Twenty-four-year-old Veronika seems to have everything she could wish for: youth and beauty, pleny of attractive boyfriends, a fulfilling job, and a loving family. Yet something is lacking in her life. Inside her is a void so deep that nothing could possibly ever fill it. So, on the morning of November 11, 1997, Veronika decides to die. She takes a handful of sleeping pills expecting never to wake up.
Naturally Veronika is stunned when she does wake up at Villete, a local mental hospital, where the staff informs her that she has, in fact, partially succeeded in achieving her goal. While the overdose didn't kill Veronika immediately, the medication has damaged her heart so severely that she has only days to live.
The story follows Veronika through the intense week of self-discovery that ensues. To her surprise, Veronika finds herself drawn to the confinement of Villete and its patients, who, each in his or her individual way, reflect the heart of human experience. In the heightened state of life's final moments, Veronika discovers things she has never really allowed herself to feel before: hatred, fear, curiosity, love, and sexual awakening. She finds that every second of her existence is a choice between living and dying, and at the eleventh hour emerges more open to life than ever before.
In Veronika Decides to Die, Paulo Coelho takes the reader on a distinctly modern quest to find meaning in a culture overshadowed by angst, soulless routine, and pervasive conformity. Based on events in Coelho's own life, Veronika Decides to Die questions the meaning of madness and celebrates individuals who do not fit into patterns society considers to be normal. Poignant and illuminating, it is a dazzling portrait of a young woman at the crossroads of despair and liberation, and a poetic, exuberant appreciation of each day as a renewed opportunity.
ISBN:61015016
Author:COELHO PAULO
Vincent Ogutu –
REVIEW ON “LIFE IS LIKE THAT” BY SHIJEDI ASIA
I would like to congratulate you on writing about your experiences in life. I read your story and was full of awe and reverence. Bravo.
The author begins by informing about growing up in Eastlands; Nairobi and the experiences that molded him to the person he has become-a transformative coach about life and entrepreneur. Through masterfully blended stories, the author aims at inspiring the readers by reminding them of the power that they hold. The reader is encouraged to embrace the power of instinct, purpose, confidence, association, resilience and choice among others. This kind of power clears the way to success. Relevant examples are used in an effort to advance the arguments. Reference is made to notable people who have succeeded such as Sylvester Stallone, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi and Steve Jobs among others as well as making reference to other sources like the Bible. The reader is encouraged that as a student of entrepreneurship, there is need to understand that success in life comes from service to humanity. Furthermore, the book is meant to inspire readers to take charge of their destiny for they have everything they need. He argues that‘ If you don’t like what you see in the mirror, don’t change the mirror, change yourself.’ The book contains a powerful message about setting goals and ensuring that you achieve your targets regardless of the challenges faced along the way.