Q 01/05

Paulo Coelho, who called the story already written inside him, drafted The Alchemist in how long?

A) Two weeks

B) Two months

C) Eight months

D) Three years

Answer · why

A) Two weeks

Two weeks was all Paulo Coelho needed to get the whole novel down. The slow part came afterwards, because the book sat almost unnoticed for years befo...

Q 02/05

Paulo Coelho, a rock lyricist before he wrote The Alchemist, comes from which country?

A) Portugal

B) Spain

C) Brazil

D) Argentina

Answer · why

C) Brazil

Brazil is where Paulo Coelho was born, in Rio de Janeiro in 1947. In 1974 the authorities there arrested and tortured him for what they called subvers...

Q 03/05

In The Alchemist, which region of Spain does Santiago roam with his flock before sailing to Africa?

A) Catalonia

B) Andalusia

C) Galicia

D) Valencia

Answer · why

B) Andalusia

Andalusia lies so close to Morocco that the old king Santiago meets there is dressed like an Arab and nobody finds it odd. Africa is only a few hours ...

Q 04/05

In The Alchemist, which young woman does Santiago fall for at a desert well and vow to return to?

A) Layla

B) Soraya

C) Yasmin

D) Fatima

Answer · why

D) Fatima

Fatima refuses to let Santiago give up his quest for her sake. She sends him on towards the pyramids and promises to marry him once his journey is don...

Q 05/05

What must Santiago of The Alchemist turn himself into within three days to escape his desert captors?

A) A falcon

B) A river

C) The wind

D) A lion

Answer · why

C) The wind

The wind is the alchemist's own boast, not Santiago's. He tells their captors that his young companion can become it, and stakes both their necks on t...