Book Reviews/Recommendations

Book Review 1.0 - "The Silent Patient" by Alex Michaelides - by Rida Naveed

If I’m being honest, I was never a fan of thrillers or action movies/books. It is amazing how only one book can alter your perspectives in so many different ways; whether it is changing your genre preference (even though it sometimes varies from book to book) or even give your life a new meaning as you start to deeply analyze the events that took place in the book. I’m often questioned about why I prefer non-fiction and realistic fiction over fiction (this happens when I tell people Harry Potter is overrated); I guess I only have one reason - the feeling I get when I realize that this is not just some made-up fantasy, rather something that could potentially take place or has taken place. It really puts your life into perspective.

That’s what ‘The Silent Patient’ did to me. The Athenian tragedy Alcestis by Euripides serves as an inspiration for the plot of this book. In Greek mythology, when Greek goddess Alcestis volunteers to die in place of the king (her husband), she is immediately rescued, after which she never speaks again. Serving as an inspiration, the author Michaelides, sets the scene in a psychotherapy unit, ‘The Grove’, where Alicia Berenson, a woman who allegedly killed her husband is admitted – the only problem: she refuses to speak. Psychotherapist Theo Faber (who narrates the story) who has a keen interest in the Alicia Berenson case successfully applies for a position at the ‘The Grove’ with a motive to uncover the events that lead to Berenson killing her husband that night. The suspense that is created throughout the duration of reading this book – from Theo experiencing personal problems as his wife (Kathy) cheats on him to him visiting Alicia’s close relatives and friends to bits of Berenson’s personal diary mentioned after every two chapters – is indeed remarkable and something you would not want to miss.

But on a more personal level, it is worth noting that Theo Faber had gone through personal trauma as a child as he constantly wished for a life without a father. Thereafter, he suffered from mental illness during college and ended up going to a psychotherapist, Ruth – who also inspired him to pursue a career in psychotherapy. Alicia Berenson also had a difficult childhood with her mother, Eva, who suffered from mental illness and attempted to take both their lives in an accident – Eva dies as a result of this accident, leaving Alicia behind as a sole survivor. To summarize, Theo and Alicia had similar pasts with both facing similar trauma which indeed impacted their futures in a negative way. Although you can’t choose your past, the fortunate or (in some cases) the unfortunate reality remains – the experiences you go through can have a lasting impact on the decisions you make in the future, and this book portrays that relationship in the most engaging manner. Although we might see Kathy and Theo and Alicia and Gabriel as just another couple, the truth that unveils shows much more, perhaps can two different people with similar experiences in the past have similar experiences in the future?, or as they say in the book “Only I can make her speak”.

Book Recommendations:

The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka

This is a short novella in which Gregor Samsa, a salesman who financially supports his family, wakes up as a monstrous and gut-churning bug. Thereafter, once he is freed of the responsibility for providing for his family, he starts feeling like a burden on them. This book explains the themes of isolation, sacrifice, and burnout in the best way possible - it explains how the notion of working 24/7 has become normalized so much so that we are made to feel guilty for doing something as simple as spending time with family, eating good food, sleeping 8 hours a day, and making time for our mental and physical health.

On Palestine - Noam Chomsky

A brief history of time - Stephen Hawking

Brief Answers to the Big questions - Stephen Hawking

21 Lessons for the 21st Century - Yuval Noah Harrari