by Paulo Coelho

I've been trying (or should I say struggling, stress on the word) to read this book for over a year and I haven't been successful in finishing it. One day I'll put it down then the other day I'll pick it up then put it down. Finally I had a chance to understand what the public is raving about this.

Veronika is a young girl from Ljubljana, Slovenia who had everything anyone could hope for - good and attractive physique, steady job, loving family and a lot of admirers. But it seems she wasn't contented with that when she tried to commit suicide on a winter morning by overdosing on sleeping pills.

Veronika then wakes up at a local mental hospital called Villete where the doctor tells her that her heart is damaged and she'll die soon within a week.

I admit the topic of suicide doesn't really appeal to me, so I was hesitant to read this book (though I got it from Bookmooch!). However as the pages turn I find more and more fascinating thoughts contained - like realizations of life and death. People in Villete have been curious with Veronika's case and instead of accepting her imminent fate, Veronika has surprisingly found herself struggling to live.

What I liked most from Paulo Coelho's book is that it presented awareness - awareness of life and awareness that we don't have the eternity of time wasting it without knowing its true essence. The characters in the book are also interesting; the downside is that this is slower to read than expected but don't get me wrong: the slow points are the biographical background of each major character involved so I can't imagine any other way that Paulo Coelho would write it.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars