Paulo Coelho: Veronika decides to die.

The novel "Veronika Decides to Die" was written by Paulo Coelho  in 1998 and became the part of trilogy of books which is called "And on the seventh day".
A story about a girl named Veronica from the Slovenian city of Ljubljana is not for nothing got in the trilogy of books, because in this novel, as in the other two, the fate of the main character is changing during the week.
Veronica can be called the usual,  unsightly Slovenian girl. She works in the library, rents a room in the monastery, communicating with parents, occasionally enjoyed a brief affairs with a men.
However weighty circumstance makes the reader to empathize the girl: she made ​​an unsuccessful suicide attempt, got into one of the darkest institutions of her native city - psychiatric clinic Villette. In addition, it turns out that this deed did not passed in vain for her heart, and according to the doctors she could die within a week.
In the clinic she is faced with different people: with "healthy patients" who can not find the strength to leave the hospital and with the usual psychiatric patients, who are prohibited to leave the walls of the institution.
Veronica gradually gets acquainted closer with Zedka - women with chronic depression, with Mary - a patient who has a right to go when she will want and Eduard - a young boy who is suffering from schizophrenia.
In the image of Zedka Paulo Coelho fully discloses psychological experiences of a person suffering from depression. He shows how its hard having experienced strong emotional distress, to come to a complete spiritual desolation, apathy and emotional powerlessness.
In the novel "Veronika Decides to Die" Zedka is being treated from depression by insulin coma - a method, which was widespread over a century ago. However, these unsafe for life procedures lead Zedka to recovery.
In the face of Marie author opposes the world of "crazy" people to the world of "healthy" people. Marie is no longer a mentally ill, and even the doctor insists that she should less communicate with the patient of Villette, but fear of the circumstances, struggles and experiences which will surely come if Marie will come to the world of «healthy» people, forces the woman to stay in the clinic. However, her fate is changing with the appearance of Veronica.
The most tremulous relations develop between the main character Veronica and the guy Edward. At night, in the hall of the hospital Veronica plays for the young schizophrenic on the piano , he responds her with unfeigned delight. His disease and inability to perceive reality erases the boundaries in their relationships, loosens up Veronica, who had previously always behaved beyond the bounds of decency, arranged by society. One day Veronica gave vent to emotions and in the presence of Edward began to caress her body.
Doctor Igor is another important character of the novel. Author is intriguing the reader during the whole novel via the doctor Igor comes in delight by the fact that such a patient, as Veronica, gets in his clinic. However everything becomes clear by the end of the novel: doctor Igor wrote a dissertation on depressions and methods of their treatment, one of which he had very successfully applied to Veronica.
In general, the novel is very good: easy enough to read in spite of some inclusions of characters philosophical reflections. But precisely this distinguishes novels of famous Brazilian writer. Paulo Coelho often puts into his novels thoughts about God and His influence on people's fates and their interaction with Him.
After reading the novel "Veronika Decides to Die" you really begin to appreciate life, empathize people suffering from depression and mental diseases.