Veronika Decides to Die
Encyclopedia
Veronika Decides to Die is a novel
by Paulo Coelho
. It tells the story of 24-year-old Veronika, who appears to have everything in life going for her, but who decides to kill herself. This book is partly based on Coelho's experience in various mental institutions (see the biography Confessions of A Pilgrim by Juan Arias). It is based around the subject of madness. The gist of the message is that "collective madness is called sanity".
Veronika Decides to Die has been adapted for theatre
a number of times, and was also used in other artistic references.
, Slovenia
who appears to have the perfect life, but nevertheless decides to commit suicide
by ingesting too many sleeping pills. While she waits to die, she decides to read a magazine.
After seeing an article in the magazine which wittily asks "Where is Slovenia
?," she decides to write a letter to the press justifying her suicide, the idea being to make the press believe that she has killed herself because people don't even know where Slovenia is. Her plan fails and she wakes up in Villete, a mental hospital
in Slovenia
, where she is told she has a week to live.
Her presence there affects all of the mental hospital's patients, especially Zedka, who has clinical depression
; Mari, who suffers from panic attacks; and Eduard, who has schizophrenia
, and with whom Veronika falls in love. During her internment in Villete she realises that she has nothing to lose and can therefore do what she wants, say what she wants and be who she wants without having to worry about what others think of her; as a mental patient, she is unlikely to be criticized. Because of this newfound freedom Veronika experiences all the things she never allowed herself to experience, including hatred, love, and sexual awakening.
In the meantime, Villete's head psychiatrist, Dr. Igor, attempts a fascinating but provocative experiment: can you "shock" someone into wanting to live by convincing her that death is imminent? Like a doctor applying defibrillator paddles to a heart attack victim, Dr. Igor's "prognosis" jump-starts Veronika's new appreciation of the world around her.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Paulo Coelho
Paulo Coelho
Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian lyricist and novelist.-Biography:Paulo Coelho was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He attended a Jesuit school. As a teenager, Coelho wanted to become a writer. Upon telling his mother this, she responded with "My dear, your father is an engineer. He's a logical,...
. It tells the story of 24-year-old Veronika, who appears to have everything in life going for her, but who decides to kill herself. This book is partly based on Coelho's experience in various mental institutions (see the biography Confessions of A Pilgrim by Juan Arias). It is based around the subject of madness. The gist of the message is that "collective madness is called sanity".
Veronika Decides to Die has been adapted for theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
a number of times, and was also used in other artistic references.
Plot summary
Veronika is a beautiful young woman from LjubljanaLjubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
who appears to have the perfect life, but nevertheless decides to commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by ingesting too many sleeping pills. While she waits to die, she decides to read a magazine.
After seeing an article in the magazine which wittily asks "Where is Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
?," she decides to write a letter to the press justifying her suicide, the idea being to make the press believe that she has killed herself because people don't even know where Slovenia is. Her plan fails and she wakes up in Villete, a mental hospital
Mental Hospital
Mental hospital may refer to:*Psychiatric hospital*hospital in Nepal named Mental Hospital...
in Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, where she is told she has a week to live.
Her presence there affects all of the mental hospital's patients, especially Zedka, who has clinical depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
; Mari, who suffers from panic attacks; and Eduard, who has schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
, and with whom Veronika falls in love. During her internment in Villete she realises that she has nothing to lose and can therefore do what she wants, say what she wants and be who she wants without having to worry about what others think of her; as a mental patient, she is unlikely to be criticized. Because of this newfound freedom Veronika experiences all the things she never allowed herself to experience, including hatred, love, and sexual awakening.
In the meantime, Villete's head psychiatrist, Dr. Igor, attempts a fascinating but provocative experiment: can you "shock" someone into wanting to live by convincing her that death is imminent? Like a doctor applying defibrillator paddles to a heart attack victim, Dr. Igor's "prognosis" jump-starts Veronika's new appreciation of the world around her.
Adaptations
- Veronika Decides to DieVeronika Decides to Die (film)Veronika Decides to Die is a 2009 drama film directed by Emily Young and starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jonathan Tucker, Melissa Leo, David Thewlis and Erika Christensen, adapted from the novel of the same name by Paulo Coelho....
has been adapted into a screenplay by Das Films with Muse Productions and Velvet Steamroller Entertainment. Shooting began on May 12, 2008 and the movie was released in 2009 with Emily Young directing. Sarah Michelle GellarSarah Michelle GellarSarah Michelle Prinze , known professionally by her birth name of Sarah Michelle Gellar , is an American actress, singer and executive producer...
plays Veronika. Jonathan TuckerJonathan TuckerJonathan Moss Tucker is an American film and television actor, best known for his roles in the movies The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Hostage, In the Valley of Elah and The Ruins, and The Black Donnellys on television....
also stars along with David ThewlisDavid ThewlisDavid Thewlis is an English actor of stage and screen. His most commercially successful role to date has been that of Remus Lupin, in the Harry Potter film series...
, Melissa LeoMelissa LeoMelissa Chessington Leo , is an American actress. After appearing on several television shows and films in the late '80s, her breakthrough role came in 1993 as Det. Sgt. Kay Howard on the television series Homicide: Life on the Street for the show's first five seasons from 1993 – 1997...
and Erika ChristensenErika ChristensenErika Jane Christensen is an American actress whose film appearances include Traffic , Swimfan , How to Rob a Bank , and The Perfect Score , among others. She also co-starred in the short-lived drama Six Degrees on ABC...
. The movie has the same nameVeronika Decides to Die (film)Veronika Decides to Die is a 2009 drama film directed by Emily Young and starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jonathan Tucker, Melissa Leo, David Thewlis and Erika Christensen, adapted from the novel of the same name by Paulo Coelho....
as the book.
- The Japanese movie, "ベロニカは死ぬことにした (Beronica wa shinu koto ni shita)" is also based on Veronika Decides to Die.
- The title was used by Danish metal band SaturnusSaturnus (band)Saturnus is a band from Denmark formed in 1991 playing melodic death/doom metal, with touches of gothic metal. They sing of sorrow, loss, and death.-Biography:...
in 2006, whose third studio album was titled Veronika Decides To Die. The punk metal band NoComplyNoComplyNoComply were a metal-influenced punk rock sextet hailing from Plymouth, Devon in the south of England. They took their name from the skateboarding trick known as "no comply". On the 23rd January 2006, NoComply announced they would be calling it a day as a band.- History :NoComply formed in the...
also used the title for one of the tracks on their album With Windmills Turning Wrong DirectionsWith Windmills Turning Wrong DirectionsWith Windmills Turning Wrong Directions is the only full-length release by British punk rock band NoComply.-Track listing:#Future Template#Stories#The Price Of You#Sung By Mutes#Close To Hell And Burning#Veronika Decides To Die...
.
- The Japanese rock band Aqua TimezAqua Timezis a Japanese pop rock band signed to Epic Records.-Overview:Futoshi and OKP-Star met on with9.com in 2000 and attempted to start a band together. Unable to agree on the band's future, the two disbanded. In 2003, the current band members gathered and formed Aqua Timez. Their first independent music...
's song "Velonica" is based on Veronika Decides To Die. - The Canadian rock band Billy TalentBilly TalentBilly Talent is a Canadian post-hardcore band from Streetsville, Ontario. They formed in 1993 with Ben Kowalewicz as the lead vocalist, Ian D'Sa on lead guitar, bassist Jon Gallant and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk ....
's song "Saint VeronikaSaint Veronika"Saint Veronika" is the third official single by Billy Talent from their fourth album, Billy Talent III.-Music video:The music video premiered on February 1, 2010 on MySpace. The video starts with a family of dolls sitting down at dinner when the father gets angry at his daughter to which she...
" is based on Veronika Decides To Die. - The Pakistani movie Love Mein Gum directed by Reema Khan is also based upon Veronika Decides To Die.
- In 2004, the Sons of Beckett Theater Company in Los Angeles, California, adapted the book into a stage play. The direction and adaptation were by Erin McBride Africa.
- The UK Punk/Ska band No ComplyNo complyThe no comply is a skateboard move that was popularized by the skater Neil Blender in the 1980s. To do the trick, you must plant your front foot and pop the board with only your back foot.This trick is usually done on flat ground...
's song Veronika Decides to Die is based on the book.