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The Silent Patient

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The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is a psychological thriller that follows the story of Alicia Berenson, a renowned artist who is found with her dead husband, tied to a chair and shot multiple times in the face. Alicia never speaks again and is sent to a mental institution. Theo Faber, a forensic psychologist, takes a job at the facility to treat Alicia and unravel her secrets. The book is filled with twists and turns, red herrings, and a surprising conclusion, making it a gripping and engaging read.

The novel is centered around the relationship between Alicia, the silent patient, and Theo, the psychotherapist determined to make her speak. As Theo delves deeper into Alicia's case, the story unfolds through entries from Alicia's diary and Theo's own perspective. The plot weaves together themes of mental illness, trauma, and suspense, keeping the readers guessing until the unexpected twist at the end. The Silent Patient explores complex characters and intricate storytelling, making it a compelling and thought-provoking thriller.

Characters:

The characters, particularly Alicia and Theo, are deeply flawed and complex, though some secondary characters come off as underdeveloped or clichéd.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is accessible and engaging, featuring short chapters that maintain a rapid pace while delving deep into the emotions of the characters.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot uniquely centers around a woman who becomes mute after murdering her husband, building suspense around her silence and the obsession of a psychotherapist trying to help her.

Setting:

The setting is primarily in a mental health facility in London, intertwined with the art world, enhancing the story's psychological atmosphere.

Pacing:

The pacing is initially slow but accelerates towards the climax, maintained by short, engaging chapters that encourage rapid reading.
They had been married for seven years. They were both artists—Alicia was a painter, and Gabriel was a well-known fashion photographer. He had a distinctive style, shooting semi-starved, semi-naked wom...

Notes:

The Silent Patient is a psychological thriller written by debut author Alex Michaelides.
The story revolves around Alicia Berenson, a painter, who murders her husband and becomes mute afterward.
The narrator of the story is Theo Faber, a psychotherapist who is obsessed with helping Alicia speak again.
The novel uses excerpts from Alicia's diary to give insight into her life before the murder.
A key theme in the book is the exploration of mental health and trauma, often drawing parallels to Greek mythology, particularly the tragedy of Alcestis.
The book's twist ending shocked many readers who did not see it coming, leading to it becoming a bestseller.
Despite its popularity, the book received mixed reviews, with some readers criticizing its portrayal of mental health professionals.
Michaelides, prior to writing this novel, worked as a screenwriter, which is reflected in the storytelling style.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include depictions of murder, mental illness, self-harm, and emotional trauma.

From The Publisher:

**THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER**

"An unforgettable-and Hollywood-bound-new thriller... A mix of Hitchcockian suspense, Agatha Christie plotting, and Greek tragedy."

-Entertainment Weekly

Alex Michaelides's The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman's act of violence against her husband-and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.

Alicia Berenson's life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London's most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.

Alicia's refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations-a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....

Ratings (678)

Incredible (102)
Loved It (211)
Liked It (176)
It Was OK (96)
Did Not Like (72)
Hated It (21)

Reader Stats (1146):

Read It (699)
Currently Reading (9)
Want To Read (359)
Did Not Finish (17)
Not Interested (62)

26 comment(s)

Loved It
23 hours

Plot twist

 
Hated It
3 days

When I first started reading I had a hard time with the unprofessional conduct of the psychotherapist. As a therapist myself, it was a very big put off. The only way I was able to continue reading was by imagining him as a detective instead. Still, I was quite disgusted by the obsessive behavior he portrays, which I'm sure comes from bias due to my profession. That said when the twist came, I was very confused. I hated the ending. I felt there was no real conclusion, but hey, at least I finished it. It may have kept me reading which is more than can be said for some books I've started, but I didn't feel like it was worth the read; a bit of a waste of time that left me fuming.

 
Loved It
3 weeks

I listened to the audio version and enjoyed this book. I'm glad I didnt guess the "twist" and did enjoy the story.

 
Incredible
1 month

What a wild ride that turned out to be! Greatly rewarded for stepping out of my genre comfort zone. Highly recommend.

 
Did Not Like
2 months

Disappointed. I tend to avoid books that receive a lot of hype. For a psychological thriller there was no thrill. The characters felt flat and did not generate much empathy from me as the reader.

 
It Was OK
2 months

I don’t get the hype. Predictable.

 
Loved It
3 months

****4.5****

Review Soon

 
Loved It
3 months

So twisty

 
Loved It
4 months

Maybe I’m a dolt but I didn’t see it coming. Well played. Alex.

 
It Was OK
4 months

THE PLOT

Alicia has the perfect life until one evening after her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist and he is determined to get Alicia to talk and explain why she shot her husband.

MY OPINION

I read this book in a couple of hours, so that says something. But after finishing it I was kinda mad. Everyone has hyped up the plot twist and I was dying to know what it was. I was suspicious of every character, but after finding out the twist I was honestly let down. I didn't feel connected to the characters and the writing really wasn't anything special. I think this book is between 2-3 stars, I honestly can't decide.

 
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About the Author:

Alex Michaelides was born and raised in Cyprus. He has a MA in English Literature from Trinity College, Cambridge University, and a MA in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. The Silent Patient was his first novel. It spent over a year on the New York Times bestseller list and sold in a record-breaking fifty countries. He lives in London.

 
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