Veronika Decides to Die
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| Veronika Decides to Die | |
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| Author | Paulo Coelho |
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| Original title | Veronika decide morrer |
| Country | Brazil |
| Language | Portuguese |
| Publication date | 1998 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover, Paperback) |
| Pages | 224 pages (Paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-060-95577-5 |
Veronika Decides to Die (Portuguese: Veronika decide morrer) is a novel by Paulo Coelho. It tells the story of 24 year old Veronika, who appears to have everything in life going for her, but who decides to kill herself.
This book is partly based on Coelho's experience in various mental institutions (see the biography Confessions of A Pilgrim by Juan Arias). It is based around the subject of madness.
The gist of the message is that "collective madness is called sanity".
Veronika Decides to Die has been adapted for theatre a number of times.
The title was used by Danish metal band Saturnus in 2006, whose third studio album was titled Veronika Decides To Die. The punk metal band NoComply also used the title for one of the tracks on their album With Windmills Turning Wrong Directions.
[edit] Plot summary
Veronika, who leads a seemingly perfect life, lives in Ljubljana, Slovenia. She decides to commit a premeditated suicide by ingesting too many sleeping pills. While she waits for her death, she decides to read a magazine.
After seeing an article in the magazine which wittily asks "Where is Slovenia?," she decides to write a letter to the press justifying her suicide, the idea being to make the press believe that she has killed herself because people don't even know where Slovenia is. Her plan fails and she wakes up in Villete, a mental hospital in Slovenia, where she is told she has a week to live.
Her presence there affects all of the mental hospital's patients, especially Zedka, who has clinical depression; Mari, who suffers from panic attacks; and Eduard, who has schizophrenia, and with whom Veronika falls in love.
During her internment in Villete she realises that she has nothing to lose and can therefore do what she wants, say what she wants and be who she wants without having to worry about what others think of her; as a madwoman, she is unlikely to be criticized.
Because of this newfound freedom Veronika experiences all the things she never allowed herself to experience including hatred, love and even sexual awakening.
In the meantime, Vilette's head psychiatrist attempts a fascinating but provocative experiment. Can you "shock" someone into wanting to live by convincing her that death is imminent? Like a doctor applying defibrillator paddles to a heart attack victim, Dr. Igor's "prognosis" jump-starts Veronika's new appreciation of the world around her.
[edit] Adaptations
- Veronika Decides to Die has been adapted into a screenplay with Muse Productions and Das Films and began shooting on May 12 2008 . Emily Young is the director . Sarah Michelle Gellar plays Veronika.[1] Jonathan Tucker also stars [2] [3]The cast also includes David Thewlis , Melissa Leo and Erika Christensen.[1]
- The doom metal band's Saturnus 2006 album is titled Veronika Decides to Die.
