Rating: 
Summary: Interesting but...
Review: Certainly an interesting story, but I think it could have been led to a different end. I guess it is worth reading, though.
Rating: 
Summary: Do it ALL!!
Review: My wife, who is an avid reader of fiction, gave me this book to read and said I might like it. She was right on the money. It is an excellent read. I don't like grim tails unless either I or the main character learn a great deal. This is no grim tale. Don't be put off by the title. This book is illuminating in what we can all do in our 70-100 years on this planet.
Rating:
Summary: Talk about tow realities¿
Review: Talk about tow realities... Although I felt that Veronica's character & story was the least interesting but her feelings, her thoughts and her experience were the most touching. I really liked Mari & Zedka's characters a lot. Zedka had a lot to offer and Mari explained it all! Her thought's on life & God's plan for us humans..made me smile I wanted to read that part to everybody I knew. But the best part is how the real world seemed fake to them all and their world seemed more real..you even think to yourself do I have to be in a mental institute to realize that. This book helps you to always remember the things that matter to you the most and how to always look, do and find the things that make you happy. Paulo Coelho Fascinated me in the first book I read for him THE ALCHAMIST he truly know how to make you wonder and smile back..he simplifies things for the reader. He makes you hold on to your dream.LooL
Rating: 
Summary: Find the meaning of life here
Review: This is a simple and touching story about a young girl called Veronika who seems to have nothing, yet everything wrong with her life. After a failed suicide attempt, Veronika is sent to a mental hospital where she is told, she is to live only a week as a cause of her failing heart. It is in this madness that she finds the meaning of love and of life. I read this book in one sitting and it really got me thinking. The language in the book flows and the ideas behind the story are thought provoking. All in all, an excellent read.
Rating:
Summary: I Loved This Book!
Review: I'd never read any of Paulo Coelho's books and bought this only because the title intrigued me. I was quickly swept up into his wonderful, lush but simple narrative. What could have been a depressing tale turns out to be so spiritually uplifting, so hopeful. I love all of these people and the oh so very important lesson they give us. I can't wait to read his other books now! After you read this book, share it with the person you know who most needs it.
Rating:
Summary: Not what I expected
Review: More on the lines of psychiatric dilemma, Coelho expresses his usual self, but without the mind-bending knowledge he relays in The Alquimist or the Pilgrim, which I prefer. This one is not spiritual.
Rating:
Summary: Are we all mad?
Review: Yes, We all have our own idiosyncrasies. Most of us bury them to follow the social norms. The author manages to explain the delicate balance between what one perceives a 'nutter' to be and the true definition. I did guess the twist from the beginning and it slightly distracted from the eventual climax, however I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
Rating:
Summary: Sanity of being insane
Review: Veronika decides to die is about a suicide attempt and her stay @ an insane asylum. Sounds pretty dismal but really it is one of the best books I have read. An irreverent approach to life, cuts-to-the-chase about the totality of the human experience and the sanity of being insane. It's funny, warm and sad all at the same time. Very light but heavy in its message. The kind that open your mind & soul if only to stop and think for a moment.
Rating:
Summary: A bit disappointing...
Review: If you have read Coelho's more famous novel, The Alchemist, and are expecting a similar read, you will be disappointed. Although still a good read, the book is nowhere near as involved. The plot and the characters are very straightforward. There were a couple of plot twists but hardly any surprises. Imagery wasn't abundant but at least it seemed to be the right amount and the characters were well-balanced. Not a horrible waste-of-time but I just expected more from Coelho. One piece of advice if you want to read it... wait for the paperback. The story is too short of a read (it's really a novella) to spend your money on the hardback.
Rating:
Summary: What can you say about Coelho that has not already been said
Review: When I think about this book it reminds me of one of those delightful reading experiences, where part of you doesn't want the book to end, yet another part wants to see what else can happen upon turning the next page. Coelho has the gift that characterizes those writers who capture you and don't let you go. I've read four of his books already: 'The Alchemist', 'The Pilgrim', this one and, more recently (not yet released in English), his most recent one: 'The demon and Miss Prym'. Out of them, without any doubt I put this one as my favorite, followed by a tied second place between 'The demon...' and 'The Pilgrim'. Why? Because in this book I feel he achieved the pinnacle as a novelist. His book is so realistic, believable, filled with such emotion, such spirit. I highly recommend it. If I could give it six stars, I'd do it with eyes closed. Although I should be careful to say that I read it in Spanish, and I don't know how good is the version translated to English.
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