Book Review: Veronika Decides to Die

“Nothing in this world happens by chance.”

I was in Times, an import book store, searching for a book to accompany my 15 hours flight to the Netherlands. Casually, I was skimming to a line of books by author that I know, such as Nicholas Sparks and Jodie Picoult. I’ve read too many books from them and this time, I want to try reading something new. My eye caught by a small blue book written by the famous Paulo Coelho. I only read some of his “Eleven Minutes” and “The Alchemist”. Never finished both books (the indonesian version can’t suit to my reading style), and I captivated by the title of this book: “Veronika Decides to Die”. A courageus word selections for a book’s title. I flipped to the summary, and it says:

“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 decided to die. ...”

I decided at that moment that this is the book that I want to read, and I’m glad I made it to the cashier. I love the book since the very beginning till the very end. Paulo Coelho used the wording very beautifully so that I can imagine how it like to be Veronika. How when you seem to have everything, but actually you have nothing. How you try to adapt with the situation and then suddenly you become one of them: you lost your anger, your obsession, you accept your condition, and you feel neither happy or sad. The price you have to pay to live in world which you think is the best for you, is sadly, to buried your deep obsession.

Veronika hasn’t died, she then put in the mental hospital when she met with other crazy person. The term of “crazy” here is also interesting. “Insanity is the inability to communicate your ideas.. And all of us, one way or another, are insane.” In the mental hospital, Veronika feels the freedom. Because she is free to show her emotion, free to act as crazy as she wants, without afraid people will judge them, because everybody is the same –crazy—and she feel indifferent with other by doing so. “collective madness is called sanity”.

This book talk more about psychology, and many kind of people which put in the mental hospital. Some of them are completely crazy and have no chance to go back to the society, but some of them are completely cured, but refuse to sent out and pretend they are crazy, because they aren’t ready to face the outside world: the judgement because they came from mental hospital, the unpaid bills, responsibility for family and children, and so on. I imagine being one of the patient in that mental hospital, and that would be my case.

Well, I won’t going to spoil what’s more in the book. Because like one of the line in the book: “People never learn anything by being told. They have to find out by themselves.” So, go read it and decide whether you think it’s as good as I think. And regarding this, I want to quote one more from the book: “Two hardest test on the spiritual road are: the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be dissapointed with what you encounter.” Be patience to read it, and do it on your own risk! ;)