The Silver Linings Playbook in Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge

Dec 07, 2012 Ellen rated it it was amazing

I wanted to read this book before seeing the movie and I'm glad I did. The book gives a heart-breaking insight into the lives of Pat Peoples, a man recently released from a mental hospital after suffering a severe trauma and his family and friends. Everyone else in his life knows what has happened to cause the trauma, however the main character doesn't remember, and the reader sees the book's events through his eyes as he works to recover and reunite with his wife.

Although everyone in this book ...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Jeff Scott rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobooks, fiction

This book reminded me of both The Art of Racing in the Rain and The Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. Both books use the same technique, the protagonist has a trait that makes them different from other people. It allows them to have a different perspective on life, thus, giving the reader a new way of looking at things. It’s refreshing, honest, and touching in both books, Silver Linings is the poor version of the technique.

Pat Peeples has just returned home from the Neural Institute, the “ba This book reminded me of both The Art of Racing in the Rain and The Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. Both books use the same technique, the protagonist has a trait that makes them different from other people. It allows them to have a different perspective on life, thus, giving the reader a new way of looking at things. It’s refreshing, honest, and touching in both books, Silver Linings is the poor version of the technique.

Pat Peeples has just returned home from the Neural Institute, the “bad place” as he puts it. The circumstances are not clear until the end of the book. In his time there Pat has decided that his life is a screenplay directed by God and that he will have a happy ending if he is a fit healthy person. Underneath that, he wants to make himself a better person so that his “apart time” will end with his wife Nikki. Pat and his family are also HUGE Philadelphia Eagles fans.

These three major plot points are probably the weakest and most irritating part of the book. Pat has some sort of mental condition, but it is never clear what that is. It’s an obvious device to tell a story from a different perspective. Furthermore, his mental issue apparently gives him the mentality of a child at times. I can understand the delusion of the Silver Linings Playbook concept, but the terminology of “apart time” and the “bad place” seem ridiculous. Lastly, there was way too many football and Eagles fandom. I thought maybe the author was using the obsessed fan as a metaphor. Who is really crazy if this behavior is normal? However, the author is just an obsessed Eagles fan. I think they cut this out of the movie (I could only hope).

The parts I liked were his development and the use of classic fiction to emphasize aspects of his own story. There often isn’t a Silver Lining happy ending, but sometimes something bad has to end before something good can begin. I liked Cliff, Pat’s therapist, and his scenes are some of the most compelling and funny in the book. However, most of the book seemed cliché and obviously formulaic. I guess it makes it a good candidate to be made into a movie. I did enjoy the book, but there were too many irritating parts.

Favorite Part:

"The novel teaches kids to be pessimistic. No hope at the end, no silver lining. Teenagers should be taught..."
"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 understand that some people have it harder than they do. That a trip through this world can be a wildly different experience depending on what chemicals are raging through one's mind." p. 123
...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Nicole rated it liked it

This book never really picked up speed for me. I'm not a Philadelphia Eagles fan so that was a bit much, but I do realize the point the author was making with it...just a bit too much of a 'guy' read for me, maybe? It was ok. ...more

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Aug 05, 2013 Andrea rated it it was amazing

wow...one of the few books i didn't want to put down lately. Watched the movie as soon as I finished the book...the movie was god..the book as always is better! ...more

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May 08, 2013 Jamie rated it really liked it

This is a light and fun book to read with a decent ending. I'm interested to see how this book is translated to a movie with the majority of the book being his narration. ...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Tori rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2013, novel, all-time-favorites, read-in-my-30s, mental-health

I loved every page of this book. I was a little hesitant to give it 5 stars, but I think it is amazing he could keep me so interested considering how much time was spent talking about football. I am glad I found out it was a book before I saw the movie. I wish I hadn't even seen the trailer first.

A review below from Greg L compares this book to The Perks of Being a Wallflower. It totally reminded me of that book too. Loved both. ...more

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Sep 01, 2013 Terri rated it it was ok

Shelves: ncc-reads, chick-lit-group

I will not post my review until after our book discussion in March 2014.

I struggled with Pat's behavior.

I did like the idea of practicing being kind instead of right. ...more

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