Bookplanet: what the fuck makes The Alchemist so popular?

So I finally got around to reading The Alchemist, and I can't for the life of me figure out why it's so popular, besides being written in simple children's book language. This thing has sold gazillions. Is it because of its New Age Santa Fe mysticism? Someone enlighten me. Here is a link about Coelho's visit to Egypt, where he sells like hot cakes, too, and here is another one, for those of you who think he's a classic writer of enduring world literature.