Book review: The Silent Patient (by Alex Michaelides)

Confession: I probably read this book as it was recommended to me by my psychiatrist friend.

This psychological thriller follows Alicia Berenson, a painter who murders her husband by shooting him in the face five times and then stops speaking entirely. Theo Faber is a forensic psychoanalyst who endeavors to help her through therapy. Interesting premise? It most certainly is! One of the slickest thrillers to come out in recent times; The Silent Patient is a New York Times bestseller and an edge of the seat thriller that guarantees to keep the reader devouring chapter after chapter.

"We are all crazy, I believe, just in different ways."

This statement is so true, isn't it? Especially in the context of this  story that is told through Theo Faber, (who is himself in the wrong frame of mind as he faces personal strain in his marriage) and the diary entries of Alicia Berenson, the murder suspect. The mystery unfolds slowly, steadily, and then at breakneck speed leading to the all important twist in the final pages that is bound to leave most readers gasping. I believe that the impact of this twist on you will finally decide whether you enjoyed the book or not. I partially guessed the culprit, largely because I have read so many thrillers over the years that I am almost never surprised by the ending. With this book however, there are multiple layers to the mystery and I doubt that anyone can fully and accurately predict the conclusion.

That being said, the novel is let down by the pedestrian prose employed by the author. Though this is his first full length novel, he has had experience as a screenwriter in Hollywood, thus his style of writing was too simplistic and was a major letdown. Perhaps this is not the genre to comment on the prosaic nature of the narration, as the tempo of writing should be slick enough to capture the interest of the reader without too many unnecessary frills. I will wait for his next novel to fully pass judgement on his writing style.

The book was also the well deserved winner of the Goodreads Readers' Choice Award 2019 in the mystery/thriller section. Not a perfect book by any stretch, but definitely needs a read if you're into this genre. The book is to be made into a movie, and involves the great Brad Pitt himself! You can find all details here. So read it before it is released on the big screen.

My rating: 4/5
Image source: amazon.in