Veronika Decides to Die (Hardcover)

The intended message is inspiring and beautiful .. one must discover the true value of life, the richness with with it can be lived, the meaning of living it. We should not be apathetic and resigned to the dull norms, instead we should savor every mad moment, every whim, every impulse we feel...so long as we do not cause destruction to those around us....sing in the rain, climb a mountain, paint, dance, laugh with the joy of life and living, unleash the individual within you and cry, scream, go out and follow your dream. It is an inspiring approach to our existence and the book answers to a modern-day malaise inflicting thousands of people world wide: boredom/apathy/depression. All of us meet face-to-face with sadness and emptiness at some point in our lives, and at such times we should take heed of some of Coelho's inspiring words in the novel: "the 2 hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment, and the courage not to be dissapointed with what you encounter along the way" ..... there's another assertion by Veronika that I enjoyed reading: "to smell the earth is to feel alive" and "the meaninglessness of life was no one's fault but mine". A beautiful message, much needed in this age of prozac and therapy...

HOWEVER, I am a very objective and critical reader, and my interest in the book's main idea does not change what I've always believed to be true about Paulo Coelho: he IS an overrated writer and a bit of a pseudo-philosopher as well....yes, he is interesting, but if you read his works, for example "Veronika", you realise that the entire book revolves around one very elementary idea that he fluffs up with pretty parables and cute little symbols and metaphors JUST to give the illusion of profundity....and while he's at it, he makes it a point to mention his own admission to a mental hospital in order to appeal to the reader's sympathy and to re-confirm that he writes what he writes out of personal experience and depth of feeling.... it is so obviously fake....unfortunately, though, this is what sells his books: he appeals to an exoteric, moderately intelligent audience whilst allowing them to believe that they have just read a work of great depth and perception ... and many also think that his "simple" vocabulary is a sign of his unpretentious, down-to-earth persona ....I think its just a sign of bad writing.

Yes, the book's message is great, yes, life should be lived happily and yes, one should sit back and assess the meaning of their existence and what they can do with their lives, but for god's sake if you're looking for depth, go out and read Hesse, Roth, Dostoevsky......ignore the Coelho fad and start giving credit where real credit is due! And in case you're still wondering, the 4 stars are for the IDEA/PLOT and not for the WRITING/DEPTH.