Veronika Decides to Die

Veronika Decides to Die (Portuguese Veronika decide morrer) is a novel by Paulo Coelho; it tells the story of 24 year old Veronika, who appears to have everything in life going for her, but who decides to kill herself.

This book is partly based on Coehlo's experience in various mental institutions (see the biography "Confessions of A Pilgrim" by Juan Arias). It is based around madness.

The jist of the message is that "collective madness is called sanity".

Veronika Decides to Die has been adapted for theatre a number of times.

Template:Spoiler Her attempted suicide places her in Villete (a mental hospital in Slovenia), where she is told she has a week to live. Her presence there affects all of the mental hospital's patients, especially Zedka (a depressive), Mari (panic attacks), and Eduard (schizophrenia), whom Veronika falls in love with.

During her internment in Villete she realises that she has nothing to lose and can therefore do what she wants, say what she wants and be who she wants without having to worry about what others think of her. Who's going to critise her, she's mad after all.

Because of this new found freedom Veronika experiences all the things she never allowed herself to experience including hatred, love and even sexual awakening.

Another character that has an interesting part is Dr.Igor - on of Vilette's top doctors. Igor has a thoery about a poison of the mind, which he names vitriol after the toxic chemical discovered by alchemists.