Book Review: “The Silent Patient” By “Alex Michaelides ”-- “The Silent Thriller”

 

Source: Amazon

‘The silent patient’ by author Alex Michaelides is a psychological thriller that will completely blow the reader's mind. this book is written so brilliantly that you will find yourself turning the pages trying to grasp the difference between reality and imagination. Told from the point of view of a psychotherapist Theo Faber, this novel is ruthless and unforgettable in terms of suspense and crime. A lot of issues like domestic violence, stalking, etc are highlighted in this novel. 

Introduction 

Author– Alex Michaelides

Genre – Thriller, Novel, Psychological thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Fiction

Language – English

Synopsis- Non-Spoiler Alert!

Alicia Berenson, a famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, her life seems perfect. She lives in a grand house in one of London’s most desirable areas. What can go wrong; after all? Well, Alicia Berenson shoots her husband five times in the face, one evening when he returned from his fashion shoot and has refused to say a word ever since. She has not uttered a single word since murdering her husband and people all across were left wondering why exactly did she murder her husband? 

After this incident, the price of her artwork skyrockets, and the situation remains a complete mystery to the world. Alicia referred to as the ‘Silent Patient’ now is tucked away in Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London away from the news and tabloids. Theo Faber, a psychotherapist from whose point of view the story is told is obsessed with Alicia and the reason ads to why she is silent. He wants to discover the reason why Alicia killed her husband and make her speak.

About The Author

Alex Michaelides is a bestselling British-Cypriot author and screenwriter. His debut novel, the psychological thriller The Silent Patient, is a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller, with over a million copies sold. He has a degree in English Literature from Cambridge and an MA in screenwriting at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles and has studied psychotherapy and worked in a secure unit. 

Self Analysis

This book delves deep into the human mind and explained to us the intricacies in which past trauma affects the present person. This book covers four different lives and we learn so much about how a person’s mind plays a huge role and how our thoughts define us. The novel talks about love that is twisted and cruel. It also talks about revenge in the name of love and the stretch people go to and the steps they take to justify their actions.

The way Theo is obsessed with Alicia and her story and is bent on discovering the real reason why she shot her husband will give you goosebumps. Alicia is an enigma. Her silence after murdering her husband gave rise to many speculations and increased demand for her artworks. There are also greek references in the story which are quite to the point. 

There is a twist in the story, an explosive massive twist that will keep the readers in wonder and awe. The plotline of the story is absolutely and breathtakingly beautiful and I believe every thriller lover should grab this book and read it.

Famous Quotes

1. “Remember, love that doesn't include honesty doesn't deserve to be called love.”

2. “Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive and will come forth later, in uglier ways. —SIGMUND FREUD”

3. “You know, one of the hardest things to admit is that we weren’t loved when we needed it most. It’s a terrible feeling, the pain of not being loved.”

4. “No one is born evil. As Winnicott put it, “A baby cannot hate the mother, without the mother first hating the baby.”

5. “You become increasingly comfortable with madness - and not just the madness of others, but your own. We’re all crazy, I believe, just in different ways.”

Bottom Line

This book is a must-read for every psychology thriller fan and also those who want to dip their toes into a thriller. 

My ratings for the book -5 on 5

Get your copy from Amazon – The Silent Patient

Written by - Aayushi Kumari Singh