You must have the idea from the title “Veronika Decides to Die” that the book is tragic. However, it isn’t. A Brazilian author presents the best-selling author Paulo Coelho Another masterfully wrought tale. You will undoubtedly feel both thrilled and sad at the conclusion. Although the story does have a gloomy beginning, it soon takes an unexpected turn.
Veronika, a 24-year-old woman, is the focus of the narrative. Veronika lives in Ljubljana, Slovenia and has everything one asks for. She is gorgeous and has devoted parents, a boyfriend, and a career. However, worrying that things worsen for her after 24 hours consumes her thoughts. She, therefore, takes a bottle of painkillers and sits by her window one evening. She looks at all the things outdoors she sees daily as she begins speaking, one tablet at a time. She began to drowse gradually, but death was still a ways off.
She awoke in Villette, a mental institution, after her attempt to commit suicide was unsuccessful. The doctor informs her that her suicide attempt was unsuccessful and that it had damaged her heart. She learns that she just has one week left to live. Her surroundings had changed suddenly.
Coelho continues to describe how he learned about Veronika’s tale. He relates to her story because his parents also admitted him into a mental institution for his “unusual behaviour”. But Coelho just briefly makes an appearance in the narrative. Getting back to Veronika, she is startled and resentful of having to live in Villette and tries to leave. But she also fails in this. She reluctantly befriends Mari, a person who experiences panic attacks. Later, she says she might have developed feelings for the schizophrenic Eduard. She eventually caved and acknowledged her situation. She decided to make the most of her final few days.
One of the novel’s main characters, Dr Igor, shocks Veronika repeatedly to test his medical theories. By convincing them that their death is imminent, he hopes to demonstrate through his experiment that he has the power to shock someone into desiring to live again. Exactly that is what he did to Veronika. Before she passes away, Veronika embarks on a trip to learn about herself. She rediscovers her love for playing the piano. She performed the piano at Villette every night, cheering many people. She had heart attacks during the week but recovered from her drive to live.
Coelho causes you to re-evaluate your choices and routines. This novel successfully engages readers like all of his previous books. We all had times when we believed that the only way out was to pass away, just like Veronika. Paulo offers his readers newfound optimism for life. Your motivations for life will be re-evaluated. He leaves a subliminal message that suicide is not an option and that there are many reasons to live in this world. Your life can change in an instant.
Everybody should read Veronika Decides to Die; it doesn’t take long to read. The stories total 200 pages or thereabouts. Readers will feel grateful to still be alive at the book’s conclusion. Paulo emphasises the idea that a person who is broken can become stronger with even a tiny shift in viewpoint.
