The Silent Patient

September Pick of SOL Book Club. 2020

This novel has two main plots. One is about Thoe’s psychotherapy story for Alicia. Another is about the affair of Theo’s wife. These plots meet together in the middle of the story as cause and effect, which makes me startled a lot.

This story is about the person, a psychotherapist, who has the history of mental illness in the past, and tries to save a woman who seems to have a mental disorder after she murders her husband with a gun. Then, he tries to find out why she murders her husband. This is quite interesting plot because it is regarding not finding the murder but revealing the reason why she murders her beloved husband. The story does not fail me. It is a real page tuner. While I was reading it, I felt thrilled and agitated by the twisted plot that lets me puzzled about who or what impels her to murder her husband.

The scene that bewilders me the most is the moment when Theo finally comes across Alicia, the wife of the man who has an affair with Theo’s wife. The scene takes my breath away, and I held my breath for a while to understand and picture the situation.

Regarding Theo’s behavior that he wants Alicia to know the person whom her husband has an affair with, I do not understand it. Maybe he may have empathy for Alicia who does not know the affair of her husband. I do not think that he has the right to force Alicia to know the fact by intruding her residence at night and threaten her and her husband with a gun. Ironically, about Theo’s wife, Theo is unwilling to tell his wife, Kathy, the truth that he knows her affair with Alicia’s husband. I think his behavior is very selfish. And the thought that his love for hi s wife is more important and precious than that of others makes me more disgusted. That is to say, he wants to keep the truth to himself and does not want to ruin his marriage. In the end, as you know, the dairy that proves what Theo does to Alicia is found, and I bet that Kathy is doomed to know the fact the Theo knows everything she tries to hide. I presume the diary will lead the marriage life of Theo to the end, too.

Furthermore, Theo’s disclosure of the affair of Alicia’s husband causes the unexpected result leading the sudden murder of Alicia. Theo does not know the mental condition of Alicia and does not expect her to shoot her husband on his face with a gun without any hesitation.

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After reading this book, I deliberate that our selfish, impulsive, and unreasonable behaviors may result in unwanted cause and effect that will not be recovered with any efforts. So, when we have to make a decision that may affect the lives of others, profound and reasonable judgment, I think, must be needed not to make any big mistakes in our lives.

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˙ noted by 도 재근, 2020
˙ 표지화면 그림 출처 : https://sissireads.com/2019/12/16/review-the-silent-patient-by-alex/