It is already the fourth month of the year and I still find it hard to believe that this is only the second book I’ve read so far. I have been so overwhelmed with schoolwork and it has left me with barely any time to read for pleasure.
One of my goals this year was to explore more genres of books, but I just couldn’t take on the challenge. I needed a book that would be worth my time—lol. I have come to realise that psychology thrillers, mysteries, and crime novels do it for me.
I picked The Silent Patient because it sounds familiar, like I have heard someone mention it. Naturally, I also google searched it and the rating was pretty good. The title alone was quite intriguing to me, I was curious to know the story behind the ‘silent patient’.
ABOUT THE BOOK
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is a psychological thriller book published in 2019. It focuses on trauma, mental health, the complexities of the human psyche, love, betrayal, and deception.
The book follows the story of Alicia Berenson, a well-known and talented painter, who shot her husband, Gabriel Berenson—a renowned fashion photographer—five times in the head on the twenty-fifth of August. After this horrific incident, Alicia never spoke again, not a single word but only spoke through a painting, titled Alcestis.
Theo Faber, a psychotherapist, soon emerged after six years of the murder. Alicia has been locked away in a psychiatric facility, called the Grove. Theo was determined to make Alicia speak again, but with time she became obsessed with Alicia’s story, convinced that he was the only one that could reach her.
Alicia’s silence became the core of the mystery, leaving everyone wondering. Since all evidence points to her, was there nothing left to say? As Theo strives to find answers, secrets begin to surface—both his and hers.
What would have gone wrong? Why did she do it ? Is she ever going to talk again? What is behind the painting ‘Alcestis’? What is it someone else that killed Gabriel?…. These questions lingers as you read through the book.
MY THOUGHTS
The first chapter of this book was quite captivating, it started with the murder of the victim and the murderer—no buildup, no teasing, just shock. The one question that came to my mind was “Why?”. I love the slight different approach from the beginning, it was quite gripping, and I was curious to know what the author has left to offer.
The writing style is remarkable and pretty straightforward. The pacing is also commendable and dialogue feels natural. The narration is mostly told through Theo Faber’s point of view, while other aspect is told through excerpts from Alicia’s diary.
I have read a couple of psychology thriller books, and something I fancy about this, is the storyline—the silence in particular, those things left unsaid slowly draws me in. In today’s world, where everyone constantly want to explain themselves, Alicia just.. didn’t. While Theo, the narrator does the talking, a lot.
At some point, I kind of got bored of his voice. Another thing I appreciate is the psychological depth of the book. It explores the trauma, restrained memories, obsessions, betrayal. I love the suspense, the flawed characters- the reflection and contrast of the two characters.
The ending was well fitted, although it came as a twist and was quite unexpected, it wasn’t a really big shocker for me but it was a perfect one and well earned.
Overall, The Silent Patient is a psychological thriller told through the eyes of a psychotherapist. The book was a smooth blend of mystery, deep exploration of trauma and the search for truth. It was definitely a great read.
I would rate this book a solid 4.3 out of 5.
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𝚃𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚋𝚗𝚊𝚒𝚕 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙲𝚊𝚗𝚟𝚊. 𝙿𝚑𝚘𝚝𝚘 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚝 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜.
