And Veronica Decides to Die
by Paulo Coelho
Our Price: $39.41
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.40 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Paulo CoelhoEdition: Paperback
Published: 1999-09-30
ISBN: 0732267633
Number of pages: 192
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd
Book Reviews of And Veronica Decides to Die
Book Review: For any round peg in a square peg world
Summary: 5 Stars
My quirky Swedish friend recommended the book, an act of faith she rare has done--so of course, I went and got a copy. What a delight. At first, what seemed to be a depressing tale of what might have been evolves into a fable of what can be--if one only follows their own path. Life isn't in one size and no, not everyone will be a doctor or lawyer or fabulously well off, or merely very comfortable. Any one who has felt like the black sheep, or been told they are one--will GET this tale in a gulp. Beautifully written in such simple, but exacting language that you might forget--how philosophical the book really is.
Summary of And Veronica Decides to Die
Imprint. Veronika believes her life is entirely meaningless. She takes an overdose of sleeping tablets in an attempt to end her life. Instead of dying, she wakes up (five days later) in a mental hospital. But her dismay worsens as she experiences a heart attack, and is told that the damage is so severe that she only has five days to live.When Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist) was a young man, his parents had him committed to mental hospitals three times because he wanted to be an artist--an unacceptable profession in Brazil at the time. During his numerous forced incarcerations he vowed to write some day about his experiences and the injustices of involuntary commitment. In this fable-like novel, Coelho makes good on his promise, with the creation of a fictional character named Veronika who decides to kill herself when faced with all that is wrong with the world and how powerless she feels to change anything. Although she survives her initial suicide attempt, she is committed to a mental hospital where she begins to wrestle with the meaning of mental illness and whether forced drugging should be inflicted on patients who don't fit into the narrow definition of "normal." The strength and tragedy of Veronika's fictional story was instrumental in passing new government regulations in Brazil that have made it more difficult to have a person involuntarily committed. Like any great storyteller, Coelho has used the realm of fiction to magically infiltrate and alter the realm of reality. --Gail Hudson
Literature & Fiction Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Literature & Fiction Books
Little Womenby Louisa May Alcott
Scribner; Published: 1986-06-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.49
Price in other shops:
The Killing Groundby JACK HIGGINS
HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS LTD; Published: 2007; Hardcover; Book
Saving Fish from Drowningby Amy Tan
4th Estate; Published: 2005; Paperback; Book
Life Expectancyby Dean Koontz
Harpercollins Pb; Published: 2005-08-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.00
Constant Princessby Philippa Gregory
Touchstone/Simon & Schuster; Published: 2005; Hardcover; Book
Wolf of the Plains (Conqueror, Book 1)by Conn Iggulden
Harper; Published: 2007; Paperback; Book
Saharaby Clive Cussler
Harper Collins Pb; Published: 2005-03-21; Paperback; Book
Perelandra (Cosmic Trilogy)by C. S. Lewis
Voyager; Published: 2005-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.76
Price in other shops:
The Lord Of The Rings: Part 2 The Two Towersby J. R. R. Tolkien
Harper Collins Publishers; Published: 2001; Paperback; Book
Red Marsby Kim Stanley Robinson
Trafalgar Square; Published: 2001-06; Paperback; Book
Similar Books and other products
Brida: A Novel (P.S.)by Paulo Coelho
Harper Perennial; Published: 2009-02-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.91
Price in other shops:
The Witch of Portobello: A Novel (P.S.)by Paulo Coelho
Harper Perennial; Published: 2008-02-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.38
Price in other shops:
The Pilgrimage (Plus)by Paulo Coelho
HarperOne; Published: 2008-09-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.46
Price in other shops:
The Fifth Mountain: A Novel (P.S.)by Paulo Coelho
Harper Perennial; Published: 2009-02-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.36
Price in other shops:
The Devil and Miss Prym: A Novel of Temptation (P.S.)by Paulo Coelho
Harper Perennial; Published: 2007-04-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.75
Price in other shops:
The Valkyriesby Paulo Coelho
HarperOne; Published: 1996-08-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.00
Price in other shops:
The Zahir: A Novel of Obsession (P.S.)by Paulo Coelho
Harper Perennial; Published: 2006-07-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.00
Price in other shops:
By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept: A Novel of Forgivenessby Paulo Coelho
Harper Perennial; Published: 2006-05-23; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.91
Price in other shops:
Eleven Minutes: A Novel (P.S.)by Paulo Coelho
Harper Perennial; Published: 2005-03-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.98
Price in other shops:
Warrior of the Light: A Manualby Paulo Coelho
HarperOne; Published: 2004-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.51
Price in other shops: