This is why even beginners can enjoy and appreciate his works. What separates Coelho from other modern greats is the ability to make complex subjects simple to read. Like in most of Paulo Coelho works, the language in this book is simple and easily digestible. The author’s habit of giving a happy ending always didn’t quite fit with this story… at least for me! Put the book down when you read: “Death was sweet, it smelled of wine and it stroked her hair”. However, Paulo Coelho ruined it by writing the last few pages, and I really wish he hadn’t! If it had been otherwise, many readers would have cried their hearts out. I was almost begging for the book to end at the penultimate chapter. All in all, the book is an absolute gem until you reach the climax.

The love angle between Eduard and Veronika is quite unique and makes you uncomfortable in a few places.

As you dive deeper and deeper, you begin to see life from various perspectives.Įspecially, the backstories of Zedka and Eduard are quite moving and touch your heart on multiple occasions. The book delves into controversial subjects like existential crisis, social injustice, and self-denial. Each of these characters has interesting and intriguing backstories, and all of these help us understand the true essence of what Coelho wants to portray. Here, she meets different kinds of inmates, many of those who aren’t mad and have deliberately decided to stay in the hospital! Emotionally Exhausting CharactersĪpart from Veronika, there a few other characters that add a ton of emotions in this grippy and tragic narration. After attempting suicide, Veronika ends up in a lunatic asylum named Villete.

The plot is set in Slovenia, a picturesque country situated in Central Europe. In the beginning, the story portrays Veronika’s interpretation of life, love, and relationships, getting intense and deep as you turn the pages curiously. The story revolves around Veronika, a young and (apparently) happy girl, who has an almost complete life, having all that a young woman would ever want, right from a stable job to loving boyfriends and caring parents. The book has everything needed to make a great tale – history, tragedy, philosophy, spirituality, love, intensity, emotions, disease, and death. “Veronika Decides to Die” is definitely a fantastic read in that regard. Paulo Coelho is one of the great masters of spiritually and philosophically fulfilling stories. A young girl named Veronika decides to commit suicide for one of the most bizarre reasons, and that’s that she has a “perfect life”! Plot Summary – Veronika Decides to Die Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho is easily one of the best novels to read for the most part, until the last 5 pages ruin it completely.

Paulo coelho veronika decides to die