got to know this book, thanks to the adaptation movie with the same title. ok...i haven't watch it yet but was very curious on the story since jennifer lawrence garnered a grammy award for her portrayal as tiffany, one of the character from the book.
my say : boy.....i'm glad i got hold on it. to begin with, it was an easy to read book. no bombastic words, just pure easy daily words.
a few quotes from the book that shows what the protagonist Pat People believes .
“If clouds are blocking the sun, there will always be a silver lining that reminds me to keep on trying”
“Most people lose the ability to see silver linings even though they are always there above us almost every day”
“because sometimes moviemakers trick the audience with a false bad ending, and just when you think the movie is going to end badly, something dramatic happens, which leads to the happy ending”
here is the review by : Cheri Faulkner at bringthenoiseuk.com
The narrator, Pat Peoples, is undeniably a few sandwiches short of a
picnic-basket by anybody’s standards, but we quickly warmed to him due
to his boyish charm (despite the fact he is in his mid 30s!), and
throughout the story it’s easy to find yourself willing him to get what
he wants – that being reconciliation with his estranged wife, Nikki.
After spending a few years in “the bad place,” Pat is back at home with
his parents and trying to get his life back on track.
Pat feels that he and Nikki have been forced into “apart time”
because he was a mean husband, who was gaining weight and making the
wrong decisions. It seems everyone else knows Nikki isn’t coming back,
but Pat continues vigorously to work out and consciously make the effort
to be “kind instead of right,” just as he thinks Nikki would want. His
entire existence is focused on being reunited with the woman he loves.
The Silver Linings Playbook is the story of Pat’s
ever growing exasperation, thanks to the fact that no-one ever really
‘gets’ him; and as the reader, it’s easy to see that his instincts are
right – no-one understands him apart from the slightly skewed Tiffany –
the sister of Pat’s best friend’s wife.
The way in which Pat sees his life as a movie adds a truly childlike
quality to his optimism. According to Pat, everyone’s life is made up of
a series of movies, and if the silver lining hasn’t produced a happy
ending, then the movie is just a little more extended than he’d prefer
it to be. It’s simplistic and idealistic, and sums up his ignorance to
the real truth of his separation from his wife, emphasising his fragile
mental state.
When the truth comes out though, it’s easy to find yourself
re-evaluating several of the characters we meet. And, on top of this,
you’ll definitely find previously seemingly meaningless segments of text
to hold high importance upon a second read.
With the author, Matthew Quick, having openly
admitted that he has suffered with depression himself, as well as
working within the field, the book has been written from a very first
hand perspective, adding authenticity to the narrative, as well as
increasing the likelihood of the reader feeling sympathy for Pat
Peoples.
Overall, this book will have you questioning the definition of
“crazy.” Yes, Pat Peoples has been through shit, but he’s come out of it
a stronger person because he understands that life can be difficult; he
understands that some people are “programmed” differently, and he
understands the feeling of losing control of yourself, and how hard it
can be to control your emotions. Pat Peoples has a comedic outlook on
life, he is open to sympathy, he admits himself that he is “mentally
deranged,” but perhaps he is just a little bit different…and is there
really anything wrong with that?
No comments:
Post a Comment