The Silent Patient

The Silent Patient

• Genre: Psychological thriller; mystery; suspense
• Originally Published: 2019
• Reading Level/Interest: Adult
• Structure/Length: Divided into 5 parts with chapters; approx. 323 pages; approx. 8 hours, 51 minutes on audiobook
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The Silent Patient is a contemporary psychological thriller. The central conflict revolves around Alicia Berenson, a famous painter who is found standing next to her husband’s lifeless body with a gun in her hand. The novel follows Alicia’s journey as she becomes a patient at a secure forensic unit, where she communicates only through her art. The story is narrated by Theo Faber, a criminal psychotherapist, who is determined to help Alicia find her voice and uncover the truth behind the murder. The novel explores themes of silence, trauma, guilt, and the intricacies of the human mind.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Themes related to mental health, murder, psychological trauma, sexual assault, suicide, and suspense

Alex Michaelides, Author

• Bio: British Cypriot best-selling author of psychological thrillers; graduated from Trinity College with an MA in English literature; studied screenwriting at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles; gained recognition with his debut novel, The Silent Patient; known for the gripping storytelling, psychological depth, and mind-bending twists in his work
• Other Works: The Maidens (2021); The Fury (2024)
• Awards: Goodreads Choice Award for Best Mystery and Thriller (2019)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• The Dangers of Unresolved or Improperly Treated Mental Illness
• The Destructive Force of Betrayal
• The Human Instinct to Hide Weakness and Present a Favorable Façade to the World

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Gain an increased understanding of the social and psychological contexts around mental illness that drive the protagonist’s central conflict.
• Study paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of The Dangers of Unresolved or Improperly Treated Mental Illness, The Destructive Force of Betrayal, and The Human Instinct to Hide Weakness and Present a Favorable Façade to the World.
• Plan, create, and present missing journal pages in a character’s voice to reveal information about the other characters, based on text details.
• Analyze and evaluate the plot and character details to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding the narrator’s reliability, themes, and other topics.