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BOOK OF THE MONTH
The Silent Patient
Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. She is a famous painter and her husband, Gabriel, an in-demand fashion photographer. Until one evening, when Gabriel returns home late from work and Alicia shoots him five times in the face and then never speaks another word.
#1 New York Times bestseller
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Community Reviews
“We’re all crazy, I believe, just in different ways… Thanks to a successful therapeutic intervention at a young age, I was able to pull back from the brink of psychic darkness. In my mind, however, the other narrative remained forever a possibility: I might have gone crazy — and ended my days locked in an institution, like Alicia. There but for the grace of God…”
This excerpt hit me on first reading it simply because I love how reading about complex characters can open our eyes to this reality of how we truly are all just on a spectrum of crazy, and could be one trauma or event away from tipping whatever scale society seems to function on.
The book reinforced this throughout, confronting you constantly with duality, trust, who is bad, is anyone good? You’re left wondering if blame functions on a scale, somehow.
I also enjoyed the thrill and parallels of the obsessions in the relationships. But thank you Dr Ruth for reminding us, “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.”
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!!
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this book was eery, suspenseful, unputdownable, and infuriating.
I ended up skimming through it after reading it to put the pieces together.
It was nice that Alicia gave dates in her journal for point in time but we were not afforded the same luxury for the narrator.
It was clear toward the part where Theo finds his wife cheating on him but other than that, the timeline felt unclear once you know the twist. How was Theo not affected by Alcestis when he first read it? Knowing it was how it all went down with Alicia and Gabriel? I am not sure why Alicia gave the journal to him if she knew after the second meeting about him. Did she feel she had the upper hand? Perhaps she didnât care if she lived or died as long as the truth came to light. Thoughts?
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this book was eery, suspenseful, unputdownable, and infuriating.
I ended up skimming through it after reading it to put the pieces together.
It was nice that Alicia gave dates in her journal for point in time but we were not afforded the same luxury for the narrator.
It was clear toward the part where Theo finds his wife cheating on him but other than that, the timeline felt unclear once you know the twist. How was Theo not affected by Alcestis when he first read it? Knowing it was how it all went down with Alicia and Gabriel? I am not sure why Alicia gave the journal to him if she knew after the second meeting about him. Did she feel she had the upper hand? Perhaps she didnât care if she lived or died as long as the truth came to light. Thoughts?
In typical fashion, I'm between 3 and 3.5 stars for The Silent Patient, a work bookclub selection. I was excited to read this based on the premise of the book and the beginning of the book hooked me right away; it was interesting and mysterious. Along the way, though, the story gets a bit confusing, and the scenarios and conversation a bit "fake" (yes I realize this is fiction but still, felt too exaggerated). I do give the author credit for the reveal at the end; I totally did not see that coming so I guess there are kudos to be had there.
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