The library
Author Paulo Coelho Origin Brazil First published 1998 Genre Psychological Fiction Pages 210 I read it Aug 2023
Veronika Decides to Die
My review
The psychological insights are incredible, especially the dialogue about what truly makes someone ‘sick.’ The doctor’s reminder that suppressing your uniqueness is a ‘distortion of nature’ is such a powerful and comforting message. It perfectly captures Coelho’s gift for finding deep spiritual truths in simple conversations. Highly recommended!
My favourite quote
“So to go back to your question. What was it again?” “Am I cured?” “No. You’re someone who is different, but who wants to be the same as everyone else. And that, in my view, is a serious illness.” “Is wanting to be different a serious illness?” “It is if you force yourself to be the same as everyone else: it causes neuroses, psychoses and paranoia. It’s a distortion of nature, it goes against God’s laws, for in all the world’s woods and forests, He did not create a single leaf the same as another. But you think it’s mad to be different and that’s why you chose to live in Villete,”
