Newborn Country Historical Background
23 inhabitants are insane. There are people who chose to stay in the asylum because
they perceive the mental asylum as a comfortable place to reside in addition to the freedom it offers.
The novel unfolds the story of twenty-four-years-old Slovenian woman named Veronika who seems to have a perfect life. She is surrounded by
everything a young woman could wish for. She is young and beautiful. She has
many gorgeous boyfriends, a pleasing job, and a family. However, there is a constant emptiness inside of Veronika. Consequently, on the morning of
November 11, 1997, Veronika decides to die. She takes a handful of sleeping pills, expecting to beautifully rest in peace.
Veronika’s suicide attempt fails. As a result, Veronika is considered crazy by her mother. Thus her mother sends Veronika to a local mental asylum. As
Veronika wakes up at Villete, she finds out that she has not succeeded in achieving her goal to die. Although the overdose sleeping pills do not kill her,
those pills bring her an irreversible damage to the heart. Only in the mercy of days, Veronika shall live.
The story goes on with Veronika endures about a week of self-discovery. Surprisingly, each life in Villete reflects the essence of human experience that
Veronika has missed. Veronika reveals many things that she has not allowed to do and even feel. She begins to understand what it means to be alive and to live.
Veronika’s emptiness that becomes the reason of her suicide attempt is filled at last. The true Veronika is finally free and decides to live a meaningful life.
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