Veronika Decides to Die

"On 11 November 1997, Veronika decided that the moment to kill herself had--at last!--arrived": so begins Paulo Coelho's extraordinary new novel, Veronika Decides to Die. Renowned for the international success of The Alchemist, Coelho has secured his reputation as an outstanding storyteller and a key figure in world literature (his work has been translated into over 40 languages). Translated from the Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costa, Veronika Decides to Die is a compelling story of a woman's struggle with and against life, told with Coelho's wit, subtlety and economy. On the track of whatever it is that makes life worth living, Coelho plots Veronika's fate with infinite care, weaving the mystery of her decision to take her own life into the themes of national identity--Veronika is a citizen of Slovenia, "that strange country that no one seemed quite able to place"--and madness.

Veronika does not die; instead, she wakes up in Villette--the "famous and much-feared lunatic asylum"--only to be told that, having damaged her heart irreparably, she has just a few days to live. What she faces now is a waiting game and the strange world of Villette: the rules and regulations which govern the lives of its inmates and the doctors who treat them. Coelho's question may be a familiar one: crudely, who, or what, is mad? But his fiction is a remarkable, sometimes chilling, response to it. "Everyone has an unusual story to tell" is the starting-point of the new treatment initiated at Villette by the enigmatic Dr Igor; it's also the insight from which this book takes off to explore the impact of a "slow, irreparable death" on a young woman and the mad men and women around her. --Vicky Lebeau

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Will tomorrow always be there? - Rated
A complicated story of a girl, who decides to die. It is far from corny, and is in reality much more insightful. I personally picked it up and dropped it about 10 times before finally managing to start it. My grandmother's recent passing made me think it would not be a pleasant read. Turns out it was, even in that context.
I loved it because it made me pause, and think, and realise, that I should not take tomorrow for granted. And neither should you. It's one of those books that you read once and they change you. Their lessons can never be forgotten.
Highly recommended reading.

An interesting tale - Rated
I really enjoyed reading this book. It is the sort of book that makes you think about the subject matter. It's about a young girl who is bored with her life and unable to bear living a moment longer in the monotony of her existence so she decides to kill herself. She then wakes up to find she has been taken to a mental hospital and is told that she only has a few days to live as the pills she has taken have irreversibly damaged her heart. During the few days she spends in the mental hospital knowing she will soon die, she begins to think about why she wanted to die and she discovers her true purpose in life. The story does not only follow Veronika's life story but also the interesting stories behind why some of the other patients in the mental hospital are there. It questions the definition of madness. The message in the book seems to be that most people don't find their true purpose in life because most people just lives their lives in the way they are expected to or in the way other people want them to.

Uplifting - Rated
Beautifully written and unconventional, despite it's rather gloomy sounding title, 'Veronika Decides to Die', is a truly upbeat and life affirming book. It manages to be deep and philosophical without being dull, taking on serious topics about the nature of humanity whilst remaining completely readable and grounded in everyday experiences which we can all relate to.

Coelho writes economically, focussing strongly on just a few characters and doing justice to each. It is refreshingly short, with no words going to waste. Coelho knows what he wants to say and how to say it without feeling the need to 'pad out' his book with unneccessary subplots. It's an attribute some other writers could do with paying attention to.

Anyone who has experienced mental illness will relate to many of the themes in the book, but even those who haven't are sure to find themselves nodding in agreement with the insightful comments about human nature in general. It is worth noting, however, that none of the 'mad' people in the story seem to suffer from severe forms of depression/schizophrenia and that some people with experience of the true horror of these illnesses may find the 'cure' for mental patients described in the book rather trite.

That aside, it is an uplifting tale and one that is highly readable. Like all Coelho's books, it makes you think about who you are and examine your own life in more detail than normal. I expect there will be some who dislike it - all books of this nature can cause strong feelings, which may not all be positive. But I found it deeply moving and I would recommend it to anyone.

how did it get published - Rated
a horribly written self indulgent book. depressingly reccomended to me by someone i respect. lame.

Thoroughly Compelling! - Rated
Feeling the need one day to read something with a little more substance I was drawn to Veronika wants to die, although a somber title I felt enthralled to buy this book and was not in the least disappointed. I have never heard of Paulo Coelho before but I'm now a huge fan. From the moment I picked up this book I could not put it down! Paulo takes you on a journey with his character and you begin to realise through his writing how precious and fragile life really is, after reading this book I felt a renewed appreciation for life and viewed little things like a starlit sky with a llitle more respect and wonder. You have many choices in life and sometimes we can be dragged down by the mundane, but this book really gives you a greater understanding of the complexity of life and yet the insight into the little things that sometimes get lost within. It taught me to try not to sweat the small no matter how hard that may be. Paulo is truly an inspiration and I have bought two more of his books Eleven minutes and The Alchemist. I read Eleven minutes in a day and truly loved it. You have to be in a certain place in your life to appreciate the works of Coelho and when you are there you will be guided to one of his books as I was and then you will begin to truly understand. A must for anyone who is soul searching!