The head of the hospital, Dr. Igor , tells Veronika that her suicide attempt has caused irreversible heart damage, leaving her with only one week to live.
Published in 1998, "Veronika Decides to Die" tells the story of Veronika, a 24-year-old Slovenian woman who, feeling suffocated by the monotony of her life, decides to take her own life. She attempts to overdose on sleeping pills, but, surprisingly, she survives. As she recuperates in a psychiatric hospital, Veronika encounters a cast of characters who challenge her perceptions of life, death, and the human condition. Veronika Decides to Die -Paulo Coelho.pdf
The novel opens with Veronika, a young woman living in Ljubljana, Slovenia. By all external metrics, she has a perfect life. She is young, beautiful, has a steady job, and has suitors. Yet, she feels absolutely empty. The head of the hospital, Dr
Veronika was not afraid of dying; she was afraid of living a boring life. Coelho suggests that worrying about losing something (a job, status, reputation) paralyzes us. The "crazy" people in Villette have already lost everything, so they are free to actually be . She attempts to overdose on sleeping pills, but,