The Silent Patient
“You become increasingly comfortable with madness — and not just the madness of others, but your own. We’re all crazy, I believe, just in different ways.”
― Alex Michaelides, The Silent Patient
Overview
A horrendous murder, a lady held hostage in her own mind, and a therapist resolved to unveil her mysteries — what’s not to adore about Alex Michaelides(mik-el-aeds)’ THE SILENT PATIENT? It’s almost impossible to be convinced that this is the author’s debut crime novel. It is a maze-like exploration of the psyches of a woman convicted of murder and the therapist determined to treat her. The beauty of Michaelides’ exceptional first novel lies in his brilliant script of building and breaking characters. Add to that a racy gripping plot and unexpected twists and you’ll have an unprecedented thriller.
This is a story of Alicia Berenson who has everything in her life: a desirous job as an artist, an ideal spouse who is a commended photographer, and an excellent house with all the world-class amenities in the dream city of London. One fine evening Alicia does the unthinkable and goes silent. So silent that she doesn’t utter a word thereon. Her enduring silence seeks a lot of attention from the media and public which turns this story from a commonplace domestic tragedy into a mystery. An enigma that gripped the headlines and captured the crowd off guard. In comes forensic psychotherapist Theo Faber, who is determined to break through her silence, and treat her against all odds. He says “only she knows what happened” and “only I can make her speak”. Thus begins the suspenseful saga where the reader is held, almost hypnotically, on the edge of the story. As flip the pages, the book gets un-put-downable, practically addictive. Silence is an incredible weapon, we understand, and join Theo in his endeavors at understanding Alicia better by uncovering the darkest secrets of her past. Exceptional, without any doubt, this high-octane piece of work had my jaw hitting the ground. Not overstating and exaggerating here, but one must read it to believe it.
Target Audience
Pick this book for you will fall in love with silence. Pick this book for you will learn to endure patience and dissect the mystery layer by layer. Anybody who gets spellbound by the intricate details of the human mind is sure to find this book impressive. You’ll eventually get a knack of psychological terms and the art of how therapy works.
Conclusion
Rather than investigating a crime, the author very methodically investigates the mind of a criminal, and what a gripping investigation it is! It is immersive and hypnotic. The sort of confidently drawn suspense story that doesn’t require enormous, gaudy twists and turns to keep you hooked. It still goes on to deliver a remarkable and perplexing climax. Buy the hype! The Silent Patient might as well be the debut crime novel of the season. It is not a story that traces the journey of its protagonists from Point A to Point B, frame by frame.
Rather than calling this a “psychological thriller,” I would call it a character study with a strong psychological focus. She is a blank canvas now, owing to her silence, forcing us, readers, to draw our own conclusions about her from the journal she keeps, and what the other characters in the book say about her. Till the end, when she actually opens up, or, does she? Well, it’s for you to find out. The Silent Patient is a quiet yet enthralling treat to the readers.
Thank You
Open for critics and discussions
Cheers and Blithe until next!
