'The Silent Patient' by Alex Michaelides

By: I. Papa

Alex Michaelides’ fascinating psychological thriller - although having its fair share of controversy among readers – instantly took first place in my ranking of favorite reads after I flicked through the novel’s last few pages, as many may say, with my ‘jaw dropped.’ Alicia Berenson, the book’s enigmatic protagonist and a famous painter, shatters her perfect façade of a marriage when her husband, Gabriel, is shot five times in their house and Alicia is the one found behind the gun. Being sent to The Grove, a forensic psychiatric unit in London, she retreats into six years of complete silence and does not speak another word to anyone; “The Silent Patient” becomes Alicia’s new identity. 
Michaelides’ clever implementation of Greek mythology was pivotal in Alicia’s complex characterization and undoubtedly intensified my passion for this book. Alcestis, her final painting before being institutionalized, serves as a recurring motif from beginning to end of the story, depicting a dead woman on a bed as a man observes behind her. It arguably mirrors Alicia’s own expectations of her relationship with Gabriel, convinced he should be willing to die for her if he truly loves her. This reflects the infamous Greek myth of Alcestis, a woman who sacrifices herself so that her husband, Admetus, can live. Intrigued in the painting’s possible significance and the motive behind Alicia’s silence, Theo Faber, the novel’s narrator, is the only psychotherapist at the institution eager to take on her case, confident he can get her to talk again. 
As readers closely accompany Theo in his consistent sessions with Alicia, revelations gradually begin to blur the boundaries between therapist and patient, exposing unexpected parallels between Alicia’s and Theo’s troubled pasts. Michaelides impressively enhances this connection by employing dual timelines, with a fast-paced and seamless shift between the therapy sessions and former events that led to Gabriel’s death. The split narrative was an aspect of the book that suffered considerable backlash in many reader reviews for the slight puzzlement it caused, but I confess the novel would not have been the same without this crucial element - it provided meaningful context of the protagonists’ lives and essentially paved the way for the staggering plot twist at the end.
For another book to replace this one in my ranking, it’ll also have to be one that I read in solely two sittings, finish in utter shock, and think of repeatedly the following months. From reading it alone in my bedroom to reading it in a TV room as my friends watched a World Cup game, my attention never wavered from the pages. I was unaware I even could read amidst any noise because until then, I had simply not yet found a book that hooked me quite like this one. Despite my disliking of its bland cover, ‘The Silent Patient’ did not fail to impress me in its plot construction, unconventional time framing, and intricate layering of its characters (particularly Theo, which, well, you’ll understand what I mean once you read it). His statement that “We’re all crazy, [he believes], just in different ways” perfectly encapsulates the novel’s exploration of psychological depth and reveals more about him than what meets the eye. Truly, my only regret in reading this book was not reading it in 2019, right after publication! 10/10!