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

Rating: - Thought Provoking
Only when Veronika knows she is dying does she begin to live. How we could all learn from that lesson. Read this book. You will enjoy it and you will never take life for granted again.

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Rating: - The Moral of The Story Is...
Besides my noggin' being a little sore from being hit over the head so many times with the "Life is beautiful" theme of this richly drawn fable, I don't have any complaints about this book. Coelho paints a convincing story of Veronika as a disaffected young woman to whom life is a hopeless grind. Her attemted suicide gives the author an additional opportunity to comment on the definition of mental health and the appropriateness of how the "insane" are treated. Along the way, we're introduced to a variety of patients (and a curious doctor) who help us learn, over and over again, that our time here is precious and not to be squandered hiding from reality or standing on the sidelines. Like other good fables, the Coelho's writing here is magical and clear. Likewise, it's translation to English doesn't seem to affect its lyrical tone at all. I wasn't surprised by too much that happened in the book, but I don't feel that I was supposed to be. It's an age old tale with a timeless moral. I wouldn't go so far as to define this book as a wake-up call, but it's a nice refresher on the beauty of life with some interesting social thought regarding treatment of the mentally ill worked in as a bonus.

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Rating: - Do it ALL!!
My wife, who is an avid reader of fiction, gave me this book to read and said I might like it. She was right on the money. It is an excellent read. I don't like grim tails unless either I or the main character learn a great deal. This is no grim tale. Don't be put off by the title. This book is illuminating in what we can all do in our 70-100 years on this planet.

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Rating: - Talk about tow realities�
Talk about tow realities... Although I felt that Veronica's character & story was the least interesting but her feelings, her thoughts and her experience were the most touching. I really liked Mari & Zedka's characters a lot. Zedka had a lot to offer and Mari explained it all! Her thought's on life & God's plan for us humans..made me smile I wanted to read that part to everybody I knew. But the best part is how the real world seemed fake to them all and their world seemed more real..you even think to yourself do I have to be in a mental institute to realize that. This book helps you to always remember the things that matter to you the most and how to always look, do and find the things that make you happy. Paulo Coelho Fascinated me in the first book I read for him THE ALCHAMIST he truly know how to make you wonder and smile back..he simplifies things for the reader. He makes you hold on to your dream.

LooL

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Rating: - Worthwhile Read...
When Veronika decides to commit suicide, it seems that perhaps tha greatest thing wrong in her life, is that nothing appears to be wrong with it. After taking sleeping pills, she wakes up in an infamous mental hospital, Villete, and is told she has caused irreversible damage to her heart and will die within a week. Waiting to die, she meets other patients: Zedka, who had suffered from panic attacks, a group of people who chosed to stay in Villete even though they could leave, Eduard, a young schitzophrenic. Talking to these people and finally being able to change the cycle and break the rules (after all, the patients were supposedly crazy: what were rules to them?) Veronika finds new reasons to live in the face of death. Veronika Decides to Die is written languidly and descriptively, allowing the reader to explore different possibilites and mentalities towards life. I think it's definitely a worthwhile book to read.