Me Cohelo’s book very moving and to return to the power of love was energising

The Alchemist was to the 90's what Siddhartha was to the 70's and self-respecting enlightened souls wouldn't be without their dog-eared copies, print blurred from over reading. Two decades later comes Colm Holland's deep and meaningful spiritual analysis of Paolo Coelho's masterwork. The deconstruction of the plot and its esoteric significance is competent and thorough and the promises made are attractive.

I must confess that when I first read The Alchemist all those years ago the secrets remained safely hidden and Santiago's plight was to me, more physical than spiritual.
The most interesting aspects of Holland's book were initially the association he had with the author and then the experience he gained from applying the principles unearthed over many years. He frequently quotes Jung and undertakes an explanation of the application of Alchemy on the path to a more fulfilling existence.

Synchronicity, Jung's theory of 'meaningful coincidences' , I found fascinating at first and then drove myself almost mad trying to apply it. True believers in the art of the mind will find the book useful, but soberly, it belongs to the self-help genre and so will only find acceptance amongst those ranks of the converted.

An interesting book in this way, this book is written on the premise that the novel The Alchemist by Paul Coelho is more than just a novel, but rather an actial guide to the transformation of consciousness, using the symbology of alchemy.

The novel, working somewhat like a fairy tale in its simplicity, does indeed follow the archetypal pattern of the hero, as described by Joseph Campbell for example: the hero feels compelled to undertake a journey of great difficulty and danger to discover a great treasure.as laying a few dragons on the way, and usually getting the girl at the end, too.

The story is a success because it is so basic. It is archetypal. Everybody has an inner hero, though most maybe less called to take this path.

Bit there is more. Each stage of the journey represents part of the alchemical process of self discovery: first, the black face nof loss and despair. This may be sparked by any great loss: bereavement, illness, bankruptcy or so on. Most people will try to escape the self-examination that follows this, in order to get back to mosl as soon as possible. However, the alchemist in training is advised to stay with these painful feelings rather than run from them, as facing the demons nor dragons, is the only way to get beyond this. The recovering alcoholic for example, might certainly recognise the importance of this.

The next phase, the white phase. Is a process of cleansing and refinement, separating the wheat from the chaff. In the novel, this would be where the hero leans out an old glass shop to earn his keep, thereby making the shop and its glass products profitable. This leads on to the more proactive red phase, where the budfong alchemist is now in a position to shape his or her own destiny without being sabotaged by his or her own baggage, which was dealt with during the Black phase.

This does sound a little bit too New Agey, the idea that all anyone has to do. Is think a few fluffy thoughts. Real-life obstacles such as unemployment, social disadvantages and injustices will all just magically disappear and if we don't miraculously, immediately become super rich and super healthy at this point, then it is all our fault for having a victim mentality, and so on.

This writer does at least concede that to take this path is indeed, extremely difficult and on the early stages, definitely extremely unpleasant. Some individuals may, however, of necessity be facing demons and dragons and loss of faith due to any kind of external loss and trauma. In these cases, this book will offer hope that maybe there is still something worth striving for after this phase has been reached. This initial phase is not meant to last forever.

The idea that alchemy actually symolises an inner, mystical process of self-integration does come from Jung. The bibliography and recommendations for further reading to offer material that may be useful for those whose interest has already been piqued.

I read this and was like "so this was the guy who helped bring Coelho's The Secret of the Alchemist to bookshelves and libraries across the world?"
And herein, he shares his journey to love, healing and how he comes to learn more from the book and his interaction with Coelho- the nuggets at the end of the chapters are worth reflecting upon.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

Quite good. It's not exactly self-help, but a set of mostly gentle suggestions at the end of each chapter along with stories, anecdotes, and maybe some bible versus or quotes from other luminaries; all centered around the famous Alchemist book. A deceptively simple book, and one obviously written with love by a compassionate author. Recommended.

Thanks very much for the ARC for review!!

I simply loved Paul Coelho’s The Alchemist, and the author of ‘The Secret of the Alchemist’ was part of the original team responsible for bringing that wonderful book to the world’s attention.

In his own book, author Colm Holland relates how he met Paul Coelho, and how, after much research and analysing every aspect of the book, over and over again, he was able to uncover the ‘real’ secret behind the book.

Having done that, and deeply dissatisfied with many aspects of his life, he then explains how he utilised the complexities of the secret to bring about profound change in his life, and how we can do the same using the transforming power of alchemy.

I applaud the amount of research that the author carried out, regarding various concepts and theories, quoting Carl Jung amongst others. I also acknowledge that his decision to follow the alchemical process of transformation, definitely worked for him in all aspects of his life, leading him to live a ‘charmed existence ‘, however, I just didn’t seem to connect with it myself.

I’d got to about 20% in, and I was finding it a bit of a chore if I’m being perfectly honest. Nevertheless, my interest was sufficiently piqued that I felt I should continue.

As someone who has had a lifelong interest in all things spiritual, it both surprised and disappointed me, that I didn’t connect with this book, however, I did enjoy the chapter about his upbringing and how it coloured the way he looked at life, without him even realising it, (something which certainly affects each and every one of us). Furthermore, in analysing his upbringing, he realised that his lifelong mindset was also an obstacle to him achieving his goals in life.

The information he provided about his family background, and the surprising things that he discovered about his ancestors, was really interesting, and even though I didn’t really connect with the book, there WERE chapters in the book that gave me something to think about!

I note that at the time of posting this review, there are several 5 star ratings, so others clearly connected with it, and were inspired in a way that I wasn’t, so I guess it’s just one of those books that you have to read for yourself, as it will affect each individual in a totally different way.

The Secrets of The Alchemist by Colm Holland

In the Secret of The Alchemist, Colm Holland presents a finely detailed analysis of Paulo Coelho's bestselling book, The Alchemist, following its protagonist, Santiago's journey of discovery and ultimate 'treasure'. Santiago's challenges are revealed one chapter at a time alongside Holland's research and exploration into the depths and complexities of alchemy, which he derives from Egyptian Gods, the Bible, ancient myths, Carl Jung and many others. He also actively encourages the reader to read more fully on the subject. Why? Because as you will discover in the story, he transformed his own life exponentially by alchemy and believes others can do likewise.

Alchemy, he discovered is about transformation and each chapter contains an account of his own difficult and testing experiences as he delves deeper and deeper into his unconscious until integrating his unconscious with consciousness. This process involved a complete breaking down of the self as he confronted the shadow within, after which followed a period of purification and ultimately empowerment through unconditional Love.
Although in no way a self-help book, Holland does constantly urge the reader to find the courage do the same; to face their inner enemies, engage with the 'Dark Night of the Soul' and in so doing full-fill their dreams.
Not an easy or quick undertaking by any means for anybody, but this book may well inspire others to follow Holland's path. As he says' Love is there all the time guiding us to the point of liberation, transformation and to a new state of being, whilst learning to listen with your heart to The Soul of the World.
As someone who has worked for many years in the spiritual and psychological worlds, I consider this to be a big ask; however, as Holland found, a very rewarding one, for despite the whole process taking many years, he was rewarded by huge success both materially and spiritually.

This book should be seen as a book that needs to be read at the same time as reading the alchemist in order to get get a better understanding of the alchemist. Having said that I believe that the alchemist has a different meaning for whoever the reader is

I absolutely love Paulo Coelho’s books. I was assigned The Alchemist as a book for school a total of three times and I loved it more every time I read it. It sparked a loved for Coelho’s books in me and an interest in mindfulness. The principles that Coelho writes about really speak to me and I always walk away from his novels feeling that I have grown as a person. I can really relate to Colm’s, who is also inspired by Coelho’s works. This book, ‘The Secret of the Alchemist’ was a super interesting read. I loved how he used Alchemy as a real-world analogy for change and transformation. Inspired by and echoing ‘The Alchemist’, Colms book is a perfect pairing that inspires the reader to pursue their dreams!

The Secret of the Alchemist by Clom Holland.

I was quite sceptical about this book with the claims Colm was making about "how you can discover the power to miraculously change the world around you beyond all recognition and for the better" and the fact he owned a publishing company but I really enjoyed it.

It's quite a few years since I read the Alchemist but this wasn't a problem, Colm describes all the relevant parts of the story before explaining his interpretation of it.

My only criticism is I felt the end was a bit rushed. Santiago is almost beaten to death and then has to travel all the way back to Andalucia, then back to the Oasis before his journey is complete. It's not enough to find your treasure, it was quite sometime before his life changed for the better.

I will read this again after I've managed to obtain a copy of the Alchemist

MY REVIEW

This is the story of journey of Colm Holland towards success through uncovering secrets of the book Alchemist. Colm Holland is a member of international marketing team of a publishing house in Australia. He gets a book “The Alchemist” by Paul Coelho for review. He feels something special about the book. After Reading book, he places orders for 20 thousand books. Soon book breaks all the records and more books are published to meet the demand. This success makes Paul Coelho to meet the Colm and his colleague personally. Paul gifts an expensive watch to his colleague and for Colm he prays that he gets all he wishes for.

Colm is much like most of the people, dissatisfied with his job and daily life. Inspired by the success of the book “The Alchemist”, he starts on his journey to uncover secrets in the book that has led to its huge success globally.

First he thinks that, Success of the book is due to presence of elements of modern myth or fable that ignited the unconscious images all of us share. Then he thinks that success could be due to presence of element of Dream, “Santiago’s dream”, as dreams are believed to deliver the coded messages from our unconscious part.

After many misses, finally, he finds out that unique element that made the book global bestseller is “Alchemist”. He finds the secret of success in the process of alchemy. The process coupled with power of Love will get you what you wish for. To find out secret, you’ll have to read the book yourself.

Colm has penned out the process of alchemy through examples of Story of Santiago and his own journey of transformation.

WHAT I LIKED

I like the fact that Colm has performed detailed research about all the theories and concepts mentioned in the book. He has multiple times referred to the works of Joseph Campbell and Carl Jung to make the reader understand those concepts.

OVERALL

Overall, if you liked the book “Alchemist” by Paul Coelho, you’ll be positively surprised by the new things discovered through in-depth analysis and solid research in this book.

IMPORTANT:

Don’t worry if you haven’t read, “The Alchemist” by Paul Coelho, Colm has provided proper background for every reference made to that book.

The Secret of the Alchemist is an insightful book regarding Colm Holland’s experiences with the best-selling masterpiece, The Alchemist, and how he is able to apply the principles of said masterpiece to his life. The weaving and intertwining of lessons learned, stories of the author’s life, and considerations for the reader to apply are all enlightening. This book is a wonderful adjunct to The Alchemist and for those who wish to dive deeper.