The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick
Review by Mirah W. (mwelday)
When I saw the trailer for the movie ‘The Silver Linings Playbook’ I was perplexed. Why was Bradley Cooper wearing a trash bag? Then the movie went on to receive a myriad of award nominations and wins, including the Best Actress Academy Award for Jennifer Lawrence. Even with all the accolades, I had no idea what it was about. Then I found out the movie was based on a novel and at that point I thought, ‘ok, time to see what all the fuss is about’.
I started to read ‘The Silver Linings Playbook’ with no clue of the plot…except there’s a guy who wears a trash bag while running, which really told me nothing at all. I quickly came to realize ‘Silver Linings’ is a complex story full of hope and disappointment. Quick hooked me from the first chapter and I couldn’t put it down…and it got me through a long transatlantic flight and I didn’t check my watch every hour like I usually do when itching to get off a plane. For that, I thank Mr. Quick.
In ‘Silver Linings’, Pat is trying to get his life together after being in a neural health facility for an extended period, which he thinks has only been a few months. His main focus after being released from the facility is to end ‘apart time’ and win back his wife Nikki and be a better man for her and their marriage. Pat’s plan includes reading novels his wife teaches to her students, a comprehensive exercise regimen (which explains the trash bag he wears while running: he’s trying to increase his sweating to lose as much weight as possible), and therapy sessions with Dr. Patel. I won’t get into the specifics of Pat’s progress because that will ruin the reading experience for you but, as you would expect, there are ups and downs during the implementation of his plan. Pat experiences setbacks and catalysts to his growth and development. However, he believes in silver linings and knows in spite of the negative things in his life, some good will emerge in the end. Pat’s belief in silver linings is what motivates him throughout the entire novel.
The characters in this novel are rich and rewarding for the reader. Each character brings a different perspective to the plot and without each character Pat would not develop the way he does. Without a doubt, one of my favorite characters is Dr. Patel. He ended up taking on a role I did not expect and his level of compassion and method of treatment for Pat is endearing.
‘The Silver Linings Playbook’ was an unexpected surprise for me. I think it inspires without being cheesy and imparts a lesson on compassion without being preachy. In short, it is about so much more than a guy wearing a trash bag.
I saw the movie and loved it! I plan on readiing the book soon.