The two books by Markus Zusak and Paulo Coelho tell the stories of two characters, Liesel Meminger and Santiago, each in their respective stories. In The Alchemist, the story of Santiago is much lighter with an overall optimistic and adventurous air. He travels from Spain to Egypt and back before his adventure ends, The Book Thief of Zusak provides a stark contrast Coelho's history with the much darker and more dangerous world of Nazi Germany. In The Alchemist, Coelho begins Santiago's journey with an overview of Santiago's life as he experiences the "joys of carefree wandering" as a shepherd. Zusak, however, begins his book with these words: “Here's a little fact. You're going to die." (Zusak 3) This observation at the beginning of the book gives gravity to the book and begins to set the mood for the rest of the story. The development of the atmosphere is furthered when Liesel's brother dies and his funeral is held. Santiago's life as a shepherd is a stark comparison to Liesel's sad situation. When Liesel mourns her brother's death, Santiago feels the uncertainties of love. Their journeys begin with a choice, and each of those choices will have many consequences and rewards. Santiago's choice is to go treasure hunting. Liesel's choice is to steal her first book.“…Making a decision was just the beginning. When someone makes a decision, they are truly immersed in a strong current that will take them to places they never dreamed of when they first made the decision.” (Coelho 68) Both of these characters' decisions were influenced by another person. Liesel only came into contact with book theft at her brother's funeral and Santiago was told to pursue his dream through... middle of paper... a variety of other literary devices including images and allegories to highlight parts of the book . However, Zusak's writing is noticeably different from Coelho's in that he overuses foreshadowing and reveals plot endings in the first few pages of the book. Although each book was written by different authors in different languages, there are many similarities between the two books that accompany the book. differences. Each is about a single person trying to make their way in life. However, Ceolho's story is about learning life lessons in an adventure for wealth and happiness. Zusak's story is much darker with the presence of Death constantly overshadowing every action or event that occurs. Although the two books share many similarities, The Alchemist is much more optimistic compared to the negative atmosphere of The Book Thief..