The Silver Linings Playbook

A Novel

By: Matthew Quick

Narrated by: Ray Porter

Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

A New York Times bestseller, The Silver Linings Playbook was adapted into the Oscar-winning movie starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.

The Silver Linings Playbook is the riotous and poignant story of how one man regains his memory and comes to terms with the magnitude of his wife’s betrayal, an enchanting first novel about love, madness, and Kenny G.

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. The problem is that Pat is now home, living with his parents, and everything seems off; 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, physically fit, and clinically depressed Tiffany, she offers to act as a liaison between him and his wife, but only if 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.

©2008 Matthew Quick (P)2008 Blackstone Audio

Critic reviews

"This offbeat story has all the markings of a crowd-pleaser." ( Publishers Weekly)

Really enjoyed this book.

Great story and the reader's voice was PERFECT for this book. I could listen again.

Very Engaging First Person Story

This book takes you into the private thoughts of a mental patient as he struggles to recover his life after being released from the "bad place". Like the main character, you try to figure out the event that triggered the psychotic episode that put him in the "bad place". The author takes us along on an exciting and suspenseful ride totally from Pat's viewpoint as he relates to friends and family trying to help him to come to terms with his past. This is a book that I found hard to pause the story. Ray does a very good job of narration, giving each character there own voice in the story.

Awe-inspiring novel that gently grips you

It feels like I haven't read/listened to such a powerful book in a long time. There is so much emotion on its pages that you can't help but be emotionally attached to all the characters. You feel for the broken family, you feel for Pat, you feel for Tiffany, and you feel the intense love they have for the Eagles, and the most amazing part for me is the author made me feel all these without making me feel like I am being coerced into it.

Yes the book touches on a lot of sensitive subjects like mental illness and abusive relationship, but it does so in the most sincere and straight up way that it doesn't make you feel like you're being forced to feel sorry for the characters.

I have never seen the movie, nor the trailer, but I will definitely recommend this book.

See the movie, for once it is better.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I saw the movie before the book, and loved it, but found the book itself a bit dull
and pedestrian. It was just ok.

Great 1st novel - Movie not so much

The Silver Linings Playbook is Matthew Quick's stellar debut novel. The story is told by the main character Pat Peoples, as he releases from the ‘the bad place’ (neural health facility) in the care of his emotional Mother and remote Father. Pat believes in silver linings; that his life is a movie produced by God, he is extremely focus on recreating himself by becoming physically fit and emotionally supportive, and his happy ending will be the return of his estranged wife, Nikki, ending their “a part time”. Into his life comes Tiffany; a tragically over sexed clinically depressed widowed with a rather demanding condition, to act as a liaison between him and Nikki …needless to say, things don't go quite as she expects. The characters are complex, flawed and a little bit crazy.

The Silver Linings Playbook will warm your heart, make you chuckle and may bring a tear to your eye.

After reading the book I rented the movie and was sadly disappointed - I would give it 3 stars – I felt the movie was jumpy and hard to follow, way too much yelling in amongst the characters, the changed quite a lot of the story line. Too bad Hollywood ruined story. They left some of the best parts of the story out.

Wow what a suprise!

such an amazing book! I thought it was a sappy love story but it is not! such a wonderful.perspextive on psycholoigal pain. I am so glad I read this.

Ray Porter - perfect narrator for this story!

What did you love best about The Silver Linings Playbook?

The honesty and candor of the story written from the main character's perspective who is battling mental illness

What about Ray Porter’s performance did you like?

Ray Porter read this novel capturing every emotion and nuance. He really conveyed the main character’s hopefulness, sadness, naivety and anger

the best.☆☆☆☆☆

I couldn't stop from the moment I started it was the best story I have ever heard. it was way better than the movie.

Loved it all

Super entertaining book and great story. I’d seen the movie but forgot a lot of details and am so glad I listened to the book. I enjoyed the narrator doing all the voices too. I highly recommend this book. Now I’m going to watch the movie again :)

3rd time listening to this book

I've enjoyed revisiting this book several times. I find something new in the story and a layer I hadn't thought about. This is a lovely story!