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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Silver Linings Playbook is heartfelt and means really well. It is written very basically (as it is written from the perspective of a mentally ill man) and I found that I wanted more out of his 'closure'... not a reconciliation, but something concrete.
Interesting overall, but certainly not my favourite. I look forward to seeing the movie version.
Interesting overall, but certainly not my favourite. I look forward to seeing the movie version.
I’m so torn by this book. It is such a beautiful story, and yet... For a book that is lauded for its accurate portrayal of bipolar disorder, it seems problematic.
Starting off, bipolar disorder represents itself differently in each individual who has it. This story could be fully accurate to a persons situation. It clearly portrays accurate representations of manic episodes, dealing with obsession, delusions, hallucinations, and extreme emotions. His depressive episode towards the end also feels authentic.
HOWEVER, I was incredibly disappointed to find out how much of the story relies on Pat’s violence. Almost every character portrayed in media as having bipolar disorder is violent, however, the vast majority of people with bipolar disorder never have a violent episode. If anything, people with bipolar disorder are typically only a danger to themselves.
The other thing that bothered me was Pat’s
unintelligent tendencies. The fact that he creates the ideas of “the bad place” and “apart time” make him feel like he has a childlike understanding of the world around him, something that is not at all representative of bipolar disorder. Perhaps this is simply due to brain damage, but it never really seems clear.
Overall, I’m glad I read the book. It is wonderfully written, and held me from start to finish. I just can’t get past the propagation of negative stigmas the book spreads, especially if this is viewed as one of the most accurate representations of bipolar disorder in fiction.
Starting off, bipolar disorder represents itself differently in each individual who has it. This story could be fully accurate to a persons situation. It clearly portrays accurate representations of manic episodes, dealing with obsession, delusions, hallucinations, and extreme emotions. His depressive episode towards the end also feels authentic.
HOWEVER, I was incredibly disappointed to find out how much of the story relies on Pat’s violence. Almost every character portrayed in media as having bipolar disorder is violent, however, the vast majority of people with bipolar disorder never have a violent episode. If anything, people with bipolar disorder are typically only a danger to themselves.
The other thing that bothered me was Pat’s
unintelligent tendencies. The fact that he creates the ideas of “the bad place” and “apart time” make him feel like he has a childlike understanding of the world around him, something that is not at all representative of bipolar disorder. Perhaps this is simply due to brain damage, but it never really seems clear.
Overall, I’m glad I read the book. It is wonderfully written, and held me from start to finish. I just can’t get past the propagation of negative stigmas the book spreads, especially if this is viewed as one of the most accurate representations of bipolar disorder in fiction.
I have no words.
It brought tears to my eyes, and in a lot of ways, I connected deeply to Pat Peoples.
I understand what it's like to suffer with that depression.
With that feeling of wanting your lover back, and having a hope upon hope that they will.
Sometimes you should see the positives of everything in life, but do not let that make you blind to the negatives as well.
I cannot wait to watch the movie, and I hope the movie follows this extremely well written book.
It brought tears to my eyes, and in a lot of ways, I connected deeply to Pat Peoples.
I understand what it's like to suffer with that depression.
With that feeling of wanting your lover back, and having a hope upon hope that they will.
Sometimes you should see the positives of everything in life, but do not let that make you blind to the negatives as well.
I cannot wait to watch the movie, and I hope the movie follows this extremely well written book.
I didn't think I would give this novel five stars, because it didn't have the best writing. But I wonder if that's because our main character would write like that, and it's in diary format. Regardless, the story really moved me, and I found the portrayal of a mental condition pretty accurate. I enjoyed Pat and Tiffany's friendship, and his relationship with his family. Very interesting stuff.
You know how it is...Bradley Cooper, with his perfect curls and dancing blue eyes, entices you to watch a movie about a man suffering a mental breakdown. You find out that said movie is actually a book and before you know it, instead of watching a movie with the chick from "The Hunger Games" and Robert DeNiro and dancing you've found the book and read it amid the chaos of the busiest time of the year.
And, even though the book isn't really about dancing and the guy doesn't really remind you of Bradley Cooper at all, you love every minute of it.
Pat Peoples is a guy who loves silver lining and he believes the world is full of them. Strangely, Pat isn't wrong about this; even when you are beaten down and someone steals your shoes there's a friend to help you. He's so sure that everything will turn out perfectly that he has blocked out any and everything that is horrible in his life. This includes how long he's been 'sent away' and it definitely includes the horrible reason that he's been sent to a mental institution in the first place.
His unorthodox psychologist keeps him grounded through their mutual love of football. His mother gives him all the love and attention he needs to help him along the way. His brother helps ease him into the present. And, Tiffany? Tiffany takes him all the biggest roller-coaster ride of his life. This includes lessons about what it means to love someone, a dance contest for the clinically depressed and a silent date at a diner.
There's never been a more romantic bowl of cereal.
I've yet to see the movie, not really sure I need to. I'm not sure that even Bradley Cooper could improve it--yes, it's just that good.
And, even though the book isn't really about dancing and the guy doesn't really remind you of Bradley Cooper at all, you love every minute of it.
Pat Peoples is a guy who loves silver lining and he believes the world is full of them. Strangely, Pat isn't wrong about this; even when you are beaten down and someone steals your shoes there's a friend to help you. He's so sure that everything will turn out perfectly that he has blocked out any and everything that is horrible in his life. This includes how long he's been 'sent away' and it definitely includes the horrible reason that he's been sent to a mental institution in the first place.
His unorthodox psychologist keeps him grounded through their mutual love of football. His mother gives him all the love and attention he needs to help him along the way. His brother helps ease him into the present. And, Tiffany? Tiffany takes him all the biggest roller-coaster ride of his life. This includes lessons about what it means to love someone, a dance contest for the clinically depressed and a silent date at a diner.
There's never been a more romantic bowl of cereal.
I've yet to see the movie, not really sure I need to. I'm not sure that even Bradley Cooper could improve it--yes, it's just that good.
def a unique character voice but i can def tell this was written in the early 2000s from some of the choices.
Was kind of disappointed by the book, and this is one of those cases where the movie is better than the book.
A tough wonderful book about real people and how un-pretty life sometimes is. One of my favorite lines from the book: "life is not a PG feel-good movie. Real life often ends badly (...) And literature tries to document this reality, while showing us it is still possible for people to endure nobly." Silver Linings Playbook does show pain and raw emotions and the characters don't always endure nobly. Or prettily. But they do endure and the realness makes the book such a gripping read. And as a silver lining (see what I did there? :), tucked in between emotional pain and inability to cope, betrayal, misunderstandings, and a father who is a real douche - not even because he doesn't know how to deal with his mentally ill son, but because he makes everyone around him suffer for his moods - tucked in between all this, is a beautiful, unassuming love story, that still manages to leave a mark on the reader.
What a great book. (Although I should warn any reader who feels uncomfortable with swearing that the f-word does get dropped a few times. It always read appropriate in context to me in this book, but I understand not everyone may feel that way.)
What a great book. (Although I should warn any reader who feels uncomfortable with swearing that the f-word does get dropped a few times. It always read appropriate in context to me in this book, but I understand not everyone may feel that way.)
This was the best book I've read all year. The characters are round and engaging and I really appreciate the author's keen sense of humor slipped in ever so secretly. And I will never look at Kenny G. the same way again!