Book Of The Month: The Silent Patient
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The Silent Patient: the story of a mute murderess and her obsessive therapist is one that you have never read before. This psychological thriller novel was published in 2019 by Alex Michaelides, and his debut novel ensnares its readers along its twisting, turning path into darkness, madness, and mystery.
“ “We are made up of different parts, some good, some bad, and a healthy mind can tolerate this ambivalence and juggle both good and bad at the same time. Mental illness is precisely about a lack of this kind of integration - we end up losing contact with the unacceptable parts of ourselves.” ”
The Silent Patient
Originally Published: 2019
Pages: 368
Available on: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook
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Alice Berenson, a renowned artist of London, has worked quietly and successfully until one night, she is discovered to have shot her equally-successful and artistic husband in the face five times. After the deed, no word crosses the mouth of Alice; she is silent, tomb-like, and unapologetic. There is little to speculate on, as the couple had no known marital issues. Her fame as an artist, this peculiarly heinous crime, and refusal to defend or justify her actions catapult her case into the media’s spotlight.
Theo Faber, a criminal psychotherapist, takes a deep, involved interest in Alice’s case and in the unraveling reason behind her crime. He sets out on an unexpected and mysterious journey through her past—and his own—to uncover Alice’s secrets and the reason for her silence. His involvement in solving the case takes him far beyond the professional limits of his profession, but the more he uncovers about Alice’s personal life, the less he is willing to extract himself.
This novel becomes a story within a story, with secrets and mystery bleeding through the pages of Theo’s discoveries and reflection on them. As a psychotherapist, he reflects intimately on his silent patient, presenting his reflections with an honest twist of his own potentially warped intentions.
““I believe the same is true for most people who go into mental health. We are drawn to this profession because we are damaged - we study psychology to heal ourselves. Whether we are prepared to admit this or not is another question.” ”
Alice is sent to a mental hospital upon her sentence, and Theo applies for an open position on the staff, motivated to do so by her presence there. In their one-on-one interviews, Alice sits silently while Theo patiently attempts to gain her trust and confidence; in between these silent interactions, Theo tracks down characters from Alice’s past: her troubled cousin, her atrocious aunt, a possessive colleague, and a jealous brother-in-law.
Theo digs into her history and brings what information he has found to their sessions, slowly understanding this impervious, violent woman, and gradually making her open up to him.
Theo has troubles of his own: a past addiction, suffering mental health, and a faltering marriage haunt him daily, and his observations on Alice’s case make it clear that there may be information that readers are not privy to. As more of Alice’s life and what led her to the doomed night where she shot her husband is brought to the light, so does Theo’s story come to light.
““Sometimes it takes courage, you know, and a long time, to be honest.” ”
Dark and brooding, the novel takes readers into the complexity of mental illness and the role of therapy in it. Layer upon layer of different characters’ psyches are examined, and the novel becomes as much a psychological contemplation and introspection as a therapy session.
Just as much as a therapist must take into account the honesty, self-awareness, and secrets of their patient, so must readers take into account the same with their narrator. A Silent Patient is fascinating for its study of perspective and the trustworthiness of the narration. How often does a reader stop to think about whether they can believe the narrator? It is fair to say that often narration—the bare bone structure of the novel—is something taken for granted, and it is often easy to forget that how the narrative unfolds depends entirely on who is telling it.
““Somehow grasping at vanishing snowflakes is like grasping at happiness: an act of possession that instantly gives way to nothing.””
Theo seeks an understanding of the nature of evil—where do bad deeds stem from? Is it because bad deeds were done unto us? Why does Theo take so passionate an interest in Alice’s case? Why did she shoot her husband when there was no indication of any malice or tension between them?
It becomes clear that no one is to trust the course of the novel, and the ending…well, you wouldn’t expect or forget that.
The Silent Patient is a well-written and thought-provoking book that will surely hook you within its first few pages. If you enjoy mystery novels and psychological thrillers, this is a great pick for you. It was well-received by critics and is comparable to The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins and Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.
A few words from author Michaelides on why he was inspired to try his hand at novels after a background in screenwriting:
““I was feeling very disillusioned as a screenwriter. I kept seeing scripts being mangled in the production and this sense of frustration made me decide to sit down and finally write a novel.””
Enjoy this page-turner! You may be compelled to read this one in one sitting- fair warning.