About this title: A librarian named Veronika attempts suicide by overdosing on pills, and when she comes out of her coma she is in a mental institution and told she has only a week to live.
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Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Acceptable. Book is in good reading condition. Cover has wear at edges and corners, and may have creases. Spine has wear at edges and may have creases. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Date Published: 2001
ISBN-13:9780060955779ISBN:0060955775
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Pages are clean, light crimp on page corners, spine is not creased. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 210 p. Audience: General/trade. read more
Description: Good. 0060196122 Ex-library book with stickers and stampings. Overall good condition with clean text and good binding unless otherwise noted. Edges heavily soiled. Most items ship within 24 hours. read more
Description: Good. 0786230312 Former library item may have library binding and show stamps, stickers or other marks. Items not meeting quality expectations may be returned. Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. read more
Description: Good. 2000-Paperback----Used-Good-Hall Street Books proudly ships from Brooklyn, NY. All orders are processed and shipped within 24 hours, M-F. 100% money back No-Worry guarantee with expedited delivery and delivery confirmation available. read more
Description: Very Good. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Thorsons
Date Published: 2000-09-04
ISBN-13:9780722540442ISBN:0722540442
Description: Good. Mild shelf and corner wear; Tanning and mild soiling to page edges; Mild rubbing\wear to covers and spine; Couple of pages have slight water damage to top page edges; Good Reading Copy; ** Free USPS tracking and confirm on US orders ** read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date Published: 2000-06-01
ISBN-13:9780060196127ISBN:0060196122
Description: Good in very good jacket. Ex library, usual library marks, clean otherwise, very tight binding, dust jacket very good, protected by mylar. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Date Published: 1999
ISBN-13:9780722539316ISBN:0722539312
Description: Good. Ex library **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Thorsons
Date Published: 2000
ISBN-13:9780007103461ISBN:0007103468
Description: Very Good. No major defects-unabridged, clean, complete, not falling apart; some light wear. A perfectly good reading or reference copy. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Date Published: 1999
ISBN-13:9780722539316ISBN:0722539312
Description: Good. The blanc page is slightly damage **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! read more
Description: New. Veronika Decides to Die 2000 paperback edition. New. All items guaranteed. Immediate worldwide dispatch. PLEASE NOTE IF PURCHASING A VIDEO: Unless otherwise specified, all our videos are VHS PAL-UK & Europe Format. read more
Description: New. Veronika Decides to Die (Paperback) Guaranteed availability, condition & fast dispatch. PLEASE NOTE IF PURCHASING A VIDEO: Unless otherwise specified, all our videos are VHS PAL-UK & Europe Format. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Thorsons, London, United Kingdom
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9780722540442ISBN:0722540442
Description: New. No Jacket (as published) 5" x 8" FICTION. Veronika has everything she could wish for. She is young and pretty, has plenty of boyfriends, a steady job, a loving family. Yet she is not happy; something is lacking in her life, and one morning she decides to die. She takes an overdose of sleeping pills, only to wake up some later in the local hospital. There she is told that her heart is damaged and she has only a few days to live. The story follows Veronika through these intense days as to ... read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Harper Colli, London, United Kingdom
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9780722540442ISBN:0722540442
Description: As New. No Jacket (as published) 5" x 8" FICTION. Veronika has everything she could wish for. She is young and pretty, has plenty of boyfriends, a steady job, a loving family. Yet she is not happy; something is lacking in her life, and one morning she decides to die. She takes an overdose of sleeping pills, only to wake up some later in the local hospital. There she is told that her heart is damaged and she has only a few days to live. The story follows Veronika through these intense days as to ... read more
"This was really the worst book I've ever read. I don't know if it's a problem in the translation or not, but as much as I WANTED to like this book I just couldn't make myself. I got about 60 pages away from the end before I realized that I didn't care about any of the characters and just wanted Veronika to die and get it over with.
I think the worst part for me is that the author chose to write the second chapter about himself. Generally speaking, I think it's admirable that he wanted to protect his parents by not writing about his own institutionalization, but making himself a character in the novel and explaining his reasons for writing the book rather defeated the purpose. It also took me right out of the novel and made it impossible for me to get back into it."
"I really liked this book. Most everyone can relate to this book in some shape or form. Mental illness is something most have experienced either themselves or with someone they know. I would give this 4 stars. It was a quick read, but a good one. I had this book read in one day. It's only 210 pgs.
My favorite part of the book:(pg 31) VERONIKA: "Is this a prison?" she asked the nurse, who had stopped reading and was now watching her every movement. THE NURSE: "No, it's a mental hospital." VERONIKA: "But im not crazy." The woman laughed. THE NURSE: "That's what they all say.""
"Veronika, eine junge Frau die keinen Sinn mehr in ihrem Leben sieht, beschließt zu sterben. Sie sieht keinen Sinn mehr in Ihrem Leben - sie ist nicht depressiv oder krank oder hat sonst einen der typischen Gründe dafür, nein, sie will einfach nicht nur einen Tag nach dem anderen immer das gleiche erleben. Und so beschließt sie, sich eine Überdosis Schlaftabletten zu verabreichen. Nach einigen Tagen im Koma wacht sie in der Psychiatrie auf und der zuständige Arzt eröffnet ihr, dass sie zwar gerettet werden konnte, dass der Suizidversuch jedoch ihr Herz dermaßen geschädigt habe, dass sie maximal noch eine Woche zu leben hätte.
In der kommenden Woche lernt sie viele neue Menschen kennen und lieben. Sie erkennt, dass Sie es in der Hand hat, ihr Leben so zu gestalten, wie es ihr Spaß macht, dass der tägliche Trott kein unveränderliches Naturgesetz ist. Jetzt will sie wieder leben. Diese Tage und Stunden schildert Coelho ganz und gar nicht pathetisch, sondern in einem unvergleichlichen Stil, der den Leser mitten in die Handlung zieht.
Die Story an sich ist ja schon sehr interessant, der Plot legt nochmals eins drauf. Immer wieder greift Coelho zu Rückblenden in die Leben der Patienten der Klinik. Jede diese Rückblenden ist ein neuer Appell, das Leben zu lieben. Aber selbst über dies geht der Autor noch hinaus und stellt in wunderbaren Bildern dar, dass es eine Wirklichkeit jenseits des Alltagstrotts gibt. Lebe lautet die Botschaft, lebe und lebe Dein Leben und lebe Deine Wünsche. Spreng die Ketten die Dich daran hindern, Dein Leben zu leben.
Wäre dies schon alles, so hätte man ein gewiss lesenswertes Buch. Aber nun kommt der in diesem Buch entscheidende Faktor Sprache und Schreibstil hinzu, und hier muss man Coelho in den höchsten Tönen loben. Er setzt die Sprache ein um Emotion und Leidenschaft in unglaublicher Intensität zu erschaffen. Ich hätte es nicht für möglich gehalten, dass es möglich ist, das Herz bloß mit Worten so zu berühren. Den Emotionen die Coelho weckt kann man sich nicht entziehen. Dem Brasilianer gelingt es einen immensen Hunger nach Leben im Leser zu erschaffen.
Meine Empfehlung lautet daher eindeutig, lesen Sie dieses Buch, es gehört zu den besten Werken die ich je gelesen habe. Nehmen Sie sich Zeit für diese etwas mehr als 200 Seiten, denn öfters muss man absetzen und seine Gedanken und Emotionen neu ordnen. Diese Worte werden Sie Ihr Leben lang begleiten."
"I totally, completely and utterly fail to understand this book. However, as typically befalls me when I read a book by Paolo Coelho, I seem to recall a moment about four-fifths of the way to the end when I had an epiphanic moment - when I realised that although I had loathed the book from the start until that exact sentence, I suddenly understood it and could comprehend and possibly even accept (though grudgingly) that other people could like it and that it could possibly qualify as a Good Book.
However, in a similarly typical manner, I reached the end of the book and could not for the life of me remember anything about that epiphanic moment apart from the fact that it occurred. As such, it rates one star because it is painfully bad. Furthermore, I have yet to see or hear anything that even begins to make it clear to me why so many otherwise-sane people seem to love it so much.
I'm bored and procrastinating so want to see if anyone else can give me an answer."
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