Paulo Coelho’s Veronica Decides to Die

Paulo Coelho's

Veronica Decides to Die

Searching for a reason to live 'LIFE'

Inspirational Read | Winning the Mid-Life Crisis

Genre: A Slice of Life | Publication Year: 1998 | Original Language: Portuguese

Part of my private collection

“Veronika decides to die” is a startling title that makes us ponder – who is this Veronika and why does she decide to die?

Battling the Existential Crisis

With such burning questions, as I turned the pages, I came across the lead, a young girl of 24 years with everything that society labels as the ingredients of happiness present in her life, attempting to take that very source of joy – her life away from her. We enter her mind as she reasons with herself on a humongous decision – she feels she has lived and experienced ‘life’ and foresees only boredom, routine chores, old age, problems and suffering yet to arrive. She wishes to end her life at the height of happiness itself.

And that very reason provides a magnetic pull towards the book – don’t we all face such an existential crisis in our life at least once? As I flipped through the pages, I found myself resonating with Veronika’s thoughts. Labelling such threads of thoughts as vitriol poisoning of the soul, the author proceeds to point out a cure as well so that every reader can find the meaning to life when such negative passive bitterness affects him/her.

The novel’s beauty emerges through the subtle layers within the main lead narrative. It not only focuses on Veronika but also the life of inmates in the mental institution, spreading the breadcrumbs that will expand our imagination and attempt to change our beliefs from ground zero.

Through Zedka, a clinically depressed patient, the author makes us question the meaning of ‘madness’. What is madness? Who is indeed a mad person?

Through Eduard, he tries to focus on yet another pertinent social issue faced by millions of children worldwide – how the love of overbearing parents can crush a child’s dreams and vision so severely that they are forced to re-create their reality as a means of escape.

Even the institution paints itself as an abstract character with its atmosphere and aura. We are made aware of a mental institution’s internal functioning and ways. Inmates include those sent by the court, those accused by the near ones as mad, and those who pretend to be mad to escape from reality. This creates chaos, and as there is always an order in chaos, we find a harmonious living of those inside with a freedom of expression that is absent in the real world.

It is an uplifting book that brings forward a beautiful message through a phase of life experienced by Veronika. It is a must read for every one of us going through a mid-life existential crisis.

“We are all Veronikas trapped in our mundane existences and this book might just be the wings we need to fly high.”

Memorable Quotes #1