Book Review: The Alchemist

" When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it"

Title: The Alchemist

Author: Paulo Coelho

Characters: Santiago, the Alchemist, Fatima, the Englishman, Melchizedek

Genre: Adventure Fiction, Quest

Year of Publication: 1988

The plotline of the book is that of a simple quest. A Spanish shepherd boy, Santiago, keeps getting the same dream that there is treasure lying underneath the Egyptian pyramids. After meeting an old king who offers him some advice and some magic stones, Santiago embarks on his journey to cross the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara Desert to find his treasure and accomplish his Personal Legend (a concept equivalent to our purpose in life). Amidst swindlers, tribe wars and endless sand, Santiago finds his one true love, learns alchemy and the language of his heart, and of course, fights to reach his treasure.

The book offers insightful ideas about one's own destiny, about rising above failure, about the unity of the Universe, presented in comparatively simplistic diction of the text. The descriptions are awe-inspiring and the word choice is immaculate, but really it's the depth of soul behind Coehlo's words that spin the magic of this novel. Anyone who reads this will not only escape reality but will also understand reality, The Alchemist can offer the best of both worlds. The Alchemist may not be your regular fiction book, but it most still deserves a place on your bookshelf!

Source: English Course Book of Grade 9

Movie Review: Yashoda

Title: Yashoda

Directed by: Hari-Harish

Produced by: Sivalenka Krishna Prasad

Written by: Hari-Harish

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Release Date: 11 November 2022

Language: Telugu, Hindi

Budget: 30 to 40 crore

Starring: Samantha, Unni Mukundan, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar

Rating: 3.5/5 stars  

Yashoda is a story of a surrogate mother who is getting a lot of money for surrogacy. Yashoda is played by none other than the talented and beautiful Samantha. Yashoda and many other women stay in a facility where they and their fetuses are taken care of. Everything goes well and Yashoda even forms a kind of bond with the only doctor in the facility, played by Unni Mukundan. The story goes full throttle when Yashoda decides to shift into an investigative mode as she senses something wrong going on in the facility. Then, the story takes a full U-turn when lovely-looking Yashoda suddenly turns into a strong figher. To know the complete story, you should watch the movie.

The writer-director duo of the movie has done a great job. The plot twists in the second half of the movie are totally unpredictable and thus mind-blowing. You’ll love both the cute and fierce avatars of Samantha. The Background music of the movie is okay. The female antagonist could have done a better job. Others characters in the movie have done decent jobs. The action sequences are totally convincing.

The ending of the movie felt a little rushed. You’ll forget the songs as soon as the movie ends.  If you are a Samantha fan like me or if you love thrillers, you should watch the movie.