Alicia Berenson’s life is excellent. A renowned painter married to an associate photographer. She lives in an exceeding luxuries grand house with huge windows London’s most fascinating area. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and it is said Alicia allegedly shoots her husband 5 times in the face, then never speaks another word Before going to the Grove she did however left a painting named Alcestis which is Greek mythology. Alicia’s refusal to speak, or offer any quite rationalization, turns a domestic tragedy into one thing way grander, a mystery that captures the general public imagination and casts Alicia into infamy. The worth of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden distant from the spotlight at the Grove, a secure facility unit in North London. Theo Faber is a psychotherapist determined to urge her to speak and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his motivations―a hunt for the reality that threatens to consume him…
Overview
In this combination of a psychological thriller novel, the thing that inspired me in this story is that there is no such thing as true love in a one-sided relationship which can be seen that even Alicia who loved her husband ended up heartbroken in the end. It was hard to understand who was trustworthy and honest as the story progressed. Moreover, I also enjoyed how the author narrated the entire story side by side by jumping back and forth in time. Furthermore, the story would have been made more enjoyable if Theo the psychotherapist would have confronted Kathy his
wife about the affair. This would have resulted in extreme heartbreak and pain for Theo but would have resulted in freedom from false marriage. However, the cause of someone’s action can be the cause of tragedy or a mishap that happened in his childhood that leaves him to be violent or murderous. Everyone is born innocent but the surroundings matter a lot in upbringing
“Remember, love that doesn’t include honesty doesn’t deserve to be called love.”
Ruth
Strengths & Weaknesses
In my opinion, there were many cliffhangers in between the novel that was not fully explained for example like the story of Alicia and Max and the connection of Paul with gambling and his debt. And why Jean Felix gave Alicia a warning? What did it mean?
Although there were many unresolved mysteries the book did have its uniqueness, for example, the way the author portrayed the novel where he told the present, past, and the truth altogether. And the twist and turns revolving around the story led to the readers changing his/her perspective about what’s going to happen. And lastly the way he portrayed love.
Choosing a lover is a lot like choosing a therapist. We need to ask ourselves, is this someone who will be honest with me, listen to criticism, admit making mistakes, and not promise the impossible?
Theo
Moreover, the way the author carries on the story and explains the character of Alicia through her facial expressions and body language made me attentive to read it further so get a better view of where the story is heading off to. The behavior of
Theo seems a bit strange, he seemed suspicious with the way he was eager to treat Alicia according to me was the plus point for the author.
Closing summary
The Silent Patient is a mystery thriller novel that catches the eyes of the reader with heartbreaking events, twists, and turns which captivate the reader to read further and be involved in his imagination of what might happen. The way the story proceeds from a happy moment between a couple that leads to a murder blaming the wife and making it an unresolved mystery for everyone. Although it was a bit slow-paced that was its biggest quality. It allowed the reader to absorb each and every thing, take in each word, and savor it. It allowed the readers to take their time, evaluate all the facts within all the paragraphs, and then move forth. It allows you to understand Theo, not just from his profession as a therapist but on a deeper level so you can connect to him even if you cannot relate to him at all. Even though there were a lot of unresolved stories that might have made the surprising, even if you guess the twist (I didn’t, but some might), and the way the crucial scene of the book plays out is well done. I was skeptical of whether the book would come together, and I was pleasantly surprised that it ultimately does.
This Review was written by:
Muhammad Anfal Ali
Ibrahim Malik
Zain Haider
Jibran Ali
Rafia Abid
Muskan Nawaz
StudentS of Air University, Islamabad.
Submitted by: Muhammad Anfal Ali
