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A review by littlelibraryofsky
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
5.0
"Most communication is nonverbal"
"I was crying for all of us. There's so much pain everywhere, and we just close our eyes to it."
"But real love is very quiet, very still."
OH SO GOOD. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing of this book! It was simple to understand and follow, keeping me engaged and eager for more. The use of Alcestis from Greek mythology was cleverly intertwined with Alicia's silence, echoing the silence of betrayal and torture inflicted upon Alcestis by her loved ones.
The narrative was a real page-turner, which was refreshing. It kept me guessing about the characters' identities until around page 200 when I started to suspect who was watching Alicia. By page 300, I thought I had figured out the murderer. BUT THEN THE TWIST CAME and I was like oh....my......didn't see that coming.
Regarding the ending, I interpreted Theo's attempt to catch snowflakes as a metaphor for pursuing happiness, only to find it elusive and unattainable. His transformation into his father, abandoning plans to fix up the house and becoming comfortable with its state, mirrored his father's complacency. Similarly, his wife's descent into depression paralleled his mother's experience. Theo ultimately used manipulation to tempt Alicia into becoming the killer, rather than taking responsibility himself.
The book I purchased came with a Book Club Guide and the author does say, "Many people have asked me about the ending. I left it deliberately ambiguous. I'm not entirely sure what happens to Theo, or any of the other characters. I do feel Theo is not done with me, as a character - and I'm wondering if he will revisit me some day; though whether his story will take place in the years before he started working at the Grove or afterward, I don't know. I will have to wait and see."
Sooo maybe another book will be coming out eventually?!
Adding this one to my favorites list!
"I was crying for all of us. There's so much pain everywhere, and we just close our eyes to it."
"But real love is very quiet, very still."
OH SO GOOD. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing of this book! It was simple to understand and follow, keeping me engaged and eager for more. The use of Alcestis from Greek mythology was cleverly intertwined with Alicia's silence, echoing the silence of betrayal and torture inflicted upon Alcestis by her loved ones.
The narrative was a real page-turner, which was refreshing. It kept me guessing about the characters' identities until around page 200 when I started to suspect who was watching Alicia. By page 300, I thought I had figured out the murderer. BUT THEN THE TWIST CAME and I was like oh....my......didn't see that coming.
Regarding the ending, I interpreted Theo's attempt to catch snowflakes as a metaphor for pursuing happiness, only to find it elusive and unattainable. His transformation into his father, abandoning plans to fix up the house and becoming comfortable with its state, mirrored his father's complacency. Similarly, his wife's descent into depression paralleled his mother's experience. Theo ultimately used manipulation to tempt Alicia into becoming the killer, rather than taking responsibility himself.
The book I purchased came with a Book Club Guide and the author does say, "Many people have asked me about the ending. I left it deliberately ambiguous. I'm not entirely sure what happens to Theo, or any of the other characters. I do feel Theo is not done with me, as a character - and I'm wondering if he will revisit me some day; though whether his story will take place in the years before he started working at the Grove or afterward, I don't know. I will have to wait and see."
Sooo maybe another book will be coming out eventually?!
Adding this one to my favorites list!