The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides #BookReview - The Book of Ours

Novel The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Identitas Buku
Penulis: Alex Michaelides 
Penerjemah: Rini Nurul Badariah 
Penerbit: Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Tebal Buku: 400 hlmn
ISBN:9786020633909
ISBN Digital: 9786020633916
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Crime, Fiction, Mystery

Fakta Menarik
Tahukah kamu novel The Silent Patient atau lebih dikenal dengan Pelukis Bisu dalam bahasa Indonesia ini, telah mendapatkan penghargaan Goodreads Choice Awards kategori Best Mystery & Thriller tahun 2019. 

Mari Kita Ulas Bukunya!
Pelukis Bisu — Alicia Berenson, adalah seorang pelukis terkenal dengan karya-karyanya yang fenomenal. Alicia merupakan seorang yang sangat ceria, penuh ambisi, dan sangat mencintai suaminya–-Gabriel. Namun, di balik semua keceriaan dan kebahagiaan tersebut Alicia menyimpan luka yang sangat mendalam bagi dirinya. Pada suatu malam terdengar suara tembakan dari rumah pasangan Gabriel dan Alicia Berenson. Ketika polisi masuk, Gabriel ditemukan tewas tertembak lima kali tepat di wajahnya dengan posisi terikat di kursi. Alicia berdiri di depan suaminya dengan senjata api tergeletak di lantai. Alicia ditangkap dan dilarikan ke rumah sakit karena percobaan bunuh diri. Setelah dirinya diizinkan pulang, Alicia menjadi bisu, tidak satu kata pun keluar dari mulutnya. Apa yang sebenarnya terjadi?

Theo Faber, seorang laki-laki paruh baya yang bekerja sebagai psikoterapis. Alasannya menjadi psikoterapis adalah karena masa kecilnya yang kacau, tepatnya kurang kasih sayang orang tua khususnya Ayahnya. Pada saat Alicia dirujuk ke rumah sakit jiwa tepatnya di The Grove, Theo mendaftarkan diri untuk menjadi psikoterapi Alicia dengan tujuan membuatnya berbicara kembali untuk menceritakan detail dari peristiwa tersebut. Berhasilkah Theo membuat Alicia berbicara? Apa alasan Alicia menjadi bisu?

Opini Kami
🙋🏻‍♂️ Yang paling bikin novel ini kerasa wah banget, tentunya dari plot twistnya. Aku udah coba tebak gimana alurnya bakal berakhir tapi beneran dibanting sama twistnya. Apalagi dari segi penokohannya, novel ini ngga ada penjelasan latar belakang karakter yang berlebihan jadi bener-bener fokus ke cerita utamanya aja. Walaupun, tentunya mungkin bagi beberapa orang justru ini adalah kekurangan karena terkesan buru-buru aku juga ada perasaan begitu sedikit tapi kalau ditanya kerasa alurnya lompat apa ngga, aku bakal jawab ngga alurnya tetep tersusun rapih dan ngga ngerusak keutuhan cerita. Makanya aku juga bisa baca novel ini cuma 2 hari doang. Karena alur ceritanya juga ngga bertele-tele novel ini tuh setiap sub-babnya pendek dan banyak banget cliff hangernya jadi bakalan minim banget kerasa ngebosenin, bakal terpacu terus baca deh hehe. Penokohan dari cerita ini juga fresh banget, biasanya aku liat crime case gini lewat sudut pandang detektif tapi ini dari psikoterapi yang bener-bener menarik dan berbeda, contoh perbedaannya kalau investigasi lebih ke menaruh kecurigaan dan tuduhan sedangkan di novel ini kita harus observasi dan analisis kejiwaan karakternya. 

🙋🏻‍♀️ SOOOO GOOD!! aku suka banget penggambaran karakter Alicia di sini, bener-bener detail dan complex female character yang ngingetin aku sama film ‘Gone Girl.’ Karakter Alicia Berenson, di mana dia berjuang untuk tetap ‘waras’ di kala orang-orang menggapnya gila, di mana ia bertahan untuk menjadi istri yang baik dan setia kepada suaminya, dan Alicia juga sangat bertalenta di bidang yang ia gemari yaitu melukis. Novel ini bukanlah hanya novel bergenre murder mystery saja, melainkan juga menggambarkan trauma masa lalu dari diri seseorang. Kalau dari segi plot twist juga gak kalah keren, di mana di akhir bagian novel semuanya terjawab mengapa mereka dipertemukan. 

Rating dari Kami!
5/5⭐️

English Version | 🇺🇸

Fun Fact
Did you know that the novel The Silent Patient or better known as Pelukis Bisu in Indonesian, has won the Goodreads Choice Awards in the ‘Best Mystery & Thriller’ category in 2019. 

Here Comes the Review!
The Silent Patient — Alicia Berenson, is a famous painter with her phenomenal works. Alicia is cheerful, ambitious, and deeply in love with her husband—Gabriel. However, behind all her joy and happiness, Alicia harbors a deep wound for herself. One night, gunshots were heard coming from the home of Gabriel and Alicia Berenson. When the police entered, Gabriel was found dead, shot five times in the face while tied to a chair. Alicia stood in front of her husband with the gun lying on the floor. Alicia was arrested and rushed to hospital for her suicide attempt. After she was allowed to go home, Alicia became silent, not a single word came out of her mouth. What really happened?

Theo Faber is a middle-aged man who works as a psychotherapist. The reason he became a psychotherapist was because of his chaotic childhood, precisely the lack of parental affection, especially his father. When Alicia is referred to a psychiatric hospital at The Grove, Theo signs up to be Alicia's psychotherapist with the aim of getting her to talk again to tell the details of the incident. Does Theo succeed in getting Alicia to speak? Why did Alicia become silent?

Nick and Nora’s Mind
🙋🏻‍♂️ What makes this novel feel really great, of course, is the plot twist. I tried to guess how the plot would end but was really slammed by the twist. Moreover, in terms of characterization, this novel does not have excessive character background explanations so it really focuses on the main story. Although, of course, maybe for some people this is a drawback because it seems rushed, I also have that feeling a little bit, but if you ask me if I feel the plot is jumping or not, I will answer that the plot is still neatly arranged and does not break the integrity of the story. That's why I can also read this novel in just two days. Because the storyline is also not long-winded, this novel has short sub-chapters and lots of cliff hangers so there will be minimal boredom, you will be encouraged to keep reading hehe. The characterization of this story is also very fresh, usually I see crime cases like this through a detective's point of view but this is from psychotherapy which is really interesting and different, for example the difference is that investigations are more about putting suspicions and accusations while in this novel we have to observe and analyze the psychology of the characters. 

🙋🏻‍♀️ SOOOO GOOD!! I really like the portrayal of Alicia's character here, a really detailed and complex female character that reminds me of the  'Gone Girl’ movie. The character of Alicia Berenson, where she struggles to stay 'sane' when people consider her crazy, where she survives to be a good wife and loyal to her husband, and Alicia is also very talented in the field she is passionate about, which is painting. This novel is not only a murder mystery, but it also depicts a person's past trauma. In the plot twists aspect, it's also very good, where at the end of the novel everything is answered as to why they were brought together.  

A Star From Us!
5/5⭐️

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