• Number Of Pages: 210 Pages
• Genre Of Book: philosophical fiction, and psychological fiction 
• Published On: 1998

“Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it.”

“You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.”

“What happens when you say ‘enough’ and stop trying to escape from what you most fear?”

“The world is not the problem; the problem is your mind.”

“To live is to experience, to choose, to live with passion, and to make mistakes.”

“You can spend your entire life in a dark room, wishing the light would come on, but the truth is that you are the one who must turn on the switch.”

“Each day, as I reflect on my own life, I realize that the most important thing is to love, and the greatest love is the one we feel for ourselves.”

The novel follows Veronika, a 24-year-old woman living in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Despite having a seemingly perfect life beauty, youth, a decent job, and loving parents ,she feels empty, uninspired, and numb. One morning, she decides to end her life by taking an overdose of sleeping pills.

After the suicide attempt, Veronika wakes up in Villete, a mental hospital. She is told that while her suicide attempt failed, it damaged her heart irreversibly. According to the doctors, she has only a few days to live.

This shocking news changes her perspective. She begins to feel emotions she had suppressed anger, curiosity, desire and starts to live fully in her final days.While in Villete, Veronika meets several patients who challenge her understanding of madness and normalcy.

Zedka, a woman suffering from depression. Mari, a successful lawyer with panic attacks who chose to stay in the asylum. Eduard, a young man diagnosed with schizophrenia, who is also an artist and becomes Veronika’s romantic interest.

Through these encounters, Veronika begins to question the definition of sanity. She realizes that conforming to society’s expectations had dulled her spirit.

As Veronika embraces her remaining time, she falls in love with Eduard. Her passion for music particularly the piano returns. Ironically, believing she is dying gives her the freedom to truly live, without fear or judgment.

The twist reveals that Veronika is not actually dying. The doctor, Dr. Igor, had conducted an experiment to show that awareness of death can restore a will to live. Veronika’s heart was never damaged; the diagnosis was a lie.

By the end, Veronika and Eduard escape Villete to begin a new life together with Veronika choosing to live each day as if it were her last.

The fine line between sanity and madness ,The oppression of social norms ,The transformative power of love Rediscovering passion and authenticity The beauty of life when faced with death

Coelho suggests that true madness lies in denying our individuality to fit into society’s mold. Sometimes, we must embrace our perceived “madness” to rediscover life’s meaning.

#booklover ❤️❤️

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