The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick
My enjoyment rating: 4 of 5 stars
Book hangover rating: 3 of 5 stars (still trying to process it all)
Source: Personal copy
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Objectionable material: language, including the F-bomb
Pat Peoples has 3 obsessions: his estranged wife, his exercise routine, and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Pat has also spent the past few years in a mental facility because of obsession #1 and an incident that occurred during their marriage. Now living at home, Pat is seeing his therapist, trying to reconnect with his Dad, and watching his beloved Eagles and rookie wide receiver, Hank Baskett.
But Pat is still convinced that his “apart time” with wife is merely temporary and he is determined to communicate with her, even if it means giving up his football team for a brief period of time.
This novel was NOTHING what I expected. I delayed watching the movie because I wanted to read the book first. And even with all the visual trailers and Oscar media, I still had no clue what this book was ultimately about (kudos to their marketing team). Truly – I was expecting a guys’ football book. But it was so much more: it was relationships, trust, friends, family, broken promises, faith, starting over.
Author Matthew Quick has written a quirky and creative novel that highlights the effects of mental illness and the importance of family and friends (and meds) in finding a way back to “normalcy.”
Oh…and Hank Baskett – he only caught 6 TD passes in his entire NFL career that lasted 5 yrs, and is now married to a Playboy bunny.
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4 comments:
I'm on the library hold list for this one, curious about the movie adaptation and Oscar hype. (I don't see many movies, especially in the theater, and hadn't even heard of this until I saw that "Katniss" had won the Oscar.) Now, having read your review, I'm truly looking forward to getting my hands on it!
I want to read this one, too, especially before I see the movie. I'm intrigued by it.
I've been curious about this one (like Alison), not sure if I should try it. But you make it sound good, so I think I will.
I had no idea what this movie was about either, but you sold me on the mental illness theme. Did you watch the movie yet? Just curious to see how it plays up to the book.
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