Books : Veronika Decides to Die: A Novel of Redemption (P.S.)

Rating: - a great book
i have recently read this book and liked it alot.coelho's writing is poetic and inspiring ,and him using an easy language is an advantage;not a down point.Paulo is a very gifted writer and succeeds in creating a magical atmosphere which attracts you to the story.the plot is a very original one, inspite of being realistic.as the story proceeds, he goes deeper into the human character.
veronika is 24 years old ,beautiful& young ,with a very interesting character.she has a nice job and a loving family ,and never had any trouble finding boyfriends.yet she decides to end her life by taking an over dose of sleeping pills,her main reason for this is lack of point & meaning of her life.however when she wakes up she find her self in a mental hospital and finds out that her heart has been permanently damaged and that she only had few days to live.at first she is happy to know this,but after sometime,to her own surprise,she finds her self wishing to live longer,and finds out that the lack of meaning in her life is no body's fault but her own.

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Rating: - Veronika a Bad Taste Reading!
I started to read this book and I stoped, because I can't stand Paulo Coelho cheap ideas and writing. If you are into real literature this book is not for you. SUCKS!!!!

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Rating: - Cheap Literature for Lazy Readers!
If you like cheap literature and you are lazy reader this is a great book. Easy to digest! There is no profound literary education in this work. Cheap literature for cheap readers!!!!

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Rating: - overrated
it took me SO LONG to read this book because it was boring and i kept putting it down. Coelho is heavy- handed with his message- i felt flogged! maybe i just prefer sublety. if i want to be preached to, i'll read a self-help book.

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Rating: - Inpiring, but still overrated !!
Ok I'll start with the pros, then I'll lash out the cons at the end.....first of all, I do think the plot of "Veronika Decides to Die" is intriguing and original (a young woman suffers a failed suicide attempt and lands in a mental hospital, suspended somewhere between life and death, believing her days to be limited due to irreversible heart failure and acting upon this belief. During her stay at the hospital, her closeness to death renews in her an appreciation of the life she had attempted to take away. Through her exchanges with her inmates, she learns about love, madness, dreams, freedom and the need to break free from self-imposed inhibitions and social "norms." Here, some interesting questions are raised in the novel...what IS the "norm"? why does society fear that which is different/erratic/new? why is being "different" considered a kind of madness? and who is madder....those who live as they please or those who destroy their dreams and limit their potential in order to conform?

The intended message is inspiring and beautiful .. one must discover the true value of life, the richness with with it can be lived, the meaning of living it. We should not be apathetic and resigned to the dull norms, instead we should savor every mad moment, every whim, every impulse we feel...so long as we do not cause destruction to those around us....sing in the rain, climb a mountain, paint, dance, laugh with the joy of life and living, unleash the individual within you and cry, scream, go out and follow your dream. It is an inspiring approach to our existence and the book answers to a modern-day malaise inflicting thousands of people world wide: boredom/apathy/depression. All of us meet face-to-face with sadness and emptiness at some point in our lives, and at such times we should take heed of some of Coelho's inspiring words in the novel: "the 2 hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment, and the courage not to be dissapointed with what you encounter along the way" ..... there's another assertion by Veronika that I enjoyed reading: "to smell the earth is to feel alive" and "the meaninglessness of life was no one's fault but mine". A beautiful message, much needed in this age of prozac and therapy...

HOWEVER, I am a very objective and critical reader, and my interest in the book's main idea does not change what I've always believed to be true about Paulo Coelho: he IS an overrated writer and a bit of a pseudo-philosopher as well....yes, he is interesting, but if you read his works, for example "Veronika", you realise that the entire book revolves around one very elementary idea that he fluffs up with pretty parables and cute little symbols and metaphors JUST to give the illusion of profundity....and while he's at it, he makes it a point to mention his own admission to a mental hospital in order to appeal to the reader's sympathy and to re-confirm that he writes what he writes out of personal experience and depth of feeling.... it is so obviously fake....unfortunately, though, this is what sells his books: he appeals to an exoteric, moderately intelligent audience whilst allowing them to believe that they have just read a work of great depth and perception ... and many also think that his "simple" vocabulary is a sign of his unpretentious, down-to-earth persona ....I think its just a sign of bad writing.

Yes, the book's message is great, yes, life should be lived happily and yes, one should sit back and assess the meaning of their existence and what they can do with their lives, but for god's sake if you're looking for depth, go out and read Hesse, Roth, Dostoevsky......ignore the Coelho fad and start giving credit where real credit is due! And in case you're still wondering, the 4 stars are for the IDEA/PLOT and not for the WRITING/DEPTH.