BOOK REVIEW: The Silver Lining Playbook by Matthew Quick ★★★☆☆
Pat Peoples knows that life doesn’t always go according to plan, but he’s determined to get his back on track. After a stint in a psychiatric hospital, Pat is staying with his parents and trying to live according to his new philosophy; get fit, be nice and always look for the silver lining. Most importantly, Pat is determined to be reconciled with his wife Nikki.
Pat’s parents just want to protect him so he can get back on his feet, but when Pat befriends the mysterious Tiffany, the secrets they’ve been keeping from him threaten to come out.
This debut novel by Matthew Quick has been translated into thirty languages and has received a PEN/Hemingway Award Honourable Mention. He has written for young adults, Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock, Boy21 and for adults, Love May Fail.
The main character, Pat Peoples believes in the silver lining and always has his heart set out on a happy ending. He firmly believes that his life is a movie produced by God and his mission is to become physically fit and emotionally literate. If he gets that done then God will ensure a happy ending for him, which is reconciling with his estranged wife Nikki. Although his optimism is promising, Pat has spent some time in a mental health facility and he can’t remember how he got himself into a ‘bad place’.
When Pat gets out, he is staying with his parents. The problem is that everything feels weird. No one will talk to him about Nikki, it’s almost like a vomit word and his beloved Philadelphia Eagles keep losing, which always jeopardises his relationship with his dad. Not to mention he is pursued by the deeply odd Tiffany from his neighbourhood and he's being hunted by Kenny G.
Just to add if you haven’t read the following books:
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne,
- A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
- The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath,
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
What I loved about this book was the topic of mental illness. I think many people don’t want to talk about it and my guess is people don’t even know how to address it. Mental illness can’t be put in a box and then someone smacks a label on it. Mental illness is different for everyone. In the novel, Pat’s illness is never specified, never given a label and Tiffany is suffering from depression. Again it is different for everyone and I’m glad Quick didn’t give it a label. It is a humorous book and I liked that aspect. Although the story was depressing there had to be some funny side to perk it up.
I also like how the chapters were small, easier and quick to read and how the chapter title comes directly from the chapter passage. For example, the chapter title I Don’t Know How It Works, is a direct quote from Tiffany when she walks home with Pat after an awkward dinner with her perfect sister Veronica and husband Ronnie. Plus, maybe halfway through Patrick views his life, like a movie montage from his Rocky movies inspiration, I like that part pretty much. Just shows his silver lining coming through.
Now I’ve got to say this. I don’t really know why people hate this book and think the movie is way better. I mean there were some things that were changed for the movie, and in a way I think it added more substance to the storyline, for example, supporting characters like Danny had more of a role in the movie as opposed to the book, Pat’s illness is never specified in the novel, although it can be assumed he suffers from Traumatic Brain Injury and may show symptoms of Bipolar Disorder. Plus Pat’s parents are Italian Americans, which I think adds more because in the book it never specified, showing that it’s not important. What I did like about the movie and not the book is the father actually making an effort to spend time with his son. And to add Tiffany character has more dimension in the movie, and in the book, she just seems so flat out, underdeveloped
There were one or two things that I didn’t like. Personally, I don’t like reading novels in the first person. Yes it is great because some books need to be told in first person narrative to add that emotion, but then again I do find the narrator to drag on and on and then those emotions just vanish and I’m left reading a rant. This story is perfect to be illustrated in the first person narrative, as the reader gets to go inside Pat’s head and try to understand his mental illness. However, the whole I-don’t-want-to-go-back-to-the-‘bad-place’ and I-can’t-wait-for-‘apart-time’-to-be-over-so-I-can-have-my-inevitable-reunion-with-Nikki was continuous and annoying, like a five-year-old tantrum (the bad place he refers to is the mental health facility) I get the fact that he constantly reminds himself so he can stay out of that place and focus solely on his goal. Secondly the whole father and son angst -which I didn’t get. Is the dad really pessimistic and moody all the time? What is his deal? I don’t know maybe I didn’t read that part properly, but yeah what a party pooper. I don’t really see him making effort but yet he complains about his son.
I don’t absolutely hate this book. I’m glad I read and what I got from reading this story is that you can wish for all the things you want in life and sometimes you can be disappointed by the outcome, but no one should feel guilty or ashamed for having emotions or feelings. Pat’s character shows that even though he went through some bad stuff and his expectations of getting Nikki back were ridiculously high, by making himself a better person. When some things didn’t work out for Pat, he never gave up at a shot of his silver lining.
Rating 3.5/5
Publishers: Picador
First Published: 2008 Farrar, Straus And Giroux
Second Publication: October 16th 2010
Genre: Humorous Fiction
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