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ABOUT THE BOOK
NO SPOILERSSantiago is a young Andalusian shepherd who has chosen a life of travel over the priesthood his parents wanted for him. He roams the Spanish countryside with his flock, reading books and dreaming of the world beyond. Then a recurring dream starts pulling him toward something he can't ignore: a child appears in the dream, transports him to the Egyptian Pyramids, and tells him a hidden treasure is buried there. When Santiago visits a mysterious old woman in Tarifa who interprets dreams, and then encounters a strange old man who claims to be the King of Salem, he begins to wonder whether crossing an entire desert to chase a dream is foolish or whether it might be exactly what he's supposed to do.
Free Battle of the Books questions for The Alchemist
SPOILERSEvery one of these has the same answer, and that is the point. In a real battle the question is read aloud with a dozen other books in play, and students have a few seconds to place it. Here is what a battle might ask about The Alchemist. Use them as a quiz, a trivia round, or BOTB practice.
Where in the book they come from
- Early in the book
In what book does a character pay an old king with six sheep for advice?
✓ Answer
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
After Santiago sells most of his flock to a friend who had always dreamed of being a shepherd, he gives Melchizedek one-tenth of his sheep, six total, in exchange for being told the treasure lies at the Pyramids.
- First half
In what book does a shop owner refuse to make the pilgrimage to Mecca even though he can afford it?
✓ Answer
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The crystal merchant tells Santiago that the thought of Mecca is what keeps him alive. He prefers the dream to the reality, fearing that fulfilling it would leave him with no reason to go on living.
- First half
In what book does a camel driver tell of losing everything in a flood when the Nile overflowed its banks?
✓ Answer
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Santiago's camel driver friend explains that he once owned an orchard and had even completed his pilgrimage to Mecca. After an earthquake and flood ruined his land, he had to start over, and he learned not to fear the unknown.
- Second half
In what book does a boy watch two hawks circling and suddenly see a vision of an army invading?
✓ Answer
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
While sitting in the desert thinking about love, the boy sees one hawk dive at another and gets a flashing image of horsemen attacking the oasis. The vision terrifies him because the oasis is supposed to be neutral ground in the war.
- Second half
In what book does a girl say, "One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving"?
✓ Answer
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
When the boy tries to explain why he loves Fatima before leaving the oasis, she interrupts him with this line. It captures her acceptance of love that requires no justification, a lesson the boy carries with him into the desert.
- Near the end
In what book does a guide give away every gold coin a boy owns to a hostile chief without warning?
✓ Answer
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
When tribesmen accuse them of being spies, the alchemist seizes the boy's bag and hands all his gold to the chief. The boy is furious, but the alchemist explains that his savings bought them three days of life, and money rarely saves a person.
