Putang Ina Niyo!!

"Veronika decides to die" is a relatively short novel, around 190 pages, so could easily be read in one sitting. However to really appreciate the messages that Paulo Coelho is trying to get across, I found it preferable to read the story in short segments at a time, allowing me to reflect more deeply on the story unfolding before me. Paulo Coelho is trying to teach the reader several things, whilst observing his own promise to reveal his personal experiences of a doctor-patient relationship into a mental hospital. Whilst teaching the reader, Coelho also delves into the standards to the mental hospitals and even touches on the boundaries of Doctors practise and how far they are allowed to go without requesting full consent from the patient in question.

In light of this, on 22 January 1999, Senator Eduardo Suplicy read out extracts from "Veronika decides to die" to the Brazilian Congress, and was finally successful in obtaining approval for a law forbidding arbitrary admissions into mental hospitals.

Obviously the main focus of the story is on Veronika, but a fair amount of time is spent on the developing relationship between her and the other inmates. This allows the reader to develop a greater understanding of the situation Veronika is in, and a better understanding of the word "mad" and its many means and associations.

I would recommend this book to all ages, in particular those who struggle through the monotonous routines of life, as this book shows you clearly how much more is out there for us to experience. Although I thought the book was too short, I was enraptured by the more poetic flair of Paulo Coelho, and thoroughly enjoyed his tale.

In particular a quote by the Belfast Newsletter, Ireland, in October 2000 summaries the book very well. "A compelling read... fascinating. The account of a desperate young woman's search for the will to live when she is so close to death gives much food for thought."