The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is an amazing psychological thriller. It basically combines art, silence, and trauma into an exciting story...
BOOK REVIEW
Book: The Silent Patient
Author: Alex Michaelides
Reviewed by: Wareesha Farooqui
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is an amazing psychological thriller. It basically combines art, silence, and trauma into an exciting story. It starts off a bit slow but then picks up the pace. The story goes through a lot of ups and downs, delving into childhood trauma, buried anger, and bottled-up emotions, exploring how these factors shape a person’s character.
It’s the story of Alicia, a famous painter who kills her husband, Gabriel, and, following this traumatic incident, stops speaking entirely. Her silence leads to her being placed in a secure psychiatric facility where psychotherapist Theo Faber works. The novel is told from Theo’s perspective.
Theo is a complex and flawed character himself, and his determination to find out the truth adds another layer of tension and psychological depth to the story. He becomes obsessed with Alicia’s case and takes up the challenge to try and get her to speak, using his knowledge of psychology to try and read the patient’s mind. He also reads her diary entries, which give him insights into her thoughts and feelings. The story takes a surprising turn when Theo uncovers a shocking truth, a revelation that changes the course of the story unexpectedly.
At the end, readers are left with a feeling of uncertainty. Meanwhile, Theo finds some peace, realizing that his obsession with Alicia was a way for him to deal with his own unresolved issues.
The book is well-paced, each chapter moving the story forward while keeping readers engaged. A lot of angles have been explored here – psychotherapy, art, literature – and everything has been brought together very smoothly and in unexpected ways.
The storyline is skilfully written, full of unexpected surprises and curveballs that keep readers on their toes, while the characters are multidimensional and complex. A major strength of the novel is its thoughtful exploration of the human mind, tackling themes like trauma, obsession, guilt, and mental health complexities.
In my opinion, the starting was a bit slow and it also didn’t quite make sense to me why Alicia stayed silent. But overall, The Silent Patient is a must-read book. I finished it in six straight hours! I would highly recommend this book. It increases your curiosity and makes you think like a detective. It’s masterfully written and ingeniously plotted, offering a captivating blend of suspense, mystery, and psychological exploration. The suspenseful tale kept me second-guessing until the last chapter, and if you are like me and love watching thrillers, then you should definitely give this book a try.
