Veronika is a young Slovenian woman who seems to have everything: a job, looks, and admirers. Yet she swallows a handful of sleeping pills in Ljubljana. She wakes up in Villete, a psychiatric hospital, where a doctor tells her she has damaged her heart and has only days to live. In those few days she meets other patients, plays the piano, and discovers feelings she had long suppressed. Paulo Coelho uses her story to ask what society calls madness, and who decides. The doctor in charge is experimenting with a new treatment for bitterness, based on the idea of death as a stimulus to appreciate life.
It is a quick read for people who like fiction that is philosophical and reflective, particularly if you have wondered about the line between sanity and conformity. Coelho's fans will see familiar themes about choosing your own life.
Inward-looking, contemplative and thought-provoking; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Mindful Reader. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2006
- Publisher
- Planeta
- ISBN
- 9789504915171
- Language
- ES
