Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho

Description

In-his-latest-international-bestseller,-the-celebrated-author-of The-Alchemist addresses-the-fundamental-questions-asked-by-millions:-What-am-I-doing-here-today?-and-Why-do-I-go-on-living?Twenty-four-year-old-Veronika-seems-to-have-everything-she-could-wish-for:-youth-and-beauty,-plenty-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.