Veronica decides to die - Paulo Coelho

 

 

 

 

 

 

Veronica decides to die

by Paulo Coelho

 

 

 

Review Paulo Coelho Veronica decides to die

by Alexander Miskaryan

 

 

 

“On 11 November 1997, Veronika decided that the moment to kill herself had finally arrived. She carefully cleaned the room she rented in the convent , turned off the heating, brushed her teeth and lay down.

 

She picked up the four packs of sleeping pills from her bedside table. Instead of crushing them and mixing them with water, she decided to take them one by one, because there is always a gap between intention and action, and she wanted to feel free to turn back half way. However, with each pill she swallowed, she felt more convinced: after five minutes the packs were empty.”

 

The part of Veronika's life described in the book by Paulo Coelho starts from this event.

The attempt to settle the score with her life ends in failure for Veronika. She regains consciousness to find herself within the walls of a local mental hospital. She learns from her doctor that she has only one more week to live – the excessive dose of soporific has caused complications to her heart. Veronika seems to have achieved her goal – death is inevitable, she only needs to wait several days, and if possible to shorten the time before the desired moment. But precisely during these days her thoughts change.

 

Being so close to death she lets herself do things she would never dare to do earlier – there is nothing to lose now. Veronika, who never showed her emotions before, slaps a man who offended her in the face. She throws out a friend, not caring whether she hurts her or not. She plays the piano though she hasn't touched the instrument for many years, just because she wants to. In fact almost everyone who ended up in the clinic started to believe that there was nothing to lose even if they were not going to die.

 

All the people who were admitted to the hospital discovered something new, made earth-shattering decisions here. What made them do this?

 

Looking at Veronika – a strange girl who was to die soon – people changed. The important word here is soon. Everyone knows they'll die but not everybody thinks about when.

 

Veronika, living in the waiting room of death, made many people realize what she herself had realized, and exactly – the finality of life. Decisions we haven't made today possibly won't be ever made. Tomorrow can be too late.

 

Why save time if you think that it's endless? But do we always pay proper attention to this question, especially in youth? Years fly but nothing changes in life or only changes for the worse. And only then one have to realize that he lived a lot but made so little. Time allotted to us isn't infinite and it's not used properly. You can't relive what you've missed, it seems as if everything is lost, and not too seldom it turns to be a reason for depression and consequently suicide.

 

Veronika lived a drab life which led her to thoughts of suicide – why live if everything's going to be the same, if you know yourself thoroughly and don't expect any surprises from life? only when she accepted death before the real moment she saw “hundreds of other Veronicas” inside herself, those who wanted to live, to love, to make discoveries and to be silly. And what about us?

 

Do we see ourselves among dull weekdays and everyday stuff? Our real selves, not the ones we let others make of us. What passing weekdays leave in our hearts is called Bitterness or Vitriol – poison that kills slowly, step by step but unavoidably.

 

Veronika's doctor discovered this disease – Vitriol poisoning – and made it the theme of his scientific research. With injections which he told her were sedatives he simulated her heart attacks. Veronika, suffering from pain thought: “Now my heart's gonna stop”. In fact nothing dangerous for her health happened, but the doctor was too late in telling her about the experiment. Veronika ran away from the hospital, wishing to die in the place she herself wanted. She didn't know why she'd managed to stay alive and decided that it was a miracle, and life had presented her one more day. Now even if she learned about the doctor's experiment for sure she wouldn't consider her life to be dull.

 

Does a person really need to go through hell to understand the value of life?

 

 

 

Coelho affirms:

 

we ourselves are masters of our destiny. Life always gives us opportunities to become better after we make the decision to change. The question is if we can still live in a society that is known to dispose of rebels and to make eccentrics into exiles.

 

For example Mary, a successful lawyer. After she developed panic syndrome she lost her family, job and ended up in the hospital. She came there voluntarily to hide from the world which brought her unbearable suffering. Looking at Veronika, adopting her painful experience she stared death in the face and in spite of the age she decided to fight till the end – to return to that world, to leave the hospital to be in time to achieve at least something in her life.

 

Or Edward. Being a child he didn't want to follow his parent's footsteps and chose another path. His parents, using his love for them, forced him to reject his dream. Why? Because a child doesn't have the right to make his own choices. As a result when he gave up his dream, Edward wasn't able to perceive the world around him adequately, he became a schizophrenic. His loving mom and dad put him in the hospital as their business careers didn't include the problems of an ill son.

 

Does a person need to come through such experiences to gain the necessary knowledge about life? He's given a chance to learn other people's experiences – either it's a worker's experience or a time-manager's one. Why not use this opportunity?

 

To the author's credit, he has managed to show sad things in such a way that the reader doesn't get depressed and, on the contrary, feels a strong urge to live. He makes you wish to correct everything you still can, to correct and to do all the things that haven't been done yet.

 

Coelho appeals to those who suppose that they are already developed personalities. To those, who are not sure of themselves but are seeking confidence and support while still hoping. To those, who have lost their hope or never dreamt to achieve more than they have done. To all, who still remember that life is a great gift which must be used carefully and intelligently.

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.yourlife.ru/zametki/internat/veronica.shtm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"All my books comes from my own life experiences"

Writer Paulo Coelho chatted on Aftonbaldet.se

 

The brazilian author Paulo Coelho chatted on Aftonbladet.se. Among other questions he answeared was about his symbolical language and when he decided to become an author.

 

  
Moderator säger: Chattet körs på engelska! Var inte orolig om din engelska inte är perfekt, huvudsaken är ju att du får svar på dina frågor.

Paulo Coelho säger: Hello, here I am in this magical country, in this magical city. Please ask whatever you want to ask

Anne säger: First I´d like to say that The Alchemist is one of the absolutely best books I´ve read. Such a "simple" story, and still so full of insights. How did you get your inspiration for this novel?
Paulo Coelho säger: Anne, this is my methaphorical journey. once I was someone who had a dream, but did not dare to follow it. When I decided to follow, I went to this journye of Santiago

Max säger: In my opinion Alchemist is the best book I have ever read. How long did it take to find all the metaphoras etc?
Paulo Coelho säger: There is a symbolical language that talks to our soul. It comes out unconsciously

Jenny S säger: Dear Mr Coelho,
In a Norwegian interview you said that even the people living in the Pyrenées wanted to go to Paris. Are you happy with your life or are you also longing for another life or to go somewhere else?
And thank you for being a writer!
Love from Jenny
Paulo Coelho säger: I am following my journey, with the challenges that this implies, and a warrior of the light is always accepting the challenges. Thanks Jenny

Miss Camilla säger: Hello! When did you decide to become a writer?
Paulo Coelho säger: When I was 17, but everybody told me that it was imnpossible, and I postponed it till I was 38, Camilla

Ina säger: Why did your parents put you into mental hospital?
Paulo Coelho säger: because they thought I was too rebelious, wanting to be an artist in a moment that it was dangerous to live in a dictatorship

Max säger: Was there something in Alchemist that was close to your life?
Paulo Coelho säger: Max, I believe that I was in verevy situation of the shepperd boy

ZyXeL säger: I have to ask you something......
Isnt it boring ton sit and write a whole book.. I mean you have to come up for ideas for the book and stuff isnt that hard?
Paulo Coelho säger: In fact, all my books come from my life experiences, and I can say that my life is everything but boring

mikaela säger: which book is your favorit of your own books?
Paulo Coelho säger: As a mother, I have no favorite children, Mikaela

Freud säger: Have you ever studied Alchemy?
Paulo Coelho säger: Yes, for eleven years.

Scarface säger: Paulo, can you forgive your parents for putting you in, tractor, a mental hospital?
Paulo Coelho säger: I have nothing to forgive, because they did not mean to hurt me, just to protect me. it was a desperate act of love, but still it was an act of love

Moderator säger: The chat will start in a couple of minutes.
Paulo Coelho säger: the chat has already started! the moderator is trying to fix her computer!

Spirou säger: Dear sir, I loved your book The Alchemist. I´m looking forward to read the next one. What inspired you to write about that girl (I think her name is Veroniqe)
Paulo Coelho säger: Veronika decides to die has just been published in Swedish, and it is a book about our right to be different. Thanks Spirou

Helena säger: What do you think about Sweden and have You read any swedish books?
Paulo Coelho säger: Many Swedsh books I reaed, as you have a very rich literature. And I must say that from time to time I come here in vacations, I love the country since I visited it for the first time, 21 years ago

Mujo säger: Hi Paulo, Have you plan to visit Slovakien ?
Paulo Coelho säger: Yes, Mujo. I was there 3 years ago, I hope to return soon

Wolf Killer säger: What kind of music do you like?
Paulo Coelho säger: from the Beatles to Wagner. Music is everywhere

Wolf Killer säger: What inspires you to write? Traactoor
Paulo Coelho säger: Life itself. It is my way to share what I have, as it is part of human condition to share everything with everybody

Pia säger: Did your own experiences from the mental institution inspire you to write Veronica decides to die?
Paulo Coelho säger: Yes, Pla

Frans Kigali säger: Mr Cohelo, is it possible to be happy with all your insights about destiny and the voice of the soul?
Paulo Coelho säger: Happiness is for me like Sunday afternoon, where nothing happens. My goal is not to be happy, but to have the joy of the Good Fight

Jenny S säger: Do you really think that all people have a destiny like Santiago in the Alchemist, or are some people only here as "filling" between the people with a destiny? Thank you for answering my other question! Love from Jenny
Paulo Coelho säger: Jenny, everybody has a destiny, but they refuse to live it, out of fear, guilty, or the desire to please other people

Freud säger: You are a fantastic writer! What would your one-line advice be to me who want to be a writer?
Paulo Coelho säger: Freud, start writing, and don' t be intimidated by what people may think or say.

Jenny S säger: Dear Mr Coelho,
When you give out a new book, are you ever worried what people might think of it? If they like it or not?
Love from Jenny
Paulo Coelho säger: No, Janney. I am concerned about the capacity to express my soul. My new book, now currently # 1 in several countries, is about sex and prostitution. My publishers where concerned, but the people responded very well because it is a honest book

Johanna Gullberg säger: Hello Senor Coelho. I have just read your books; Alkemist and I sat by the river Pioedra and cried. I must say tha t those books are the most spectacular i´ve ever read. Ofcourse you´ve heard this a million times but I want you to know that i was almost impossible to contact during the time I read the books. I´ve just moved from south of Sweden to Malaga in Spain and this just maid my feeling+s even stronger though your book Alkmist starts in Andalucia. What other books have you written? I want to read them all.
Paulo Coelho säger: Hello Johanna. to check all my titles you can go to www.paulocoelho.com

Gustaf the Alchemist säger: Do you meditate?
Paulo Coelho säger: An active meditation. I do kyudo (Japanese zen archery). You can also see a photo of my with my bow in the opening page of www.paulocoelho.com

Ari säger: Paulo, have you read the book Lord of the rings
Paulo Coelho säger: It was a classic of my generation, Ari.

Tesa säger: Could your destiny be something as "simple" as getting married and have children or is it always bigger than that???
Paulo Coelho säger: Of course, Tesa.

Pia säger: Do you share the religous beliefs of the people in northern Brazil/ Catholicism mixed with the gods of nature?
Paulo Coelho säger: Fisrt, for Tesa again: your destiny is your destiny and everything is important. As for religion, I am Catholic, but I respect the traditional afro cultures

Hello säger: Have You a girlfriend?
Paulo Coelho säger: Not at this very moment

Ina säger: Did your teachers at school encourage you to write?
Paulo Coelho säger: No. they encouraged me to learn mathematics and chemistry.

Joakim_b säger: Have you read bob dylan's novel tarantula? If you have, what are your opinions on it?
Paulo Coelho säger: Not yet, Joakim. But I will take note

Wolf Killer säger: what did you work with before you became a writer?
Paulo Coelho säger: I was a lyricist, a tv screenplayer, but my dream was to be a writer

Tesa säger: Who is your favorite writer?
Paulo Coelho säger: William Blake

teddy säger: are you planing to do any more books?
Paulo Coelho säger: I hope so. Not planning, but allowing the book to participate in my life till it is the moment to write it

malin säger: I have to go and studdy. But I hope you know how much I love your books.. Everyone of them.. I'm 16 years old and know meny people how read your books. In my age and much much older people. god bye for today. And as we say in Sweden "Hej Då!!"
Paulo Coelho säger: Thank you Malin

Tesa säger: What happens to the world-soul when people refuse to live out their destiny???
Paulo Coelho säger: People suffers, and so do the soul of the world. But we will reach a critical mass when the warriors of the light start living up their dreams

Ina säger: What does your parents think about your writing? Have they read your books?
Paulo Coelho säger: Yes, they did, and at the end they were very happy that I fulfilled my destiny

Johan säger: Do you find it more difficult to write your books, after getting so famous?
Paulo Coelho säger: Writing is a very lonely work. And as I don't have to prove anything anymore, it makes more easy to write what I feel.

Freud säger: I just want to say thanks for answering some of my questions; I am looking forward to read loot more from you!
Paulo Coelho säger: The moderator is telling me that our chat is close to the end, I would like to thank you all for participating, and I hope to seeing some of you either here tomorrow, or Sunday Akademibonhalden City in Stockholm, at 14:00 hs. thanks!!!

Freud säger: I just want to say thanks for answering some of my questions; I am looking forward to read loot more from you!

 

 

 

http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/bocker/story/0,2789,366660,00.html