PAOMBONG HIGH SCHOOL, INC.

School Year 2021-2022

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS
ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES 11

Name: Mask G. Marcelino Grade & Section: 11- Mapagkakatiwalaan

Week 6 Date: September 26-30, 2022

Activity: Book Review Analysis

Directions: Read the book review provided and answer the questions below. Write your answers on a separate
document on the next page.

Book Review: The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho

Sara Weidner, April 9, 2018

There are books that come to us when we are ready for them. Paulo Coelho’s
“The Alchemist” is one of those books.

Many believe that the universe sends us signs and that it takes perception and
intuition to notice them. However, the universe sends signs to anyone who is willing to
receive its message, even a simple shepherd from Spain.

In “The Alchemist,” the protagonist, Santiago, dreams of treasure buried beneath

the Egyptian pyramids while he tends to his flock in the fields. When the dream comes to
him more and more frequently, he decides to make it a reality. Leaving his flock, he sets
off across the Strait of Gibraltar to discover his fate. Along his travels, Santiago
encounters various people who help him. A king with no kingdom tells Santiago he must
realize his Personal Legend, a dream that your soul insists you make real and won’t allow you peace until you
do. A gypsy woman advises him to follow his dream because it is the “language of the world.” Santiago also
meets a crystal merchant who sadly will never realize his Personal Legend, and therefore, pushes Santiago to
pursue his. Then, he meets an Englishman so absorbed in his books that he will never discover his soul’s true
dreams, and a desert woman Santiago is destined to love. Finally, while traveling with a caravan to the oasis,
he meets the great Alchemist himself, who helps Santiago discover the Soul of the World — the truth to all the
elements in the universe, which brings everything into balance.

Passionate, spiritual, and moving, “The Alchemist” encourages us to read the signs of the universe, go
with the flow of life, and to discover and realize our Personal Legends. The universe wants us to achieve our
Personal Legends, which starts us with what is known as “beginner’s luck,” as the king describes it to
Santiago. However, challenges will also arise to test our resilience. The lesson, then, is that if we fearlessly
and resolutely pursue our Personal Legends, the universe will conspire to help us — but test us, too.

At the end of his journey, Santiago learns a new truth about his Personal Legend and also develops a
new perspective on the world around him. From the flourishing meadows of southern Spain to a desert oasis
and finally to the great pyramids of Egypt, the journey that “The Alchemist” takes us on is more than we can
imagine. Coelho’s book leaves us feeling like we belong to something much greater than ourselves, which is
both inspiring and humbling.

1. Do you like the review on the book? Why or why not?

2. What is the review’s point about the book?
3. What do you think of the language used in the review?
4. What does the review conclude about the book The Alchemist?
5. Does this review satisfy you? Why or why not?
6. Assuming the role of a book critic, which critical approach/es will you use in writing the review of
Coelho’s masterpiece?

LAS -ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES GRADE 11 Page 1 of 1

 PAOMBONG HIGH SCHOOL, INC.
School Year 2021-2022

Answer:

1. Yes, I like the review of the book because it includes a variety of information, including principles,
insights, realization and advices that we can use to our everyday lives.
2. The review’s point about the book are all about how

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