Veronika, albeit being young, beautiful, attractive, sexy, and smart, committed suicide by ingesting loads of sleeping pills. Prior to the act, she wrote a letter that became her suicide note – she was committing suicide so that people would know where Slovenia is. Death came slowly. A few hours later, she woke up with tubes and catheters attached to her body. She found out that she was in a mental hospital.
Veronika Decides to Die is the story of Veronika – a twenty-ish alluring woman who decided to end her life for 2 reasons: 1) she thought everything in life is the same and 2) she felt powerless over the fact that she can’t change everything that is wrong.
In the hospital, she was told that the suicide attempt resulted to a failing heart. She was warned that she only had a week to live. Everybody in the hospital – from the staff, the nurses, to the sane and insane patients – knew that Veronika was dying.
Based on statistics, females committed more suicide attempts than males. But more males became successful in ending their lives. According to psychiatrists, females tend to be fickle, unlike men are more decisive than their gender counterparts.
Veronika was decisive enough to kill herself. Unfortunately, she failed. She wanted a comfortable, painless death; she decided to overdose herself with sleeping pills. Again, basing on suicide stats, males are more courageous in trying the painful ways of suicide. They knew that there is greater success in hanging, jumping over high altitude, shooting oneself with a gun, and slashing the wrists, among other painful, gory modes.
People commit suicide for lots of reasons. Each story, however we categorize it, is unique. Failure is one of the most common reasons. In the book, it could be said that Veronika failed to see the world in a different way. Furthermore, everything for her was the same, everything became a routine -- she failed to change it.
Failure is a common human phenomenon. Everybody experiences it. It could be the same for most persons, but the way we see, handle, and accept it are different. Psychiatrists explain that the persons who committed suicide have poor ego sets – they lack the support system, be it emotionally, spiritually, mentally, or socially. In the book, it was said that Veronika had everything: loving family, decent job, relationships with men, and a shelter. So, could her reasons justify her suicide attempt?
I do not know. I believe that anybody could commit suicide for whatever reasons. For us to better understand the reasons behind any suicide attempt, we need to dig deep within the personality of the person who committed suicide as well as her psycho- and sociocultural dynamics.
Veronika decided to die, yet death did not arrive. As I read, I thought it would be Veronika’s story all throughout, but no. Chapters were made for 4 other supporting characters: Zedka, Mari, Eduard and Dr. Igor. All of them are patients, except for the doctor.
The book was not entirely about Veronika. It was Veronika and the other characters. Veronika was just a medium for them to make realizations about their lives.
Zedka represented Depression. She was admitted due to this mental disturbance. She lost the love of her life which caused severe depression. She failed to take care of herself and her family.
In the book, Zedka was a recipient of an old, inhumane therapy – insulin shock. Insulin causes a drop in the body’s glucose levels which, in severe forms, results to coma. The purpose is to forget the stimulus of anxiety. While in coma, Zedka experienced separation from her body. Her spirit flew to places while her flesh remained on the hospital bed. When she met Veronika, she realized how valuable life is. She realized she could explore and expand her horizons. The only way to do it is astral projection. This left me asking these questions: Isn’t this unreal? How could she say she’s cured if she has another form of ‘reality’, so to speak?
Mari is Fear personified. She suffered panic attacks prior to her hospital admission. She failed to dsicover the cause of her panic attacks. She brought herself to the hospital. And though the doctor said she was already cured, she did not leave because of fear of being unaccepted by her family, friends, and the society.
Through Veronika, Mari realized that life is short and meaningful. She realized that life in the hospital is the same as life outside. She learned that there were lots of things she could do in order to put meaning to her life. She decided to leave the hospital.
Eduard could be perceived as Fantasy. This son of an ambassador became schizophrenic because he was so inclined to his “Visions of Paradise” – paintings of his perception of earthly Paradise which were inspired by a book that contained famous personalities and how they made their world a paradise. Eduard, after much persuasion from his father, decided to quit painting. But the visions were too powerful and it controlled him.
Even though I said that the book was not entirely about Veronika, I have to say that it centered on Veronika. The thought of an impending death made the main protagonist to push herself beyond her limits; to experience life without minding what others might think. Moreover, she made all other characters realize that there is life beyond the walls of their confinement – they realized that they have to live life to its fullest while they are still alive.
Dr. Igor created this theory – the cure for bitterness is self-awareness. He induced symptoms of heart failure on Veronika, thus controlling the hospital atmosphere, in order to arrive at answers.
Veronika Decides to Die also revolved on the idea that “abnormalities” are sociocultural in nature. The concept of psychological normalcy is greatly affected by the norms of our society. What we consider as normal may be abnormal to others of different sociocultural background.
Paolo Coelho’s book was not as powerful and dynamic as I expected. I had high expectations because it was included in the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list. But it isn’t that bad as well. In my own opinion, to be included in the list, it must parallel with novels like The Godfather, The Little Prince, Little Women, and Kafka on the Shore. I give the book 3/5 bookmarks – a good read but not worth recommending.
***
My book was mooched from Japan. I got it in mint condition, almost. :)
Veronika Decides to Die is the story of Veronika – a twenty-ish alluring woman who decided to end her life for 2 reasons: 1) she thought everything in life is the same and 2) she felt powerless over the fact that she can’t change everything that is wrong.
In the hospital, she was told that the suicide attempt resulted to a failing heart. She was warned that she only had a week to live. Everybody in the hospital – from the staff, the nurses, to the sane and insane patients – knew that Veronika was dying.
Based on statistics, females committed more suicide attempts than males. But more males became successful in ending their lives. According to psychiatrists, females tend to be fickle, unlike men are more decisive than their gender counterparts.
Veronika was decisive enough to kill herself. Unfortunately, she failed. She wanted a comfortable, painless death; she decided to overdose herself with sleeping pills. Again, basing on suicide stats, males are more courageous in trying the painful ways of suicide. They knew that there is greater success in hanging, jumping over high altitude, shooting oneself with a gun, and slashing the wrists, among other painful, gory modes.
People commit suicide for lots of reasons. Each story, however we categorize it, is unique. Failure is one of the most common reasons. In the book, it could be said that Veronika failed to see the world in a different way. Furthermore, everything for her was the same, everything became a routine -- she failed to change it.
Failure is a common human phenomenon. Everybody experiences it. It could be the same for most persons, but the way we see, handle, and accept it are different. Psychiatrists explain that the persons who committed suicide have poor ego sets – they lack the support system, be it emotionally, spiritually, mentally, or socially. In the book, it was said that Veronika had everything: loving family, decent job, relationships with men, and a shelter. So, could her reasons justify her suicide attempt?
I do not know. I believe that anybody could commit suicide for whatever reasons. For us to better understand the reasons behind any suicide attempt, we need to dig deep within the personality of the person who committed suicide as well as her psycho- and sociocultural dynamics.
Veronika decided to die, yet death did not arrive. As I read, I thought it would be Veronika’s story all throughout, but no. Chapters were made for 4 other supporting characters: Zedka, Mari, Eduard and Dr. Igor. All of them are patients, except for the doctor.
The book was not entirely about Veronika. It was Veronika and the other characters. Veronika was just a medium for them to make realizations about their lives.
Zedka represented Depression. She was admitted due to this mental disturbance. She lost the love of her life which caused severe depression. She failed to take care of herself and her family.
In the book, Zedka was a recipient of an old, inhumane therapy – insulin shock. Insulin causes a drop in the body’s glucose levels which, in severe forms, results to coma. The purpose is to forget the stimulus of anxiety. While in coma, Zedka experienced separation from her body. Her spirit flew to places while her flesh remained on the hospital bed. When she met Veronika, she realized how valuable life is. She realized she could explore and expand her horizons. The only way to do it is astral projection. This left me asking these questions: Isn’t this unreal? How could she say she’s cured if she has another form of ‘reality’, so to speak?
Mari is Fear personified. She suffered panic attacks prior to her hospital admission. She failed to dsicover the cause of her panic attacks. She brought herself to the hospital. And though the doctor said she was already cured, she did not leave because of fear of being unaccepted by her family, friends, and the society.
Through Veronika, Mari realized that life is short and meaningful. She realized that life in the hospital is the same as life outside. She learned that there were lots of things she could do in order to put meaning to her life. She decided to leave the hospital.
Eduard could be perceived as Fantasy. This son of an ambassador became schizophrenic because he was so inclined to his “Visions of Paradise” – paintings of his perception of earthly Paradise which were inspired by a book that contained famous personalities and how they made their world a paradise. Eduard, after much persuasion from his father, decided to quit painting. But the visions were too powerful and it controlled him.
Even though I said that the book was not entirely about Veronika, I have to say that it centered on Veronika. The thought of an impending death made the main protagonist to push herself beyond her limits; to experience life without minding what others might think. Moreover, she made all other characters realize that there is life beyond the walls of their confinement – they realized that they have to live life to its fullest while they are still alive.
Dr. Igor created this theory – the cure for bitterness is self-awareness. He induced symptoms of heart failure on Veronika, thus controlling the hospital atmosphere, in order to arrive at answers.
Veronika Decides to Die also revolved on the idea that “abnormalities” are sociocultural in nature. The concept of psychological normalcy is greatly affected by the norms of our society. What we consider as normal may be abnormal to others of different sociocultural background.
Paolo Coelho’s book was not as powerful and dynamic as I expected. I had high expectations because it was included in the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list. But it isn’t that bad as well. In my own opinion, to be included in the list, it must parallel with novels like The Godfather, The Little Prince, Little Women, and Kafka on the Shore. I give the book 3/5 bookmarks – a good read but not worth recommending.
***
My book was mooched from Japan. I got it in mint condition, almost. :)
Happy Birthday Paolo Coelho!
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