Status
Checked out
Due 2024-05-07
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Large Print Press (2021), Edition: Large type / Large print, 481 pages
Description
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 spotlight of the tabloids 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 search for the truth leads him down a terrifying path and threatens to consume him.… (more)
Media reviews
The Guardian
Meet the hottest-tipped debut novelists of 2019
The Silent Patient is narrated by Theo Faber, a psychotherapist determined to discover why Alicia Berenson, a famous artist accused of murdering her husband, has refused to speak since her husband’s death. The therapeutic setting was inspired by
Running through the novel is the Greek myth of Alcestis, and Euripides’s play of the same name. The Alcestis theme is perhaps one of the reasons that The Silent Patient is finding such traction both among early readers and the tranche of movie executives who fought to option it. With its story of female sacrifice and the silencing of a woman post-trauma, it feels highly relevant in a post #MeToo world. “It’s about silence as a weapon,” Michaelides says. “And it was very clear in my head when I was writing the book that Alicia was surrounded by these men who were imprisoning her. Like Alcestis, Alicia is trapped and she’s denied a voice. It’s a lifetime of being made to think that she wasn’t worthy, she wasn’t good enough, and maybe that’s something that a lot of women [readers] have been responding to.”
The novel has already been optioned by Brad Pitt’s production company, Plan B, with Michaelides due to write the screenplay, a fitting circularity for a novelist who has spent the past 15 years working as a screenwriter.
The Silent Patient is narrated by Theo Faber, a psychotherapist determined to discover why Alicia Berenson, a famous artist accused of murdering her husband, has refused to speak since her husband’s death. The therapeutic setting was inspired by
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Michaelides’s own experience. “Therapy is very important to me and has been a major part of my life,” he says.Running through the novel is the Greek myth of Alcestis, and Euripides’s play of the same name. The Alcestis theme is perhaps one of the reasons that The Silent Patient is finding such traction both among early readers and the tranche of movie executives who fought to option it. With its story of female sacrifice and the silencing of a woman post-trauma, it feels highly relevant in a post #MeToo world. “It’s about silence as a weapon,” Michaelides says. “And it was very clear in my head when I was writing the book that Alicia was surrounded by these men who were imprisoning her. Like Alcestis, Alicia is trapped and she’s denied a voice. It’s a lifetime of being made to think that she wasn’t worthy, she wasn’t good enough, and maybe that’s something that a lot of women [readers] have been responding to.”
The novel has already been optioned by Brad Pitt’s production company, Plan B, with Michaelides due to write the screenplay, a fitting circularity for a novelist who has spent the past 15 years working as a screenwriter.
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User reviews
LibraryThing member dawnlovesbooks
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. I don’t think I was quite as impressed as everyone else seems to be by this book. Don’t get me wrong, it was good, just a little over-rated and I have read better thrillers.
The Silent Patient is Alicia Bereson. She was a well known painter and she has
Theo Fabor, forensic psychotherapist, succeeds in getting a job at the Grove in hopes to be able to help Alicia. Theo is a wreck and really needs to see a therapist himself. Both Alicia and Theo suffer from the pain of not being loved and they both had damaging childhoods that resulted in abandonment issues.
“The aim of therapy is not to correct the past, but to enable the patient to confront his own history, and to grieve over it.”
Theo is certain that he is the one that can finally break through to Alicia to get her to speak again. As Theo investigates to try to figure out what happened to make Alicia stop speaking, we meet a lot of other characters who all became suspects. I did figure things out, but it was close to the end before I did. Overall, it wasn't outstanding but it was a good page-turning book that will keep you guessing what's really going on.
The Silent Patient is Alicia Bereson. She was a well known painter and she has
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been in the Grove, a mental institution since she was convicted for the murder of her husband, Gabriel. She hasn’t spoken in years.Theo Fabor, forensic psychotherapist, succeeds in getting a job at the Grove in hopes to be able to help Alicia. Theo is a wreck and really needs to see a therapist himself. Both Alicia and Theo suffer from the pain of not being loved and they both had damaging childhoods that resulted in abandonment issues.
“The aim of therapy is not to correct the past, but to enable the patient to confront his own history, and to grieve over it.”
Theo is certain that he is the one that can finally break through to Alicia to get her to speak again. As Theo investigates to try to figure out what happened to make Alicia stop speaking, we meet a lot of other characters who all became suspects. I did figure things out, but it was close to the end before I did. Overall, it wasn't outstanding but it was a good page-turning book that will keep you guessing what's really going on.
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LibraryThing member Cariola
I'm not sure just why I wanted to read this book. Maybe I thought it would do me good to try a genre that I don't often read. Unfortunately, it validated all the reasons that I don't really care for mysteries/psychological thriller or whatever category this would fall into. A psychotherapist takes
The problem I had with this book (and with similar books) is that while there are some twists and turns, nothing really surprised me. Ask yourself: Why would a psychiatrist quit a good job at a prominent hospital to take a job at a small, failing asylum to work with one particular patient? Sounded kind of suspicious and stalker-ish to me from the beginning, so the rest of the novel was really ho-hum for me. On top of that, the writing itself was sophomoric. I skimmed a lot and finished the thing in less than a day. Sorry, but I like my books to be a good deal meatier. The only thing of interest was Alicia's fascination with a Greek myth--a woman who dies in her husband's place and is brought back from Hell but never speaks again.
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a job at a clinic mainly because he is fascinated by the story of a female patient there and believes that he can heal her. Alicia Berenson, a successful painter, has been incarcerated for killing her husband. When the police arrived, she had also slashed her wrists, and she hasn't spoken a word since. Theo Faber is determined to get her to talk. Having been in therapy himself, he believes that he can empathize with whatever early experiences have damaged her psyche.The problem I had with this book (and with similar books) is that while there are some twists and turns, nothing really surprised me. Ask yourself: Why would a psychiatrist quit a good job at a prominent hospital to take a job at a small, failing asylum to work with one particular patient? Sounded kind of suspicious and stalker-ish to me from the beginning, so the rest of the novel was really ho-hum for me. On top of that, the writing itself was sophomoric. I skimmed a lot and finished the thing in less than a day. Sorry, but I like my books to be a good deal meatier. The only thing of interest was Alicia's fascination with a Greek myth--a woman who dies in her husband's place and is brought back from Hell but never speaks again.
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LibraryThing member philantrop
“I didn’t know it then, but it was too late—I had internalized my father, introjected him, buried him deep in my unconscious. No matter how far I ran, I carried him with me wherever I went. I was pursued by an infernal, relentless chorus of furies, all with his voice—shrieking that I was
but
“It’s not hopeless. You’re not a boy at the mercy of your father anymore.”
It all started out so well: The narrator, Theo Faber, is a psychotherapist who goes out of his way to help Alicia, the “Silent Patient”. Alicia has been put into a psychiatric hospital after her husband was murdered with her standing next to him, the weapon at her feet. She refuses to (or can’t) speak at all.
Theo himself is damaged as well by an overbearing father who has always made him feel insufficient, worthless and a failure (cf. opening quotation). He feels like he’s pretty much the only person on earth who can help Alicia find her voice – metaphorically and literally – and so he sets out to help her.
The setting I described above intrigued me – it sounded exciting and promised suspense and I strongly related to Theo with whom I felt I shared some “history”.
“Psychotherapy had quite literally saved my life.”
The entire first part of the book struck me deeply and the narrative “vibes” resonated within myself:
“I could feel myself thawing in the heat, softening around the edges, like a tortoise emerging into the sun after a long winter’s sleep, blinking and waking up. Kathy did that for me—she was my invitation to life, one I grasped with both hands. So this is it, I remember thinking. This is love.”
I vividly remember a few situations (e. g. the restaurant in Amsterdam, C., where they “shot” me ;) ) with my wife of almost 20 years now that triggered similar feelings and reminded me of similar experiences.
“About love. About how we often mistake love for fireworks—for drama and dysfunction. But real love is very quiet, very still. It’s boring, if seen from the perspective of high drama. Love is deep and calm—and constant.”
These “autobiographic connections” and the expectations they raised are, undoubtedly, part of why I feel so let-down by and disappointed in this book.
Soon, though, there were discordant tones within the narration that had rung true so far:
“I wanted to reach out and pull her close. I wanted to hold her. But I couldn’t. Kathy had gone—the person I loved so much had disappeared forever, leaving this stranger in her place.”
This is quite obviously delusional – Theo simply confuses his picture of Kathy with the real person. Sure, this is certainly a literary device but crudely wielded and, thus, it annoyed me slightly in the beginning.
Later in the book, Theo’s own issues become even more prevalent and, to me at least, more and more annoying. They escalate in their narrational crudeness as well:
“Perhaps he wasn’t human at all, but the instrument of some malevolent deity intent on punishing me. Was God punishing me?”
Yes, sure, whatever...
There are quite a few characters as well who take quite some space in the book but never really get used: There’s Jean-Felix, a caricature of a gallery owner and Alicia’s friend, there’s her brother-in-law, the latter’s wife, Tanya (his assistant, how cliched is that...), Alicia’s cousin Paul and others who pretty much all have something to hide or to be embarrassed about but who only ever serve as a means to an end – to distract us, the reader, from the simple truth which you begin to sense early on and which leads to “the big twist”.
Other characters, like the hospital’s director, Diomedes, are pretty much caricatures of themselves, so shallowly are they depicted.
On the other hand, Michaelides does get a few things right: Short, engaging chapters that keep you glued to the book (“just one more chapter and then I’ll sleep!”), inserting excerpts from Alicia’s diary helps as well and all in all, it’s still an interesting read – at least in the beginning.
The middle parts of the book are rather slow and uneventful. Lots of stuff is going on but only few things happen that actually drive the story forward. Towards the end, things are being rushed and the story, after “the big twist”, deflates as quickly as a punctured balloon.
Ultimately, this book has good ideas and an interesting premise but it feels sensationalist and simply can’t live up to the hype that’s been generated about it. Alex Michaelides is, first and foremost, a screen writer and it definitely shows in this book.
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worthless, shameful, a failure.” but
“It’s not hopeless. You’re not a boy at the mercy of your father anymore.”
It all started out so well: The narrator, Theo Faber, is a psychotherapist who goes out of his way to help Alicia, the “Silent Patient”. Alicia has been put into a psychiatric hospital after her husband was murdered with her standing next to him, the weapon at her feet. She refuses to (or can’t) speak at all.
Theo himself is damaged as well by an overbearing father who has always made him feel insufficient, worthless and a failure (cf. opening quotation). He feels like he’s pretty much the only person on earth who can help Alicia find her voice – metaphorically and literally – and so he sets out to help her.
The setting I described above intrigued me – it sounded exciting and promised suspense and I strongly related to Theo with whom I felt I shared some “history”.
“Psychotherapy had quite literally saved my life.”
The entire first part of the book struck me deeply and the narrative “vibes” resonated within myself:
“I could feel myself thawing in the heat, softening around the edges, like a tortoise emerging into the sun after a long winter’s sleep, blinking and waking up. Kathy did that for me—she was my invitation to life, one I grasped with both hands. So this is it, I remember thinking. This is love.”
I vividly remember a few situations (e. g. the restaurant in Amsterdam, C., where they “shot” me ;) ) with my wife of almost 20 years now that triggered similar feelings and reminded me of similar experiences.
“About love. About how we often mistake love for fireworks—for drama and dysfunction. But real love is very quiet, very still. It’s boring, if seen from the perspective of high drama. Love is deep and calm—and constant.”
These “autobiographic connections” and the expectations they raised are, undoubtedly, part of why I feel so let-down by and disappointed in this book.
Soon, though, there were discordant tones within the narration that had rung true so far:
“I wanted to reach out and pull her close. I wanted to hold her. But I couldn’t. Kathy had gone—the person I loved so much had disappeared forever, leaving this stranger in her place.”
This is quite obviously delusional – Theo simply confuses his picture of Kathy with the real person. Sure, this is certainly a literary device but crudely wielded and, thus, it annoyed me slightly in the beginning.
Later in the book, Theo’s own issues become even more prevalent and, to me at least, more and more annoying. They escalate in their narrational crudeness as well:
“Perhaps he wasn’t human at all, but the instrument of some malevolent deity intent on punishing me. Was God punishing me?”
Yes, sure, whatever...
There are quite a few characters as well who take quite some space in the book but never really get used: There’s Jean-Felix, a caricature of a gallery owner and Alicia’s friend, there’s her brother-in-law, the latter’s wife, Tanya (his assistant, how cliched is that...), Alicia’s cousin Paul and others who pretty much all have something to hide or to be embarrassed about but who only ever serve as a means to an end – to distract us, the reader, from the simple truth which you begin to sense early on and which leads to “the big twist”.
Other characters, like the hospital’s director, Diomedes, are pretty much caricatures of themselves, so shallowly are they depicted.
On the other hand, Michaelides does get a few things right: Short, engaging chapters that keep you glued to the book (“just one more chapter and then I’ll sleep!”), inserting excerpts from Alicia’s diary helps as well and all in all, it’s still an interesting read – at least in the beginning.
The middle parts of the book are rather slow and uneventful. Lots of stuff is going on but only few things happen that actually drive the story forward. Towards the end, things are being rushed and the story, after “the big twist”, deflates as quickly as a punctured balloon.
Ultimately, this book has good ideas and an interesting premise but it feels sensationalist and simply can’t live up to the hype that’s been generated about it. Alex Michaelides is, first and foremost, a screen writer and it definitely shows in this book.
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LibraryThing member Vanessa_Menezes
What an insane ending!!!
To be honest I had no clue that this book even existed until I came across the Goodreads Choice Awards List. I saw that it had got the maximum votes I thought why not try it out!
The beginning hooked me and I couldnt keep it down till I finished. And at the end I was just
Completely worth reading!!
To be honest I had no clue that this book even existed until I came across the Goodreads Choice Awards List. I saw that it had got the maximum votes I thought why not try it out!
The beginning hooked me and I couldnt keep it down till I finished. And at the end I was just
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like wait, what just happened??Completely worth reading!!
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LibraryThing member RmCox38111
This book was a quick listen, well paced and uncomplicated. As an amateur detective novel this book works. As a portrayal of the treatment of mental illness it fails on many levels. It was this feature that kept me cringing throughout. It was if the author read psychology in school but had no real
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experience or understanding of the applications of psychology in treatment settings. The result was reliance on stereotypes and outdated ideas that mental health professionals struggle to correct in the white noise of popular culture. Take the therapist parts with a shaker of salt and enjoy solving the mystery. Show Less
LibraryThing member infjsarah
Hmm.
The good.
Very easy to read.
Short chapters and the pages turned quickly.
I didn't spot the time twist .
The bad.
That the psychotherapist was an unreliable witness SCREAMED at me - it was so obvious. I believed he was almost certainly the killer all the way through! . And I was right.....
Also
So a quick read but nothing special. Why it's won awards I really don't know.
The good.
Very easy to read.
Short chapters and the pages turned quickly.
I didn't spot the
The bad.
That the psychotherapist was an unreliable witness SCREAMED at me - it was so obvious.
Also
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mega obvious that the author has studied screenwriting - it was "make me a film/ TV series" style. Nothing particularly wrong with that but I don't like it to be so much in your face.So a quick read but nothing special. Why it's won awards I really don't know.
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LibraryThing member forsanolim
This is emphatically not something I'd usually read, but my library's doing a program where they pick five books for you to read, and this was one of them (even though I think I mentioned on the questionnaire that I don't generally like thrillers). It was fine. Alicia Berenson hasn't spoken since
I will say that one good thing about this book is that I didn't feel physically scared while reading it--that's something that I tremendously dislike, so that was a point in its favor. Maybe it was the "psychological" part of the thriller--I don't read enough to know. But I really don't think that the thriller structure is really for me. Sure, the twist at the end was definitely a big reveal (I could see pieces of the ending coming but hadn't put it all together), but I just didn't like the book. Definitely really readable, but not a book for me.
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she killed her husband. Shot him in the face five times, and then tried to take her own life. Theo Faber, a psychotherapist, has been fascinated by her story for a long time, and he jumps at the chance to work with her at her at the psychiatric facility near London where she is confined.I will say that one good thing about this book is that I didn't feel physically scared while reading it--that's something that I tremendously dislike, so that was a point in its favor. Maybe it was the "psychological" part of the thriller--I don't read enough to know. But I really don't think that the thriller structure is really for me. Sure, the twist at the end was definitely a big reveal (I could see pieces of the ending coming but hadn't put it all together), but I just didn't like the book. Definitely really readable, but not a book for me.
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LibraryThing member bell7
Theo Faber, psychoanalyst, finagles a job at the Grove where he can start treating Alicia Faber, infamous for killing her husband six years ago and then going silent.
If any book deserved the one-work review, "No," this would be it. It's made a lot of best of 2019 lists and I'm sure I won't convince
If any book deserved the one-work review, "No," this would be it. It's made a lot of best of 2019 lists and I'm sure I won't convince
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anyone who loves it, but I just didn't find it that good. Where Gone Girl at least kept riveted and surprised me with twists, I mostly expected all of the revelations in this one. I didn't like Theo from the get go and found it really annoying to read his first-person narration. For whatever reason, I don't like domestic thrillers to begin with - something about how I react to the characters, finding them hard to read about, I think. So I'm hardly the ideal reader for this type of book. If I hadn't had to read it for book club, I wouldn't have finished it. Show Less
LibraryThing member mainrun
The book was a "this could be really good but something is just missing." The ending was unexpected, but did not blow me away. It was just "oh well." Probably not really liking many characters was the real problem.
6/13/2021; 2,855 members; 3.78 average rating
6/13/2021; 2,855 members; 3.78 average rating
LibraryThing member thiscatsabroad
Sadly didn´t live up to its hype: the predictable denouement - the trope of the unreliable narrator - didn´t make this worth the effort.
LibraryThing member jfe16
Artist Alice Berenson and her photographer-husband, Gabriel, would seem to have a perfect life. But, beneath the trappings of success lies something dangerous. One evening, when Gabriel returns from work, Alicia shoots him five times . . . and then stops talking.
Alice’s silence propels the story
But no one could ever have predicted what lay behind that wall of silence.
Weaving well-drawn, complex characters into an intriguing mystery, the dark narrative spins out a tale where nothing is as it seems and the tension is heightened by the sinister undertone of the plot. Short chapters keep the suspense building while unexpected reveals and plot twists move the story in unpredictable directions. Although astute readers may identify the final twist before its stunning revelation, this spellbinding, multi-layered tale of murder, infidelity, and revenge will keep them enthralled until they’ve turned the final page in this completely unputdownable book.
Highly recommended.
Alice’s silence propels the story
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into the public imagination; her work skyrockets in value, but the silent artist, locked away in a psychiatric hospital, maintains her eerie silence. Criminal psychotherapist Theo Faber, newly employed at the Grove, looks forward to working with Alice. In fact, he seems rather obsessed about it. But no one could ever have predicted what lay behind that wall of silence.
Weaving well-drawn, complex characters into an intriguing mystery, the dark narrative spins out a tale where nothing is as it seems and the tension is heightened by the sinister undertone of the plot. Short chapters keep the suspense building while unexpected reveals and plot twists move the story in unpredictable directions. Although astute readers may identify the final twist before its stunning revelation, this spellbinding, multi-layered tale of murder, infidelity, and revenge will keep them enthralled until they’ve turned the final page in this completely unputdownable book.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member Kathl33n
Let me tell you about my ARC. It came to me from the publisher, wrapped in a wide cigar band and tucked into that band was the front page of a fictional newspaper which was publishing the sensational murder that takes place in the book. Totally awesome.
The book itself? It was a good one. I gorged
Many thanks to Celadon Books for providing me with this totally amazing advanced copy to read in exchange for my honest review.
The book itself? It was a good one. I gorged
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on it. I inhaled it. The ending everyone is talking about? I read about 95% of this book and then read one single sentence that made me think - huh, I must have missed something. So I backed up a couple of paragraphs to reread and that me me think - what, now I'm confused. And then it hit me - I wasn't confused. I had been completely and purposefully misdirected throughout the entire story! Don't you just love it when that happens :)Many thanks to Celadon Books for providing me with this totally amazing advanced copy to read in exchange for my honest review.
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LibraryThing member ivydtruitt
Alicia is fascinating. Did she or didn't she and why won't she speak? How far and how much is Theo willing to risk in his effort to reach her and discover what really happened the night Gabriel died?
THE SILENT PATIENT lulled me into a false sense of complacency then snatched the rug from under my
Kudos!
If you enjoy psychological thrillers this is one you don't want to miss!
I received an ARC via NetGalley
THE SILENT PATIENT lulled me into a false sense of complacency then snatched the rug from under my
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feet. Never saw it coming but it fit perfectly upon reflection. Such a kick. Kudos!
If you enjoy psychological thrillers this is one you don't want to miss!
I received an ARC via NetGalley
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LibraryThing member jnhk
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides—while not the best psychological thriller I’ve ever read—did not disappoint.
Alicia is found standing over her husband’s body, holding a gun. But she won’t talk. She won’t reveal what happpend in the days leading up to and the night of the murder.
It was an interesting read that really held my attention. I read the novel in one day! But it also didn’t blow me like I thought it would. The plot was fast-paced, the story was well written, and the characters were well developed. However, the psychological thriller twist at the end was clever, but it didn’t have the punch you in the gut, leave your head spinning, wait a second I have to go back a few chapters to figure this out, wow factor liked I had hoped. Overall a fun, quick read that suspense and thriller fans will most definitely enjoy!
Alicia is found standing over her husband’s body, holding a gun. But she won’t talk. She won’t reveal what happpend in the days leading up to and the night of the murder.
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The story unfolds through the narrative of her psychotherapist, Theo, and partially through Alicia’s diary. It was an interesting read that really held my attention. I read the novel in one day! But it also didn’t blow me like I thought it would. The plot was fast-paced, the story was well written, and the characters were well developed. However, the psychological thriller twist at the end was clever, but it didn’t have the punch you in the gut, leave your head spinning, wait a second I have to go back a few chapters to figure this out, wow factor liked I had hoped. Overall a fun, quick read that suspense and thriller fans will most definitely enjoy!
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LibraryThing member Darcia
My feelings summarized in two words: Mind. Blown.
The Silent Patient is one of the most original, well written, compelling books I've ever read. And the twist? I'm still reeling from it.
I truly got lost in in this story. The characters have incredible emotional depth. The mystery of Alicia's
I want to say so much, but I don't want to give away a single detail. What I can tell you without a doubt is that this book will remain at the top of my favorites list. And it's Alex Michaelides first novel! I can't wait to see what comes next.
*I received an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.*
The Silent Patient is one of the most original, well written, compelling books I've ever read. And the twist? I'm still reeling from it.
I truly got lost in in this story. The characters have incredible emotional depth. The mystery of Alicia's
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silence is tantalizing, and the complexities of Theo's character are riveting. I want to say so much, but I don't want to give away a single detail. What I can tell you without a doubt is that this book will remain at the top of my favorites list. And it's Alex Michaelides first novel! I can't wait to see what comes next.
*I received an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.*
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LibraryThing member hubblegal
Alicia Berenson is a famous painter. Her husband, Gabriel, is a well-known fashion photographer. They have it all and Alicia loves her husband. That’s what makes it hard to understand why she would have shot him five times in the face. Alicia hasn’t spoken a word in years and has never
OK, I never saw THAT ending coming! Quite an interesting book that moves along quickly. I became very engaged in the story and liked the characters. I can’t say it was very suspenseful because it’s one of those books that’s more interested in the “why” since we already know the “who” and the “what” but the mystery certainly held me in its grip. This debut author knows how to captivate his audience and I think this may well be a huge success when it’s released next February. I definitely want to see how the movie is handled (yes, the film rights have already been snatched up, by an Oscar-winning producer no less) and will be on the lookout for what this author writes next.
Addictive, well-written thriller. Recommended.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
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explained why she did this terrible act. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who is determined to help heal Alicia and to get her to talk about the murder.OK, I never saw THAT ending coming! Quite an interesting book that moves along quickly. I became very engaged in the story and liked the characters. I can’t say it was very suspenseful because it’s one of those books that’s more interested in the “why” since we already know the “who” and the “what” but the mystery certainly held me in its grip. This debut author knows how to captivate his audience and I think this may well be a huge success when it’s released next February. I definitely want to see how the movie is handled (yes, the film rights have already been snatched up, by an Oscar-winning producer no less) and will be on the lookout for what this author writes next.
Addictive, well-written thriller. Recommended.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
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LibraryThing member Cherylk
Right now this is one of the most hyped about books. Thus when I got a copy, I was excited. I could not wait to jump right into this book.
Ok, so the opening scene was attention grabbing. Even the next several chapters kept my interest. However, it was pretty apparent early on for me that the whole
While. I may not have been overjoyed about this book; the ending was worth it. A good first book by new author, Mr. Michaelides. I will keep an eye out for what he comes out with next.
Ok, so the opening scene was attention grabbing. Even the next several chapters kept my interest. However, it was pretty apparent early on for me that the whole
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vibe of the storyline slowed way down. In fact, you could say that I was in a daze like Alicia. It was this way until about the last third of the story. This is where the story picked up speed. While. I may not have been overjoyed about this book; the ending was worth it. A good first book by new author, Mr. Michaelides. I will keep an eye out for what he comes out with next.
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LibraryThing member c.archer
Didn't see that coming!
LibraryThing member nicx27
There are some cracking books being released in 2019 and The Silent Patient is one of the ones with a lot of noise surrounding it. And oh, I did enjoy it.
Alicia Berenson is a patient in a mental health facility. She shot her husband five times in the face and hasn't spoken a single word since.
The story consists of two strands. One is Alicia's diary, details of what happened in the time running up to the shooting. The other is Theo's telling of what happens after he gets the job at the facility and how he deals with Alicia. His story is by far the more dominant one and the one which I enjoyed most of all, but Alicia's diary is crucial to the story.
This is a thriller with a psychological aspect. The author takes us deep into the psyche of both of our protagonists and leaves us with as many questions as answers until all of a sudden that wham bam moment comes along. It's quite a wait for it but my goodness, I wasn't expecting it to be what it was. Unfortunately, the presence of that shocking moment is well documented and so I was expecting something quite amazing, but even so, I wasn't expecting that. The author plotted the book so incredibly well that I had to read that bit more than once and then recalibrate my entire thoughts about the whole thing.
I can see why The Silent Patient is making waves. It's intense and it's thrilling. One of the words that came to mind when I was reading was 'gothic'. It has a gothic feel to it, that darkness, that intensity, Alicia's silence. With a number of quite short chapters, it kept me turning the pages late into the night. As a debut it's quite something.
Alicia Berenson is a patient in a mental health facility. She shot her husband five times in the face and hasn't spoken a single word since.
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Along comes Theo Faber, a psychotherapist who truly believes that he can change this, he can be the one to get Alicia to speak. After securing a position at the facility where she is, he sets to work with therapy to try and understand what happened on that fateful day when her husband died.The story consists of two strands. One is Alicia's diary, details of what happened in the time running up to the shooting. The other is Theo's telling of what happens after he gets the job at the facility and how he deals with Alicia. His story is by far the more dominant one and the one which I enjoyed most of all, but Alicia's diary is crucial to the story.
This is a thriller with a psychological aspect. The author takes us deep into the psyche of both of our protagonists and leaves us with as many questions as answers until all of a sudden that wham bam moment comes along. It's quite a wait for it but my goodness, I wasn't expecting it to be what it was. Unfortunately, the presence of that shocking moment is well documented and so I was expecting something quite amazing, but even so, I wasn't expecting that. The author plotted the book so incredibly well that I had to read that bit more than once and then recalibrate my entire thoughts about the whole thing.
I can see why The Silent Patient is making waves. It's intense and it's thrilling. One of the words that came to mind when I was reading was 'gothic'. It has a gothic feel to it, that darkness, that intensity, Alicia's silence. With a number of quite short chapters, it kept me turning the pages late into the night. As a debut it's quite something.
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LibraryThing member waldhaus1
I was never caught up by the underlying mystery. As it is unraveled I didn’t feel involved enough to care. It had a lot of Freudian undercurrents, but in the end was just too twisted for me.
LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, author; Louise Brealey, Jack Hawkins narrators
There are two competing stories in this excellent psychological thriller. One concerns an artist, Alicia Berenson, a woman of fragile emotions and a victim of circumstance. After her mother committed suicide, she
When she was able, she left the home and eventually fell deeply in love and married a successful photographer, Gabriel Berenson. When her father died, she had a nervous breakdown and attempted suicide, but afterwards, seemed fine, until the day she thought she saw someone watching her, from a distance. Was it her imagination?
The second story concerns Dr. Theo Faber, a man who also had a troubled past. Raised by an angry, abusive father and an alcoholic mother, he too attempted suicide when younger. However, he fell in love and married and was now working as the psychotherapist at The Grove, where Alicia Berenson was sent after her trial. He seems to have been fascinated by her work and was obsessed with treating her. It was his dream to encourage her to speak, although she had not spoken a word for the six years that had passed since she was convicted of the murder of her husband.
There is a third character that underlies the story. The character is Alcestis who became well known in the Greek tragedy written by Euripedes. She was willingly sacrificed and died in place of her husband. However, Hercules intervened, in some versions, and brought her back to life by battling death and winning. This theme permeated the novel in subtle and overt ways.
The timeline was confusing for some readers, but the author, obviously intended it to be. To those of you who like to peek at the end, don’t. There are numerous twists and turns as the story plays out and the conclusion will be a huge surprise to most readers.
The narrators who read the book on the audio were absolutely superb, interpreting each word perfectly for each character, with mood and setting becoming almost visible from their portrayal. My big criticism is the use of unnecessary foul language which did nothing to enhance the narrative. On a positive note, it would make a great movie.
There are two competing stories in this excellent psychological thriller. One concerns an artist, Alicia Berenson, a woman of fragile emotions and a victim of circumstance. After her mother committed suicide, she
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was placed in the care of her abusive father’s sister, who was a difficult woman. When she was able, she left the home and eventually fell deeply in love and married a successful photographer, Gabriel Berenson. When her father died, she had a nervous breakdown and attempted suicide, but afterwards, seemed fine, until the day she thought she saw someone watching her, from a distance. Was it her imagination?
The second story concerns Dr. Theo Faber, a man who also had a troubled past. Raised by an angry, abusive father and an alcoholic mother, he too attempted suicide when younger. However, he fell in love and married and was now working as the psychotherapist at The Grove, where Alicia Berenson was sent after her trial. He seems to have been fascinated by her work and was obsessed with treating her. It was his dream to encourage her to speak, although she had not spoken a word for the six years that had passed since she was convicted of the murder of her husband.
There is a third character that underlies the story. The character is Alcestis who became well known in the Greek tragedy written by Euripedes. She was willingly sacrificed and died in place of her husband. However, Hercules intervened, in some versions, and brought her back to life by battling death and winning. This theme permeated the novel in subtle and overt ways.
The timeline was confusing for some readers, but the author, obviously intended it to be. To those of you who like to peek at the end, don’t. There are numerous twists and turns as the story plays out and the conclusion will be a huge surprise to most readers.
The narrators who read the book on the audio were absolutely superb, interpreting each word perfectly for each character, with mood and setting becoming almost visible from their portrayal. My big criticism is the use of unnecessary foul language which did nothing to enhance the narrative. On a positive note, it would make a great movie.
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LibraryThing member marykuhl
I wasn't sure about this from the title: The Silent Patient. Especially as the opening pages, main character is writing a "journal". I thought perhaps this journal would be the "patient", and lead to the clues. But...
A husband is murdered. A wife accused. However, she is silent and says nothing.
I just finished this book and I was NOT disappointed.
A husband is murdered. A wife accused. However, she is silent and says nothing.
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She doesn't deny or confess. She has suffered a trauma that keeps her from speaking, but why? Why did her husband die? Why won't she speak? She is an artist and she paints a self portrait of herself. This portrait seems to be a key, but we don't yet know. Enter a doctor who is fascinated by her story. Someone who can relate to her. But will he be able to help her and will he be able to solve what really happened that night? I just finished this book and I was NOT disappointed.
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LibraryThing member bagejew
A page-turning, psychological thriller. If you think you’ve figured it out, you haven’t. While it gets off to a bit of a slow start, it picks up speed rapidly. Read it in less than 48 hours.
LibraryThing member carole888fort
Oh but I do love it when a novel turns all my pre-conceived interpretations upside-down and provides a completely unexpected and shocking ending. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is that psychological thriller. Alicia Berenson is a famous artist married to Gabriel, a fashion photographer. All
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seems well until Gabriel arrives home late one night and Alicia shoots him in the face five times. She is found at the scene, having attempted to slit her wrists. She will never speak again. Having been found too unstable to go to prison, she is remanded to a secure forensic unit where she is heavily drugged. And that is where Theo Faber, a criminal psychotherapist, with dysfunction in his early years, attempts to get to the bottom of Alicia's own dysfunction and the truth about her husband's murder. The rest you must read for yourself. You will not regret picking up this novel. Highly recommended. Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Show Less
LibraryThing member MM_Jones
Great story, but... The plot hinges on a patient in a criminal medical facility maintaining possession of a hidden diary, hard to fathom.
Awards
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2021)
Barry Award (Nominee — First Novel — 2020)
Waverton Good Read Award (Longlist — 2019)
The British Book Industry Awards (Shortlist — 2020)
Sakura Medal (High School — 2023)
International Thriller Writers Award (Nominee — First Novel — 2020)
Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award (Longlist — 2020)
Publishers Weekly's Best Books of the Year (Mystery/Thriller — 2019)
Lariat Adult Fiction Reading List (Selection — 2020)
Original language
English
Original publication date
2019-02-07
Physical description
8.25 inches
ISBN
1432858653 / 9781432858650
Other editions
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (Hardcover)