In a nutshell, the Alchemist is about not being afraid of following your dreams...the story itself is about a boy who sets out on a journey from Spain to the deserts of Egypt to find a buried treasure. Along the way, he meets a gypsy, a "king", and an alchemist who try to help point him in the right direction. He's also faced with many obstacles and has to find it within himself to overcome these obstacles and continue searching for his treasure.