Dec 01, 2008 02:59 PM
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(Updated Dec 01, 2008 10:03 PM)
One cold November morning she decides to kill herself and with lots of illusions, taking those sleeping pills and when she closes her eyes. Reels from her real life and few memoirs in a heart shaped box.*
Author: Paulo Coelho
He was born in Brazil. Leaving his Law studies and getting back to where he always wanted to be leaving us in dilemma to admire his beautiful work and the dedication in each of them. Be it his first novel ‘Hell Archives’ or ‘Brida’, we see a lot of his personal life in them.
Book: Veronica Decides To Die [1998]
Veronika is 24 years old and like all of us who would love to explore things in her life. She is bored of her life and thinks there is nothing much interesting for her to do. Suicide is a strong word but then to commit suicide needs to think out of the box. She does a suicide attempt and gets admitted in a mental hospital in Slovenia. She was told by the Doctor that she has one more week to live. Just think about the situation where a person has told the day he/she is going to depart this world. Freedom from death and the term has been uniquely called as ‘Nirvana’. Taking number of sleeping pills didn’t kill her but then she has to wait a week longer for to reach where she wanted. When I read this book, I have realized the fact that we all live a mark beside for others to cherish the times they have spent with us. Like wise, Veronica leaves few memorable moments for all the patients out there. Zedka who was a clinical depression patient, Mari an attack patient and Eduard who had Schizophrenia are the characters in the story. Eduard falls in love with Veronica and the story gets more interesting for us to know if she would live. She always wanted to do things which fascinated her and now she has got freedom to taste them all. She experiences love, hatred, sexual awakening and what not to know what life all about is. She waits for her death and her eyes go to a magazine where she happens to read an article on Slovenia. Where is Slovenia? Struggle between life and death and somewhere the likes to live buds in her heart. Will she die? Will she discover the real meaning in life? The whole idea is to live and not to judge our endless talents where we fail to rule our heart over the mind.
Paulo Coelho writes from his heart. He doesn’t need any introduction. While reading this book few thoughts pricked my conscience. What are we doing here when we have all the rights to follow our hearts? Is there anybody in there to look at us and say ‘don’t’? One should be proud enough to stand on our feet and say ‘Will’? Will play a major role in our daily lives and like Veronica one will find life meaningless. She wanted to end her life but why did she do that? When she was so fond of playing Piano and from the book it’s been clearly portrayed the fact that she loved her life. But when we are forced to do things that we don’t like, then there is a dislike in each of us. Dislike towards what we perform. I believe in freedom. Freedom of expression and when the awareness of life strikes, will it be too late? Was it late for Veronica who decides to die?
The book is based on ‘madness’. Madness in each one among us who would want to die before getting too late to realize the meaningless work we perform. Book talks about freedom. Let them choose the way they want to live and not forcefully loading them with works that they don’t like to do. Love thy work and you will not have to work. I often feel that life is ‘boring’ for all the same activities I perform. But if God gives me a week to live and when I realize the fact that there is lot many things to discover in this last week of mine, ‘Numb’?
Paulo Coelho clearly mentions the beauty of life in a closed room where she discovers the ‘real’ Veronica and correct what went wrong with her. Well, the interesting part is when Doctor Igor does a ‘Shock’ therapy on her and I’m sure the writer does a fabulous work in portraying his creativity into play.
Why do I like this book? I don’t know but all I can tell you is there is Veronica in all of us. Who were caged for many years and always wanted to reach the point where we wanted to be. There is Veronica in all of us where we want to kill ourselves and jumps into a conclusion that ‘life’ is all over. There is veronica in all of us where we fall in love, enjoy songs, gets bored of our daily lives and yet remain in a ‘Comma’ stage.
Every word has a meaning to think about. Every action has a reaction to wait for. This is all about life. God gifted life and why are we so foolish enough to take them for granted?
Never judge a book by its cover. Paulo Coelho, wrote Brida which is yet again a fairy-tale. Did I tell you that fairy tales are nice? Well, they are and if you are one among them then this is the best book for you to read. And when you read, you are living with them. For a moment, I thought I was in that mental hospital spending time with Vernoica.
Will she die? This is for you to read and let me leave this final ‘thought’ for you to think.
"Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives."
