Author: Paulo Coelho
Pages: 240
Book takes place in the country: YES
Author is from the country: NO
I have visited: NO
This was my 14th read for 2019, and the last book I read in January. I finished it on 1/30/2019
I have read the Alchemist by this author in the past and liked that book. When I saw that he wrote this one, I added it to my list for Slovenia. I have seen the movie several years ago, so I was curious about the book. I don't remember a lot about it, but I am thinking it didn't take place in Slovenia. I will have to re-watch it to find out.
Veronika has decided to commit suicide. Her reasons aren't great - she has a good life, a good job, good family. But she has had enough. She has thought through her suicide - decided the best way to go is by taking a lot of sleeping pills.
It doesn't work, and she wakes up in a mental hospital - committed and ordered to get well. Dr. Igor is treating her, and tells Veronika that she has survived her suicide attempt, but they have discovered she has a serious heart problem. This heart problem will kill her in a matter of days.
It is now that Veronika starts to learn what it is to die. And to live. She meets a few people on the inside that she comes to admire, and even falls for a young man named Eduard. She tries to fit in a lifetime of living in her final days on earth.
This is a pretty good book. It is really, really short. I read it in a day and a half. I didn't think it was as good as the Alchemist. It was a fine book, but I feel like it should have been a little longer in order to become more invested in the characters. It was hard to develop feelings for any of them in such a short amount of pages. Although -the book does really only cover a week in Veronika's life, so maybe this is all there is to say.
I would not count it out. Because I saw the movie, I knew the ending of the book already, but if you don't know it - reading the book would be worth it for the ending alone.
Stars: 3
I have only read his book The Alchemist so reading something else by him is actually something I want to eventually do as well. I think that this one deals with such a big topic of suicide and it's a shame it isn't a bit longer to be able to give the author more room to explore the topic and characters!! Great review x
ReplyDeleteMy recent post: https://oliviascatastrophe.com/2019/02/january-wrap-up-2019/
I tried getting into this a couple times, but didn't find what I was looking for. Maybe I'll try again.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't like the alchemist at all, but I didn't love his book on the valkyries either.