著者

榎本 眞理子

出版者

恵泉女学園大学

雑誌

恵泉女学園大学紀要 (ISSN:09159584)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.19, pp.177-191, 2007-03

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Why is The Alchemist by a Brazilian writer , Paulo Coelho, enjoying such big sales all over the world, as did Harry Potter? It goes without saying that it is a good book, although the story is quite similar in essentials to that of "The Pedlar of Swaffham," a famous legend in England. The story has a plot like `Blue Bird' and follows the form of a typical fairy tale with a male protagonist. These factors, however, are not enough to explain the reason for this book's worldwide popularity. This essay introduces the world of The Alchemist and analyzes the reasons for its popularity. This analysis is based on three vantage points: people's taste for fantasy in troubled times, the influence of TV games, and the defects of internet society.