Review: The Silver Linings Playbook

The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick
Publication Date: September 2, 2008
Genre: Adult Contemporary
Pages: 289

 

 

Summary

 



Meet Pat. Pat has a theory: his life is a movie produced by God. And his God-given mission is to become physically fit and emotionally literate, whereupon God will ensure a happy ending for him -- the return of his estranged wife Nikki. (It might not come as a surprise to learn that Pat has spent time in a mental health facility.) The problem is, Pat's now home, and everything feels off. No one will talk to him about Nikki; his beloved Philadelphia Eagles keep losing; he's being pursued by the deeply odd Tiffany; his new therapist seems to recommend adultery as a form of therapy. Plus, he's being hunted by Kenny G!

In this enchanting novel, Matthew Quick takes us inside Pat's mind, showing us the world from his distorted yet endearing perspective. As the award-winning novelist Justin Cronin put it: "Tender, soulful, hilarious, and true, The Silver Linings Playbook is a wonderful debut."

 

 

I'll be honest. I saw the movie first. And after reading this, I have a hard time figuring out which is better. They're both good in their own ways. But this is about the book, not the movie. So get going with this book review.

 

 

The book is not perfect. But if it was, it defiantly would have hurt it as the book is about people who are not perfect and who have flaws. The plot was kind of predictable. And some things seemed like they were added just so they could be added. And Danny showing up near the end was pretty random. And Pat going on about how his life was a movie got annoying after awhile.

 

 

Oh, and the book spoiled some other books. So if you don't want the following books to be spoiled read them first: The Scarlet Letter, The Great Gatsby, A Farewell to Arms, The Catcher in the Rye, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and The Bell Jar.

 

 

Most characters were just there. Pat is a pretty likable narrator. His mom was pretty cool. I would have like to see more of Tiffany and Cliff. I think they deserved some more attention and time. I didn't really like the dad or Jake. I can't really say why but I just didn't. 

 

 

Overall it was a charming and heartwarming book. It had it's flaws but so did the characters, so it worked. It was a fast and easy read. I recommend it fully.