Veronika Decides to Die unfolds events from Coelho’s own life, inspired by his time in mental institutions as a teenager.
“That was in 1966, the beginning of the blackest period of Brazil’s military dictatorship (1964–1989), and, as if by some natural reflex of the social mechanism, that external repression was gradually becoming internalised. So much so that good middle-class families found it simply unacceptable that their children or grandchildren should want to be ‘artists’. In Brazil at the time, the word ‘artist’ was synonymous with homosexual, communist, drug addict and layabout.
When I was 18, I believed that my world and that of my parents could coexist peacefully. I did my best to get good marks at the Jesuit school where I was studying, I worked every afternoon, but at night, I wanted to live out my dream of being an artist. Not knowing quite where to begin, I became involved in an amateur theatre group. Although I had no desire to act professionally, at least I was amongst people with whom I felt some affinity.
Unfortunately, my parents did not share my belief in the peaceful coexistence of two such diametrically opposed worlds. One night, I came home drunk, and the following morning, I was woken by two burly male nurses.
‘You’re coming with us,’ one of them said.
My mother was crying, and my father was doing his best to hide any feelings he might have.
‘It’s for your own good,’ he said. ‘We’re just going to have some tests done.’”
- Paulo Coelho, Sunday Times
Originally published in 1998, the novel addresses mental illnesses such as depression, schizophrenia, and panic syndrome. It explores themes like the meaning of life, existential anxiety, and the transformative power of second chances.
Since its release, Veronika Decides to Die has had an immense impact on readers around the world. At a time when mental health is at the forefront of global conversation, the novel feels more relevant than ever. New editions, including a preface by the author, have recently been published in several countries.
