The Silent Patient, Alex Michaelides
Synopsis by Diane-Lyn:
Alicia Berenson is a talented painter who lives a quiet, upscale life in London with her husband, Gabriel. That is, until the night Gabriel is brutally murdered and Alicia stops speaking entirely. In a case that draws wide spread media attention, Alicia is later found guilty of murder and sent away to a psychiatric facility, the Grove, where she remains mute for years. Theo Faber, criminal psychotherapist, is determined to reach Alicia, to earn her trust and get her to talk about what really happened that night. He soon realizes, however, that his quest for answers places him on a dangerous path – a nightmarish rollercoaster ride from which he may never escape.
Diane-Lyn‘s Review:
This intense debut novel by Alex Michaelides wasted no time, opening with Alicia Berenson was thirty-three years old when she killed her husband. I was absorbed right from the beginning, This was a very fast 323 page read. Michaelides’s writing is tight, clear, and flows smoothly. Oh, what a gripping experience!
The novel is carried well by only two central characters (plus a handful of smaller ones) and a captivating plot line. As you have probably figured out, Alicia’s character is complex and mysterious. Throughout the book, Michaelides gradually releases pieces of information about her in different ways. He reaches back in time to revisit her traumatic childhood and familial mental illness, both of which shaped her, entangled her, and in the end, ruined her. Also presented was Alicia’s quite revealing diary, which I will get into later. In general, it was easy to sympathize with Alicia’s character. She was truly a victim on so many levels. Theo, with a complicated history of his own, finds himself drawn to Alicia and relates to her in a deeply personal way despite the convoluted emotional puzzle she presents. These commonalities drive Theo’s determination to reach his uncommunicative patient, taking tremendous personal and professional risks along the way. There were times when I felt that his level of commitment was unrealistic given his profession. I just could not imagine a therapist going to such great lengths and risking his career just to get information on a patient. However, as the plot evolved and his character developed, everything he did started to make sense. Michaelides’s ability to develop his characters through the microscopic dissection of their histories and deep layers of mental illness give this novel an intellectual, thought provoking angle. More than just an engaging fictional read, The Silent Patient raises real-life questions about the root of mental illness and the age-old nature-versus-nurture debate. Michaelides brilliantly incorporates his own work in the study of psychology to unravel the deepest, most vulnerable segments of the human psyche piece by piece, and then seamlessly weaves them into a dramatic, fast paced thriller. I also loved how he drew parallels between Alicia and the silent Greek heroine, Alcestis; a truly superb connection!
Now about the diary. Truth be told, this was the one part of the book that didn’t sit well with me. Alicia’s diary did give her a much needed voice, disclosing the critical information she refused to verbalize. Yes, these answers were needed, but the way in which they were presented felt a bit contrived. First, there’s the unrealistic nature of the diary itself. How was Alicia able to smuggle this huge piece of herself into the Grove and have it there for years without anybody noticing it until the day she voluntarily handed it over to Theo? I also take issue with how the entries were structured. When people write in diaries, they generally describe briefly the gist of events or conversations and their feelings about them. Alicia’s diary, however, read more like a back and forth conversation from a fictional novel (lots of quotes) rather than a personal journal. Finally, the last journal entry couldn’t have been written the way it was under the circumstances of that day, but to elaborate would give too much away so I will just leave it at that. Thankfully, the merits of this novel are strong enough to overlook what is lacking, and I enjoyed The Silent Patient enough to recommend it to anybody who enjoys a twisty murder mystery thriller. Marriage, infidelity, substance abuse, mental illness, and murder all culminate to a staggering shocker at the end (and no, I didn’t suspect a thing and I’m still reeling!). Dark but engaging, sad but thought provoking, The Silent Patient is a must-read for lovers of fast moving psychological thrillers.
**Purchase your own copy of The Silent Patient by clicking this link: Amazon. This is an affiliate link, which only means that when you click the link and make a purchase, I receive a tiny commission at no additional cost to you. Happy reading!
There are times when the mind is dealt such a blow it hides itself in insanity.
While this may not seem beneficial, it is. There are times when reality is nothing but pain, and to escape that pain the mind must leave reality behind.
