Graphic visions of Urim and Thummim

Paulo Coelho's 1988 bestseller The Alchemist, is now available as a graphic novel. Sunday MiD DAY brings you a few pages from the book about an Andalusian shepherd, who learnt the importance of following his dream with a little help from a king with a golden breastplate and a black and white stone

Those of us who chanced upon The Alchemist in the '90s or early 2000s, would agree that this book was life-altering. Just as post-ironic videos on YouTube go viral today, within a matter of weeks, the book went viral in our circles. The same must have happened elsewhereu00a0-- for suddenly, the universe (Qaynat) was an 'old friend' and everything was 'happening for a reason'.

The King with the golden breastplate reveals himself to the
shepherd and gives him Urim and Thummim, to help him find
his way

Lovers felt the need to get married, the call of destiny being too strong to ignore, and those who didn't have a partner got maktub ('it is written') tattooed on their arms. Yes, it was a heady time. Translated into 67 languages from Portuguese and having sold more than a 150 million copies worldwide, The Alchemist remains one of the most popular books of all times.

And now, it's available as a graphic novel. As you thumb through the pages, you see a rough looking Santiago tending to his sheep,u00a0 before he meets the fortune teller who tells him to follow his dreams. You also meet Melchizedek, the king, who gives him the two stones that would recall him to the right path if he ever loses his way. And through it all, you follow the words very closely, for it's what is written that matters, after all.
You won't come away disappointedu00a0-- but you will be inspired to pick up the much-thumbed copy of the original for a re-read.

The Alchemistu00a0-- A Graphic Novel
Published by Harper Collins for Rs 399. Available in bookstores