The Silver Linings Playbook

Digital audiobook narrated by Ray Porter.

Pat Peoples is at home again, living with his parents, after spending an indeterminate amount of time “in the bad place” – a mental hospital. He knows that if he can just improve himself a bit, his wife Nikki will come back to him. Problem is, no one will talk about Nikki or tell him the truth. His old friends have wives and children that he doesn’t remember. The Philadelphia Eagles keep losing. His father barely speaks to him. And now he’s got a girl, Tiffany, who is following him around. At least his therapist is an Eagles fan…

What a delightfully quirky and touching story. I never saw the movie, but knew it was very popular. I put the book on my tbr knowing basically nothing about show more it and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.

Pat is a wonderful character and narrator. His constant repetition of his mantra, his reminders to himself that he is trying “to be kind, not right” and his unfailing belief that he will be able to succeed just endear him to me. Tiffany is so confused and hurt and hopeful, that she, too, just pulls me in. I loved Pat’s mother and his therapist (and fellow Eagles’ fan) as well. The only character I could never quite figure out – and could have done without – was Pat’s father. But that’s a small quibble, really.

Ray Porter does a marvelous job of performing the audio book. He really brought these characters to life for me. show less

Reseña de Fantasía Mágica

ESTE LIBRO CONTIENE SPOILERS DE:
- La letra escarlata (Nathaniel Hawthorne)
- El gran Gatsby (Francis Scott Fitzgerald)
- Adiós a las armas (Ernest Hemingway)
- El guardían en el centeno (J. D. Sallinger)
- Las aventuras de Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain)
- La campana de cristal (Sylvia Plath)


Este es un libro inusual, original y muy bueno que me leí en dos noches y una mañana. Así de entretenido y atrapante me resultó. Por "culpa" de este libro me dormí dos veces pasadas las 2 AM, y me alegro.
Si vieron la película no se guíen por ella, son muy diferentes en muchísimos aspectos.

Pat Peoples es uno de los personajes más maravillosamente positivos que he visto en mucho tiempo. Se lo podría comparar con Forest show more Gump en cierto aspecto, lejano. El título del libro ya nos anuncia que va a ser una historia llena de optimismo, y no defrauda.
Es una situación curiosa la de esta historia, porque Pat no está exactamente bien de la cabeza. No está loco, no, simplemente tuvo un colapso nervioso hace un tiempo (aunque no se especifica exactamente cuándo ni por qué hasta el final del libro, pero sí que se trató de un problema legal) y por eso comienza la historia con su mamá llevándoselo del hospital psquiátrico donde está internado -al que Pat llama "el lugar malo"-, para tratar de reintegrarlo a la vida común.
Pat está enamoradísimo de quien fuera su mujer, Nikki, y nos habla constantemente de ella y de cómo cada cosa que hace es por y para ella. Admite no haber sido un buen esposo en el pasado, y es por eso que cuenta los días hasta la indefinida fecha en la que termine lo que el denomina el "período de separación".
Mientras tanto vuelve a vivir a la casa de sus padres, a convivir con su dulce y muy sufrida mamá y su huraño padre a quien él adora, pero que se niega a dirigirle la palabra durante mucho tiempo. A menos, claro, que estén viendo un partido de fútbol americano de los Eagles.

Durante su estancia en "el lugar malo", Pat se dedicó a adelgazar y fortalecer su musculatura haciendo una serie larguísima de ejercicios. Al volver a la casa de sus padres se encuentra con que su mamá le armó un gimnasio en el sótano, y es allí donde pasará la mayor parte del día. Cuando no está haciendo pesas o abdominales, sale a correr kilómetros y kilómetros usando una bolsa de basura por encima de la ropa porque afirma que con el calor del plástico adelgaza mejor.
Por orden del juez Pat comienza a ver regularmente a un psicólogo que le cambia la medicación. Le advierte que algunos de estos remedios nuevos le pueden causar alucinaciones, y es por culpa de ellos que por las noches Pat comienza a ver a Stevie Wonder cantando junto a él una canción que lo hace enfurecer y querer golpearse la cabeza contra la pared. Y lo hace, muchas veces. Pat a menudo tiene arranques de ira que descarga con la frente y una superficie dura.

Queda claro que el pobre Pat tiene problemas, pero a pesar de eso es un personaje completamente dulce y absolutamente querible. Es positivo ante todo, se frustra con la gente que intenta cargarlo de negatividad, y da lo mejor de si para ser una buena persona. Nos recuerda de forma constante a Nikki, pero a pesar de lo repetitivo que es con este tema, no resulta molesto sino que nos ayuda a entender cómo se fijó un objetivo (o quizás tiene la idea fija) y nos hace ver lo arrepentido que está por algo que ni él está completamente seguro de qué es porque no lo recuerda, y de cuánto la ama, la extraña, y la esperanza que tiene de volver a estar con ella. Ve su vida como una película, y sostiene que en toda película con un final feliz, hay altibajos para distraer a la audiencia, y por eso nunca pierde la fe.
Durante una enorme parte del libro la duda constante que se genera es qué demonios le pasó al pobre hombre, y que fue lo que hizo que Nikki desapareciera así y él termine de ese modo. Si se sabe que la familia de Pat la odia.

Pat comienza a socializar con su hermano y algunos amigos de la adolescencia que regresan a su vida y le demuestran verdadero cariño. Uno de ellos está casado con una mujer a la que Pat desprecia porque Nikki decía que era una bruja. A pesar de eso acepta una invitación a cenar y allí es donde conoce a Tiffany, una joven viuda que no está completamente en sus cabales desde que perdió a su marido.
Después de una conversación extraña (ninguno de los dos está acostumbrado a interactuar con gente realmente) entablan algo así como una amistad.... en la que ninguno de los dos habla. Solo corren. Tiffany parece aprenderse sus horarios y comienza a seguirlo mientras sale a hacer ejercicio.
Y la vida de Pat transcurre entre ejercicios, medicamentos que no siempre toma, viendo a su madre llorar por la forma en que la trata su marido (quien es el verdadero disfuncional de la familia con sus ataques de ira desmedida), corriendo con Tiffany, intentando mejorar y cultivarse leyendo (hay una cantidad horrorosa de spoilers de libros clásicos que directamente empecé a saltar), y viendo partidos de los Eagles.

Pat es dulce, es inocente a su modo, es respetuoso y da lo mejor de si para ser considerado. Quiere a su mamá y a su familia casi por encima de todo. Su rayo de esperanza es ver a Nikki nuevamente y arreglar las cosas con ella, ser un mejor marido y mejor persona. Es sensible a la insensibilidad, y en muchas ocasiones lo veremos sufriendo por los demás, cuando otras personas son incomprendidas y tratadas con crueldad.

Se habla mucho del fútbol americano, y a pesar de que ese es un deporte que francamente no me interesa, me encontré estando pendiente del desarrollo y resultado de los partidos porque de ellos dependía el ánimo del padre de Pat, y si le dirigiría la palabra o no.
A lo largo del libro vamos a ir viendo como Pat evoluciona y comienza a vivir una vida semi normal de nuevo. No trabaja (aunque se habla de que pueda volver a hacerlo en el futuro) por lo que su mamá le compra ropa y le da dinero como si fuera un adolescente. En muchos de sus comentarios, a pesar de que se trata de un hombre de más de treinta años, su forma de pensar y ver el mundo nos hace pensar que tuvo una regresión.

Se lee rapidísimo, tiene capítulos cortos nombrados con alguna frase o expresión que luego aparecerá en el texto. Mi título preferido fue: "COMO SI ÉL FUERA YODA Y YO LUKE SKYWALKER ENTRENANDO EN EL SISTEMA DAGOBAH".

Se los recomiendo, porque además de tener una historia original, muy linda y llena de esperanza, tiene a un protagonista distinto y defectuoso, dañado pero optimista y absolutamente querible, a quien le deseamos un final feliz.
El sentido del humor no falta, es realmente una comedia dramática, porque las situaciones que normalmente deberían entristecer, las vemos con esa luz de optimismo que Pat inevitablemente nos contagia, porque siempre logra ver el lado bueno de las cosas. show less

Matthew Quick's The Silver Linings Playbook tells the story of narrator Pat Peoples's return to real life after four years in a "neural health facility." Pat is determined to win back his wife, Nikki, after their "apart time," which Pat, with somewhat pitiable naivete, takes to be a trial separation. But then Pat meets Tiffany, who offers, on one rather arduous condition, to act as a liaison between him and Nikki. Needless to say, things don't go quite as he planned.

I will confess to being a bit dubious at the start of this very black comedy, as the tone seemed a bit uncertain and the plot is a bit predictable -- you'll be able to see where this one is going before you're halfway through (I don't think that's necessarily unintentional, show more however). The book also contains a touch of the surreal that doesn't quite feel as though it fits sometimes -- for example, the subplot with Pat's therapist is a off-kilter on a couple of levels, and I never did figure out whether Quick was clumsily trying a satirical twist. There's also a coincidental reunion near the end of the book that's a bit hard to swallow and comes precariously close to sticky sentimentality.

But I fell in love with the book about halfway through, sort of the way you'd fall in love with the weirdest-looking puppy from a litter of adorable yellow Labs. Pat is one of the most appealing narrators in recent memory, and Quick is such a skillful storyteller that you'll be taken by surprise by how quickly you get caught up in the narrative. There are also several hilarious set pieces, particularly the Rocky-inspired training montage (yep, you read that right). The ending, while certainly not unexpected, is touching and hopeful, and Quick handles it with a light touch, avoiding the temptation to hand the reader a maudlin walk into the sunset.

All in all, an impressive debut. show less

I listened to this an audiobook so I'm not sure if the readers voice colored my impression of Pat, but I felt sorry for him in a similar way as his family and friends. It was refreshing to have Tiffany who didn't feel sorry for him and I'm impressed the author was able to carry this out in his characters. The development of the story so that we don't find out about Pats accident until the end, as well as the first person narrative, make this book a real gem. And that's why I think I liked it - it's real in a way other books have not been for me recently.

The story kicks off as the narrator, 34 year old Pat, is released from a mental institution, and despite the first person narrative it is clear to the reader that Pat’s dreams of a reunion with his estranged wife (clearly a connection with his incarceration here) are unlikely to come true.

Told from the viewpoint of someone with mental health issues, this has a quirky feel, and there are some suitably bizarre chapter headings (eg ‘As If He Were Yoda and I Were Luke Skywalker Training On The Dagobah System’ and ‘I Can Share Raisin Bran’), and yet for the first two thirds of the book, monotony threatens. It is dominated by the routines of Pat’s new life at home with his parents (Pat works out, Pat goes jogging, Pat sees his show more therapist, Pat watches a football game (and repeat...)) which pump away like an insistent guitar riff.

This said, the writing style is super-smooth, the voice childlike, and thus one is carried rapidly and effortlessly through the times of low drama, to the final third where a game-changer makes the book seem less like a pale version of ‘The Curious Incident...’ and it takes on its own identity. Particularly impressive was the ‘montage’ chapter, where Pat summarises events in short paragraphs which he suggests should be read with a backing track (ideally the theme song to ‘Rocky’). The author’s excellent writing really comes into its own here. It was interesting, also, to look back and note how Pat’s mental problems seemed to have made him an optimist, more empathetic, a nicer person all round. What a shame that isn’t a universal side effect of depression etc.

One senses there are two possible endings to a novel such as this one and wondering which one it would be was the main pull, particularly in the early stages where little was happening. When it arrived, I thought the end was handled beautifully. This was not always a gripping read, but I’m glad I read it. show less

Literally could not put this bad boy down!! From the first page I was hooked. Nancy Pearl couldn't have endorsed a better novel (I knew she was an awesome librarian for a reason!). I absolutely cannot wait to see the movie adaptation of this. I just know it's going to be fantastic!

Pat Peoples is convinced that if he gets in shape, reads more, and is kind to people then he can leave "the bad place" and end his "apart time" from his wife Nikki. He believes that as long as you work hard enough you will always get your happy ending/silver lining.

Pat starts to learn the hard way that is not always the case. He returns from the mental institution to live with his family and while at home keeps a strict physical routine to get him in shape show more for Nikki. Lifting weights for many hours and jogging upwards of 10 miles everyday make him feel confident that he is on the right path to win Nikki back. He can't fathom why no one in his family will discuss Nikki with him but that doesn't deter him. Nothing does, not even beautiful, Tiffany, who begins to take an interest in him. Tiffany has problems of her own and soon these two form an interesting friendship. Soon he'll discover that he has to rely on his friends, family, Eagles football, his therapist, and Tiffany to get him through. Silver Linings aren't always what we think they are.

Simply stunning, excellent character development. I fell in love with every character. Matthew Quick does a fantastic job getting into Pat's head and making his mental problems understandable. A tour de force in a culture that surrounds mental health with such stigma. I cannot recommend this book enough. show less

Matthew Quick, author of Silver Linings Playbook (289 pages), pulls off a tricky feat in this first novel, managing to present the reader with a likeable unreliable narrator. Thirty-something Pat Peoples has been released from a mental institution and is living in his parents' basement. A worried, obsessive mother, an angry, aloof father, a hyper-successful brother, a mentally unstable widowed sister-in-law of his high school best friend: these are some of the characters who surround Pat as he tries to piece his life back together.

I think the strength of the book is in these characters. My favorite was Tiffany, the disturbed young widow who befriends Pat. "She looks sad. She looks angry. She looks different from everyone else I show more know--she cannot put on that happy face others wear when they know they are being watched. She doesn't put on a face for me, which makes me trust her somehow." Pat may best be described as "sweet"--until, that is, something sets him off. The poor mother walks on eggshells around him as well as her husband (Patrick) in an effort to keep peace in the family.

We see the story through the eyes of Pat, and it doesn't take long to realize that his reality may be a little "off"--how much off is something the author plays with throughout the story. My disappointment with the book is that Quick could have done more with this aspect of the book. Instead, Quick went in the direction of a sweet and feel-good outcome, whereas a darker resolution felt like it was always just (barely) below the surface. It almost seems as though Quick had something else in mind, and then turned away from that darker possibility: "Life is not a PG feel-good movie. Real life often ends badly. Literature tries to document this reality, while showing us it is still possible for us to endure nobly."

I would have given it 3 stars; however, I bumped it up to 3.5 stars since it's a first novel. I'll be interested to see where Quick goes from here.

And P.S. I hear the movie is much better than the book, although I haven't yet seen the movie show less