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This is the first newsletter of a brand-new series on The English Zone: Book Summaries in Simple English.
For each episode, I bring a famous book, break it down into simple English, teach you important phrases and expressions and share big life lessons from the book, all at the same time.
For the first one, I chose a personal favorite. This is the book that started my love for reading in English: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
Before I tell you the story, let me ask you a question:
Have you ever had a dream you could not stop thinking about?
A dream for your future. Something exciting. Something you really want, but you are afraid to start.
That is exactly what this book is about.
The Alchemist
The Alchemist was written by Paulo Coelho in 1988. It is about 170 pages long.
If you read 30 minutes a day, you can finish it in about 2 weeks.
It’s a great book for A2 or B1 English learners. It’s about adventure, wisdom and life lessons.
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What Happens
Santiago is a young shepherd who lives in Andalusia, Spain. His life is simple
and quiet. He loves his sheep, but one night he has a strange dream;
and it happens two times.
In the dream, he sees some treasure near the pyramids of Egypt.
Egypt is very, very far away.
So Santiago makes a big decision. He sells his sheep and starts a long journey.
He crosses the sea to Africa. When he arrives, someone steals all his money.
Now, he has nothing.
He starts again. He works for a crystal merchant and saves money.
Then he crosses the desert. In the story, he meets some important people that help him make important decisions. Like, an old king who encouraged him to sell his sheep, an English man, who was going in the same direction,
and a wise man called the Alchemist.
He also falls in love with a girl named Fatima.
At the end story, Santiago finds the treasure. But the real treasure is not gold.
It is the journey itself. It is the person he became on the way.
Four Big Life Lessons
Follow Your Dream
Everyone has a Personal Legend. That is the thing that you were born to do:
your life purpose.
Do not be afraid to look for it and follow it.Listen to Your Heart
Your heart knows the way. When you are quiet, you can hear it speak.
The Alchemist teaches Santiago this. It’s not always easy and it takes time.
But it’s always true.The Journey Matters the Most
The treasure is good. But the lessons you learn along the way and the person you become in the end are much more important. Do not be impatient.Do Not Give Up
You will lose money. You will feel tired. Life will be difficult.
But you have to keep going. The end is closer than you think,
and it will be worth it.
Five Words from Today's Lesson
shepherd
a person who takes care of sheep.treasure
something very valuable, like gold, or something you love, like your family.journey
a long trip from one place to another.desert
a very hot, dry place with lots of sand and almost no water or trees.sign
something small that shows you what to do or tell you something important.
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Check Your Understanding
Try to answer these questions in complete sentences.
Reply to this email or leave a comment here or on YouTube.
I would love to read your answers.
What does Santiago see in his dream?
What happens when Santiago arrives in Africa?
Who teaches Santiago to listen to his heart?
What is the real treasure in the end of the story?
What is one big lesson that you learned from this newsletter?
If you liked today’s newsletter, please let me know.
Thanks for reading,
Ziyad at theenglishzone.co