Nothing feels done for shock value or for gratuitous purposes-everything is derived, first and foremost, from the characters’ wants and desires.Īdditionally, the setting of The Silent Patient-mostly the mental institution known as “The Grove”-feels altogether authentic. They are completely and chillingly believable, natural byproducts of the characters’ internal psychologies and the high-stakes nature of their surroundings. However, it is obvious Michaelides made the conscious choice to not let the thrill-a-moment action completely dictate the novel. The ending twist in particular (no spoilers, don’t worry) is legitimately unexpected-and gratifyingly so.
#THE SILENT PATIENT AUTHOR FULL#
To be clear, The Silent Patient is absolutely chock full of surprising narrative “bends in the road.” Readers looking for that will not be disappointed. So why was The Silent Patient such a rousing success?īecause it is a wholly character-driven work-a deep-dive examination of mental illness, obsession, marriage, and compassion-masquerading under the guise of a pulpy thriller.
So, obviously, in all modes of measurement, the novel “worked,” and should be examined as a blueprint for success for first-time novelists. Additionally, the feature film rights were optioned by Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment and Megan Ellison’s Annapurna Pictures. As Theo’s quest to get Alicia to speak deepens-and his fixation increases-the truth behind the crime becomes murkier and murkier, putting Theo and Alicia on a collision course where nothing is exactly as it seems.Īs a #1 New York Times best-seller and the Amazon pick for the best mystery/thriller of 2019, The Silent Patient was a runaway critical and commercial success. The book is an electrifying debut from screenwriter-turned-novelist Alex Michaelides about a criminal psychotherapist (Theo Faber) and his obsession with a mental institution inmate (Alicia Berenson), a woman who has taken a vow of silence ever since she was convicted of murdering her husband. The Silent Patient not only strikes that bullseye right in its center, but blows it out of the water. Achieving all those elements-or hitting the “bullseye”-with equal skill and visceral effect is a tall, tall order. Especially in today’s marketplace-where readers increasingly demand lightning quick stories that satisfy their bottomless hunger for suspenseful plot twists-it is a difficult task for authors to balance those demands while also sculpting a piece with deeply-layered characters and high emotional resonance. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations-a search for the truth that threatens to consume him.It’s a genre absolutely saturated with thousands upon thousands of novels. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.
One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.Īlicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety.
#THE SILENT PATIENT AUTHOR WINDOWS#
A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband-and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.Īlicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A mix of Hitchcockian suspense, Agatha Christie plotting, and Greek tragedy." "An unforgettable-and Hollywood-bound-new thriller.
0 kommentar(er)
