Book Report - Silver Linings Playbook


I love books. I love cracking the spine of a brand new paperback book. I love the feel of the pages, I love interesting covers, and quirky lettering. I love that as I read my brain turns the printed words into a live action film in my mind. It may have something to do with being raised by a librarian, or maybe all those years I shelved books at the Niagara Falls Public Library. I like my shelves to be filled with books. I display my books with pride. I believe someone’s book collection gives you a secret glimpse of who they really are.

I love that so many great books are being made into movies these days. I, of course, always read the books first. My most recent read was Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick. I read it Thursday, from start to finish, all 289 pages of it. I don’t normally read books so quickly, but I was sitting around in airports and airplanes for 9 hours, plus the book was so well written and interesting I couldn’t put it down. It’s about a man whose mother signs him out of a metal institution after a 4 year stay. He, however, believes he has only been in for a few months. The author does such a fantastic job of describing the thoughts, feelings, frustrations and confusion of someone living with depression, anxiety and ‘crazy’ outbursts. Pat, the protagonist also has an incredible fear of Kenny G .which is kind of funny.  My favourite quote is found on page 127, Pat is speaking to his therapist wondering why so many books read in American Literature classes in high schools are so terribly depressing. His therapist Cliff replies,

“Life is hard, Pat, and children have to be told how hard life can be.”
“Why?”
“So they will be sympathetic to others, So they will understand that some people have it harder than they do and that a trip through this world can be a wildly different experience, depending on what chemicals are raging through one’s mind.”

All in all a great read, interesting, funny, intriguing and real. I highly recommend it.

My next read is Life of Pi, it’s great so far!

Peace, love and paperbacks,

Rachel

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