The Silver Linings Playbook: A Novel

Matthew Quick

Apr 2010 · Sold by Sarah Crichton Books

About this ebook

A New York Times bestseller, The Silver Linings Playbook was adapted into the Oscar-winning movie starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. It tells the riotous and poignant story of how one man regains his memory and comes to terms with the magnitude of his wife's betrayal.

During the years he spends in a neural health facility, Pat Peoples formulates a theory about silver linings: he believes his life is a movie produced by God, his mission is to become physically fit and emotionally supportive, and his happy ending will be the return of his estranged wife, Nikki. When Pat goes to live with his parents, everything seems changed: no one will talk to him about Nikki; his old friends are saddled with families; the Philadelphia Eagles keep losing, making his father moody; and his new therapist seems to be recommending adultery as a form of therapy.

When Pat meets the tragically widowed and clinically depressed Tiffany, she offers to act as a liaison between him and his wife, if only he will give up watching football, agree to perform in this year's Dance Away Depression competition, and promise not to tell anyone about their "contract." All the while, Pat keeps searching for his silver lining.

In this brilliantly written debut novel, Matthew Quick takes us inside Pat's mind, deftly showing us the world from his distorted yet endearing perspective. The result is a touching and funny story that helps us look at both depression and love in a wonderfully refreshing way.

Ratings and reviews

The author did a fabulous job of writing as if he were the main character with his mental illness. Very simple. I liked it. I only wonder why the f-word had to be used so much? That was tasteless, I thought. Would have been five stars if not so potty- mouthed.

This one kept me guessing until the end, I read it in one sitting finding it impossible to put down, always wantig to know what was going to happen next. Kept me in suspense wanting to figure out how we had gotten to the point where the story starts, what has happened to him.

Great read. Can easily see how to sion this into a movie, and kudos to quick for having such compelling characterization in his first novel. Would recommend to just about anyone,

About the author

In the six months that followed his leaving teaching and the Philadelphia area, Matthew Quick floated down the Peruvian Amazon and formed ‘The Bardbarians' (a two-man literary circle), backpacked around Southern Africa, hiked to the bottom of a snowy Grand Canyon, soul-searched, and finally began writing full-time. His debut novel, The Silver Linings Playbook, was adapted into the Oscar-winning movie starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. Matthew earned his Creative Writing MFA through Goddard College. He has since returned to the Philadelphia area, where he lives with his wife and their greyhound.