The Silver Linings Playbook

The Silver Linings Playbook
By: Matthew Quick

Outer back cover: 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 haunted by Kenny G!

When I saw the trailer for this movie I really wanted to watch it, I didn't even know it was based on a book. I still haven't gotten around to watch the film, but when I saw the book at JFK airport I just had to buy it!

I love the way you get into Pat's head, see the way he thinks and feels about people, it's really funny, even if his thoughts seem really childlike at times. Pat also seems really aware of other peoples feeling, he always looks for the silver lining and he's just really lovable.

There is A LOT about American football in the book which wasn't interesting to me, especially as I had no idea what they were talking about, the only thing that was interesting about the football was how Pat's father's personality changed depending on how his team did in the games.

One thing I don't like about the book is that it retells the plots of classic books, like The Bell Jar, The Great Gatsby and more. I know they are old books, but I almost feel like this book should come with a spoiler warning about those books, not everyone has read them just because they're old. However it also made me want to read them even more.

In all I enjoyed the book.