Name: Veronika Decides to Die
ISBN: 9780007379958

Paulo Coelho

A novel from internationally acclaimed author Paulo Coelho – a dramatic story of love, life and death that shows us all why every second of our existence is a choice we all make between living and dying.

Veronika Decides to Die

“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 halfway.”

edição portuguesa baseada na edição brasileira da Editora Objectiva, Ltd. / Editora Pergaminho, Lda. / ISBN 972-711-437-7

alexia

"Não sentia raiva de ninguém, porque isso significava ter que reagir, combater um inimigo - e depois ter que aguentar consequências imprevisíveis, como vingança."

"O grande alvo da Amargura (ou Vitríolo, como preferia o Dr. Igor) era a vontade. As pessoas atacadas deste mal iam perdendo o desejo de tudo, e em poucos anos já não conseguiam sair do seu mundo - pois tinham gasto enormes reservas de energia construindo altas muralhas para que a realidade fosse aquilo que desejavam que fosse.

Ao evitar o ataque externo, tinham também limitado o crescimento interno. Continuavam a trabalhar, a ver televisão, a protestar contra o trânsito e a ter filhos, mas tudo isso acontecia automaticamente, e sem qualquer grande emoção interior - porque, afinal, tudo estava sob controlo.

O grande problema do envenenamento por Amargura era que as paixões - ódio, amor, desespero, entusiasmo, curiosidade - também não se manifestavam mais. Depois de algum tempo, já não restava ao amargurado qualquer desejo. Não tinha vontade nem de viver, nem de morrer, esse era o problema."

- Não. Você é uma pessoa diferente querendo ser igual. E isto, no meu ponto de vista, é considerado uma doença grave.

- É grave forçar-se a ser igual: provoca neuroses, psicoses, paranóias. É grave querer ser igual, porque isso é forçar a natureza, é ir contra as leis de Deus - que, em todos os bosques e florestas do mundo, não criou uma só folha igual a outra. Mas você acha uma loucura ser diferete, e por isso escolheu Villete para viver. Porque aqui, como todos são diferentes, você passa a ser igual a toda gente. [...]

Mas ontem, por causa de um piano e de uma mulher que deve já estar morta hoje, eu descobri algo muito importante: a vida aqui dentro era exactamente igual à vida lá fora. Tanto lá como aqui, as pessoas reúnem-se em grupos, criam as suas muralhas, e não deixam que nada de estranho possa perturbar as suas medíocres existências. Fazem coisas porque estão acostumadas a fazer; estudam assuntos inúteis, divertem-se porque são obrigadas a divertir-se, e que o resto do mundo se dane, se resolva por si mesmo. [...]

Ou seja: a vida da Fraternidade é exactamente igual à vida de quase toda gente lá fora - todos evitando saber o que se encontra além das paredes de vidro do aquário. Durante muito tempo isso foi reconfortante e útil. Mas a gente muda, e agora eu estou em busca de aventura - mesmo já tendo 65 anos, e sabendo as muitas limitações que essa idade me traz. Vou para a Bósnia: há gente que me espera ali, embora ainda não me conheça, e eu tão-pouco a conheça. Mas sei que sou útil, e que o risco de uma aventura vale mil dias de bem-estar e conforto.

Quando acabou a leitura do bilhete, os membros da Fraternidade foram para os seus quartos e enfermarias, dizendo a si mesmos que ela tinha enlouquecido definitivamente.

[...] Ela ia considerar cada dia um milagre - o que não deixa de ser, considerando todas as probabilidades de que ocorram coisas inesperadas em cada segundo da nossa frágil existência.

Twenty-four-year-old Veronika seems to have everything -- youth and beauty, boyfriends and a loving family, a fulfilling job. But something is missing in her life. So, one cold November morning, she takes a handful of sleeping pills expecting never to wake up. But she does -- at a mental hospital where she is told that she has only days to live. Inspired by events in Coelho's own life, Veronika Decides to Die questions the meaning of madness and celebrates individuals who do not fit into patterns society considers to be normal. Bold and illuminating, it is a dazzling portrait of a young woman at the crossroads of despair and liberation, and a poetic, exuberant appreciation of each day as a renewed opportunity.

A Novel of Redemption

Esse ñ me prendeu muito; plots meio bleh, as historias de cada personagem são muito rasas.. O Alquimista me pegou muito mais.

Denis Crepaldi

A Novel of Redemption (P.S.)

I appreciate the message, but i found myself bored nonetheless

blue

y✦

✦ is the world more than a little mad, or are u not normal? is the takeaway i got
✦ scenes were phenomenal
✦ rly went thru it expecting to be triggered but the opposite happened
✦ liberating

Rating it a 5 because this is the main reason I am where I am today. 

My aunt went to Singapore to live there for good and left a bunch of books and this is part of it, one summer, I decided to pick this book (I was a 6th grader) After that, I haven't looked at book since. 

Reading Veronika Decides To Die, introduce me to a whole new world, and people, and made me feel things, I would never experience if I went out and played with my friends. 

This started my love for books, and in turn, my decision to take up English in college, and pursue reading for good. 

I am beyond thankful for Paulo Coelho and this book. 

I would never be where I am , in my little room reading a book, from my pile of never ending to be read books, if it weren't for him. 

Rating it a 5 because this is the main reason I am where I am today. 

My aunt went to Singapore to live there for good and left a bunch of books and this is part of it, one summer, I decided to pick this book (I was a 6th grader) After that, I haven't looked at book since. 

Reading Veronika Decides To Die, introduce me to a whole new world, and people, and made me feel things, I would never experience if I went out and played with my friends. 

This started my love for books, and in turn, my decision to take up English in college, and pursue reading for good. 

I am beyond thankful for Paulo Coelho and this book. 

I would never be where I am , in my little room reading a book, from my pile of never ending to be read books, if it weren't for him. 



Janna Romano

One of the books that made me think after reading.

Aastha Maheshwari 

Veronika has everything she could wish for - but is not happy. One morning she decides to die and she takes an overdose, only to wake up in hospital where she realises she has only days to live. The story follows Veronika through these intense days.

i love how the book talks about how you don’t always need a reason to die, you don’t always have to be ill to want to die. 

Tess 

i love how the book talks about how you don’t always need a reason to die, you don’t always have to be ill to want to die. 

this book glorifies “madness” which i love. to be mad is beautiful, to see things in different light is beautiful, to want to die and then live again is beautiful.

Andrea Bruno

Una bellissima storia sulla vita e la follia. Una indicazione su come sfuggire alla monotonia della vita quotidiana grazie alla follia. Un capolavoro di Coelho.

eliz

a whole new experience. will definitely pick up one of his books again some other time.

Made me think about life and rethink about the ways I view certain things. Also, the twist at the end>>>>>> beautifully written!!!

Yalin Tsikun

A young woman decides to end her meaningless life by taking an overdose of sleeping pills. Instead, she awakens in a coma in a mental hospital and experiences what she believes is a heart attack. She is told that she has five days to live.

Jayme Bosio

What would you do if you knew you only had 7 days to live? The title of this book is misleading because the story is really about a woman who finally decides to live. This is Paulo Coelho's best work to date.

alali moe

One of the first fictions I ever read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. My heart warms every time I read the title and get the flashbacks about the story. Very emotional story, very engaging.

Twenty-four-year-old Veronika seems to have everything -- youth and beauty, boyfriends and a loving family, a fulfilling job. But something is missing in her life. So, one cold November morning Veronika decides to die. She takes a handful of sleeping pills expecting never to wake up. But she does -- at a mental hospital where she is told that she has only days to live. This poignant international bestseller by the author of The Alchemist takes readers on a quest to find meaning in a culture overshadowed by angst, soulless routine, and pervasive conformity. Based on events in Coelho's own life, Veronika Decides to Die questions the meaning of madness and celebrates individuals who do not fit into patterns society considers to be normal. Bold and illuminating, it is a dazzling portrait of a young woman at the crossroads of despair and liberation, and a poetic, exuberant appreciation of each day as a renewed opportunity.

Sara Hakkoum

I tend to ponder many things, but I guess death just isn't really one of them. I'm far too busy thinking about other aspects of life to have really given all my energy and attention to this book. It made me think a lot; more than usual. When you get right down to it, the story itself was really a bit too messy. Too many things were happening at the same time, and the only parts that would stand out were the philosophical ones that have nothing to do with the actual story. They were the only bits I enjoyed.
I guess I learned my lesson: no more Paulo Coelho. His books just confuse me.

Vanessa Egger

"Das Bewusstsein des Todes lässt uns das Leben intensiver leben."

"Veronika beschliesst zu sterben" ist ein sehr treffender Titel, denn Veronika beschliesst wirklich zu sterben und unternimmt einen Selbstmordversuch. Doch sie überlebt und die Geschichte nimmt ihren lauf.

Als ich mich entschloss dieses Buch zu lesen, erwartete ich eine traurige Geschichte, dachte allerdings das ich den Schluss schon vorhersagen kann. Auf Grund dessen bin ich wirklich positiv Überrascht,dass das Buch so ganz anders ist als erwartet.

Denise La Greca

non è un brutto libro, ma nemmeno il più bello di Coelho. Dà importanti spunti di riflessione, ci sono personaggi che mi hanno colpita con le loro storie, ma da Coelho mi aspetto di più. Molto di più. Per questo do solo due stelline.

Nitin Khanna

Inspiring as always, this story by Paulo Coelho sticks to your mind long after you finish it. There's a lesson in here but you can just read they story for the heck of it because Coelho is such a good writer... :)

Manish Narayan Pandit

Except being encountered with sexual issues, I've survived it all.
Pieces of Stuff I got to jot down from my life may seem a bit difficult to follow from normal social animal POV, but it's the bitter truth.
SUDEP is peaceful, better wait for it with excitement 
1. Every person you come across is just like any random stranger passing by the road.
2. The relation graph can be plotted like -- Maxwell Boltzmann curve.
3. Beware!! Never to open up, it can be used against you.
4. You never know how others really are. People are already insecure, way more than you think.
You won't die if you won't speak your heart out. Anyway, I've recorded more than 20 fake call simulations, and talking back to those recording is my new time pass. Yeah... I know this is boring lol

Sunelle Chamberlain

This book really made me think about life and what it is that keeps each of us going on a day-to-day basis.