Santiago is back

There is unanimity among book lovers that the movie adaptation of a book can almost never be as good as the book itself. Of course, the screen version has to cut out details and squeeze the story into a form more suitable for the visual medium, in the process deviating from the script. But it also has a lot to do with the fact that it takes away from the imaginative freedom that the written word provides. A movie is someone else’s interpretation of that imagination — so that much less freedom to the viewer. This freedom might also be curtailed when a book is adapted into a graphic novel. But once in a while, an adaptation comes along that truly brings a book to life.The graphic novel adaptation of The Alchemist, which has been recently released, is surely among those. The Alchemist is a story that begs, rather commands, visualisation. And this Harper Collins adaptation by Derek Ruiz, with artwork done by Daniel Sampere, is probably as close to perfect as you can get.From the Andalusian grasslands in Spain to the bazaars of Tangiers in Africa, the desert caravan, the oasis and finally the great pyramids of Egypt, the journey of Santiago has been brought to life. Don’t be surprised if you open the book and, flipping through the pages randomly, find Paulo Coelho’s face gazing out from them — he has been used as the model for the face of Melchizedek — the King of Salem — who showed Santiago the way to follow his dream. That is, in a way, quite apt, as Coelho’s words are, and have been, a source of inspiration for many to get up and follow their own ‘personal legend’.The graphic version maintains that ethereal quality of the original, and people who have read the book will surely relish reliving the tale and experiencing the same deeply moving thrill all over again. The art style is classic, which depicts the characters beautifully and matches the story well. An interesting thing about the artwork is that the scenes are drawn from different angles, giving the impression of a camera following the action — a wide view, followed by a close-up or maybe an aerial shot.The words will come to life with the characters standing before you, and each emotion gets heightened many times as you watch it play on their faces. In one particular instance, the visuals create a much greater dramatic effect than the words would. It is an episode quite early in the story, when Santiago is musing to himself, thinking what would happen if he were to turn into a ‘monster’ and kill all his sheep one by one? “They would only become aware when most of the flock had been slaughtered,” he thinks. The graphic version shows a murderous Santiago with blood red eyes, holding a butcher’s knife and chopping down mercilessly while the sheep cry out piteously in the background. The effect it has is quite startling even as the next picture shows Santiago back as the clean and honest boy that he is.Both Daniel Sampere and Derek Ruiz have emphasised in the foreword that finishing this novel became their personal legend, and as it manifested itself, they felt that the universe ‘conspired’ to let them complete it!The book definitely deserves to be in your hands if you’re a fan of the original. Even if you’re not, pick it up just to see how dreams get materialised.