Two Sides Of The Same Coin

I have tonight started to read a short novel by Paulo Coelho, its called intriguingly  The Alchemist. Its a simply written book, and not a long one either. The story concerns the journey of a young boy in his quest for hidden treasure. It is obviously a metaphor for the authors torrid real life attempts at learning the secrets of Alchemy, and all the variously dubious characters that he openly admits to having been exploited by, details of which are briefly listed in the Preface section.
   Im writing this post tonight as the style of this novel reminds me very much of a book I first read a few years ago, and one that made a big impression on me; The Golden Barge by Micheal Moorcock. This story is also a short one, and its also about a young man who travels and devotes his life to following a mysterious barge along a river. Its a parable about following dreams and the outcomes of this. These two books are uncannily the same, but Im yet to see if their conclusions are the same. Time will tell. I recommend both books. They are both simple and short, but don't underestimate their messages.