マット・マクゴリーのインスタグラム(mattmcgorry) - 1月24日 01時09分

“The Alchemist” by Paulo Coehlo
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I tend to read only about one fiction book a year, and I’d been hearing about this one for years. It’s highly regarded by many people that I admire, so I went ahead and gave it a whirl when @vickivortex gave me a copy! I quite enjoyed it, and understand why so many people feel so strongly about it. Having transitioned to a place in my life where I now very much believe in the power of creating one's future and destiny through tapping into a universal force, this book is definitely an affirmation of that. I finished it on New Year's Eve, and then at 4am on New Year's Day I decided to stargaze in LA for about 15 minutes...and I saw a shooting star. :) For those who have read the book, I think they will understand the beauty of this. I am sitting with appreciating the message of trusting the universe.
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It is also important to note that the story falls into the trope of “Orientalism” (a term coined and book written by Edward Saïd breaking down the causes and effects of stereotypical depictions of the Eastern world from a Western perspective of superiority). From Osama Filali Naji's blogpost on Arab Millennial: “The ´Arab deserts´ through which he and the Englishman travel are filled with mystery, tribes, magic, mischief, uncertainty, danger and thieves. This is a dangerous narrative as it reinforces the colonial attitude that Muslim and Arab cultures are ´fascinating´ interactions that are to be ´observed´ or ´studied´ by more intelligent and ambitious European travelers and readers – at least, that is the implication... almost as if we are exhibits in an art gallery waiting to be observed and commented on for all of our mystery and majesty...I don’t believe that Coelho has written this book intentionally to disempower Arabs – he appears to be a very kind and humble person on social media. I have therefore concluded that he, too, is a victim of age-old narratives on Middle Eastern culture that simply ‘sell’ to European audience.”
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My Booklist:
bit.ly/mcgread (link in bio)

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