Born in 1947 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Paulo Coelho was said to have acquired the power of the pen at around seven years old. His parents wanted him to be an engineer, but he refused to obey their wishes and instead followed his dream of becoming a writer. He had to pay a high price for his disobedience though, as his parents had him committed to a mental hospital thrice. More determined than ever to write, Paulo became a journalist. His involvement with a theater group caused him to be branded as one of the "wild ones." The Sixties’ hippie era proved to have much influence on Paulo. It was also during this time that Raul Seixas, a musician and composer, requested him to do some lyrics for the former’s songs. They literally made beautiful music together and this paved way for Paulo’s fortune. However, not everything was looking up for Paulo.
In 1973, Paulo and Raul became members of the Alternative Society, an organization that went against capitalist ideology, stood up for human rights and, interestingly, practiced black magic. Paulo and Raul started publishing "Kring-ha," an anti-establishment comic strip series, which led to their imprisonment.
Having led 26 colorful years, Paulo settled for a rather normal life. He took a job at the Polygram record company where he met his first wife.
In 1977, he moved to another company, CBS. The end of his short stint (only three months) here coincided with the end of his first marriage.
In 1979, he was reunited with an old friend, Christina Oiticica, whom he later married. They went around Europe and in Germany, Paulo met a man who reportedly convinced him to go back to Catholicism. The man also told him to walk down the Road to Santiago, a medieval pilgrim’s path between France and Spain.
In 1987, a year after the said pilgrimage, Paulo wrote the first of his many masterpieces. The book was appropriately titled The Pilgrimage (The Diary of a Magus). What followed was a series of bestsellers, starting with The Alchemist in 1988, which was even mentioned in the Guinness Book of Records. With the success of the said book, a stream of books soon followed, which were always on the top-seller lists. These included The Valkyries, The Fifth Mountain, Manual of the Warrior of Light, and The Devil and Miss Prym. Indeed, Paulo Coelho made a mark for himself in the world of literature. His works have not only won literary acclaim, they have also triggered debates and discussions among readers worldwide. As expected, his 1998 work, Veronika Decides to Die, aroused much interest among book lovers.
The story seems simple enough. There’s 24-year-old Veronika, who believes that the time has come to end her life and consequently does so. It is when her suicide attempt fails and she gets an unwanted second lease on life that the story takes on a lively twist. For one, she’s pronounced to have only one week left to live. For another, she finds herself surrounded by colorful characters in the rather shadowy confines of Villete.
There’s the manic-depressive Zedka, one of the hopeful cases in Villete. After a number of insulin shocks, she was cured. Zedka also developed the ability to go on astral journeys because of her treatments. With much optimism, Zedka was ready to start life anew. In the short time she spent with Veronika, she wielded quite an influence on Veronika. You can sense a certain degree of maturity in Zedka, which she must have developed during her stay in Villete. She also had the courage to admit her mistakes and was determined to make her life better the second time around.
Then, there’s Mari, a woman who values security so much that without it, life is intolerable.
There’s also Eduard, a very mysterious character who shines towards the end of the book. Schizophrenia was what brought him to Villete, immersed as he was in a world of his own. Because of this, no one really paid attention to him. However, he discovers that he has something in common with Veronika: The language of music. Through music, a bond develops between them, which helped the two in helping each other.
Without a doubt, the book Veronika Decides to Die is a must-read for those who love life and live it to the fullest. From the opening chapter to the very end, Paulo Coelho’s piece will simply entice you to flip page after page. It’s no suspense novel, no crime or mystery story. It’s simply a novel that celebrates life. I know it doesn’t have to take a suicide attempt to have a renewed outlook in life. However, the characters’ boldness in expressing their feelings somehow unlocks those feelings and thoughts that we have somehow kept inside us, for fear of being misunderstood. The story helps readers come face to face with their true selves and realize that their best self emanates from there. And perhaps, that can help us do more and be more. It’s something similar to what Zedka wanted to say to Veronika:
Before you say again that you’re going to die, I want to tell you something. There are people who spend their entire lives searching for a moment like the one you had last night, but they never achieve it. That’s why, if you were to die now, you would die with your heart full of love.
For more information on Paulo Coelho, visit his website at www.paulocoelho.com.