Yup, I've got to place myself on the side of people who loved this book. I can see why it has lasting appeal; it's both comforting and inspiring. The story of Santiago, the shepherd boy who goes in search of his Personal Legend, reads like a fairy tale, a quest story with magical elements but many, many layers of wisdom. I'm a sucker for that kind of book! 
 There were many favorite quotes, but I especially like Coelho's introduction to the 10th anniversary edition, which sums up the ideas behind the story quite well. 
 Interestingly, both a friend my age and a middle schooler who is failing Language Arts both told me to read this in the same week. So I paid attention.