Referred by a friend as a resurrecting experience, started on this book for a second time after a previous failed attempt of perusing through the first few pages. Though could not make any sense of the book in the beginning, I was determined to finish it. The wow moment came much later. The story was just OK but the morale was grand so i am considering this a beautiful read. I have always said that translated books lose their soul somehow and "Veronika decides to die" is no exception. The witty and morale filled one liners save the grace.
Veronika, an attractive twenty four year old Slovenian, staying in a convent decides to end her life by choosing the easiest path of swallowing sleeping pills. Her reason being her "purposeless, constant" life and her powerlessness to improve "all the wrong" in this world. Her attempt backfires and she ends up in a mental asylum in Villete. Her suicide attempt weakens her heart and Dr. Igor declares she has only few more days to live. In the world filled with insanity she discovers Mari, Eduard and Zedka. Mari suffers from panic disorder which affected her happily married life, although she is completely cured she lies and comes back to villete because she could not tolerate the real world; Eduard suffers from schizophrenia and Zedka from depression due to her obsession for her long lost ex-lover. All of them were trying to run away from the real world and make their own imaginative world within the walls of Villete. "An awareness of death encourages us to live more intensly". Slowly Veronika starts to question the definition of insanity. With death so close, she sheds down her inhibitions and releases her anger without the fear of hurting her close ones. She understands there is so much to life. In the newly discovered freedom she experiences love, anger and hate. She runs away with Eduard, her new love, and tries to make the most of the moment unaware of the fact that Dr Igor was using the time limit declaration as an encouraging button to help Veronika understand life and appreciate the gift of breathing.
As usual Coelho fills the book with encouraging one liners:
And many more!
The gist : this world is an insane place and every one's trying to hide their weirdness and act normal just for the sake of acceptance; Just dare to be who you are and be alive. The catch however is to find someone whose insanity matches yours! Simple as that. :)
Happy reading!
Veronika, an attractive twenty four year old Slovenian, staying in a convent decides to end her life by choosing the easiest path of swallowing sleeping pills. Her reason being her "purposeless, constant" life and her powerlessness to improve "all the wrong" in this world. Her attempt backfires and she ends up in a mental asylum in Villete. Her suicide attempt weakens her heart and Dr. Igor declares she has only few more days to live. In the world filled with insanity she discovers Mari, Eduard and Zedka. Mari suffers from panic disorder which affected her happily married life, although she is completely cured she lies and comes back to villete because she could not tolerate the real world; Eduard suffers from schizophrenia and Zedka from depression due to her obsession for her long lost ex-lover. All of them were trying to run away from the real world and make their own imaginative world within the walls of Villete. "An awareness of death encourages us to live more intensly". Slowly Veronika starts to question the definition of insanity. With death so close, she sheds down her inhibitions and releases her anger without the fear of hurting her close ones. She understands there is so much to life. In the newly discovered freedom she experiences love, anger and hate. She runs away with Eduard, her new love, and tries to make the most of the moment unaware of the fact that Dr Igor was using the time limit declaration as an encouraging button to help Veronika understand life and appreciate the gift of breathing.
As usual Coelho fills the book with encouraging one liners:
- The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter.
- People never learn anything by being told, they have to find out for themselves.
- Be crazy! But learn how to be crazy without being the center of attention. Be brave enough to live different.
- You have two choices, to control your mind or to let your mind control you.
- Be like the fountain that overflows, not like the cistern that merely contains.
- Collective madness is called sanity.
- Death frees from the fear of dying.
And many more!
The gist : this world is an insane place and every one's trying to hide their weirdness and act normal just for the sake of acceptance; Just dare to be who you are and be alive. The catch however is to find someone whose insanity matches yours! Simple as that. :)
Happy reading!
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