I picked up this book, because I've heard of (but haven't seen) the movie, but I am very glad I did. It is the first book I have finished within 24 hours (well maybe 25) for a very long time. This book will make you laugh and cry out loud and as the internet says feel all the feels!
I think the reason it is so compelling is the characters are very real. Quick creates such a simple, yet endearing voice for Pat Peoples, the protagonist and narrator, that you can't help but fall in love with him and root for him throughout the novel.
Pat is not a hero though. He is pretty messed up. In fact, he's just come back home from a neural health facility, which he refers to as 'the bad place' and is now working hard on improving himself. Why?
Because Pat People's views his life as a movie, produced by God. If he improves enough, God will grant him his happy ending and 'apart time' with his wife will end and they will be reunited. As readers removed from the situation, we know, from other characters and clues, that 'apart time' is most definitely permanent; however as we are seeing the world through Pat's eyes, we are kept in the dark as to why.
Speaking of the other characters, they are also as fully formed, by Quick, as Pat. His parents, brother and friends are varied and flawed and mostly believable. And then of course there is Tiffany. Tiffany is equally as messed up as Pat and when she comes into his life, the two form a strange relationship. It is a relationship, which is a bit hard to understand, but this is probably because Pat doesn't understand it himself.
This book is as surprising as life itself, not as predictable as the movie Pat thinks he's living in, nor twisting and turning all the time. There are so many reasons I could give for liking this book, but this is already disgustingly long for a blog post so I'll keep it as brief as I can:
- It is very easy to relate to Pat's optimistic outlook and looking for the 'silver lining'. Although Pat's view is very exaggerated, most of us expect the future to be better. In fact humans may well be hardwired to be optimistic. Throughout the book, you're rooting for things to work out for Pat, even if not in the way he wants them to go, as so often is the case in life.
- The music commentary is very fitting. Music is an important part of my life and I often have songs playing in the background of my life, as does the author (you can read his 'essay' about that here) In this book, there is a lot of music mentioned, in particular the mysteriously 'evil' Kenny G who haunts Pat. I also challenge you not to play 'Gonna Fly Now' to read along to Pat's workout routine, when instructed to do so.
- It tackles mental health in a pretty humorous and light hearted way, without dancing around the subject too much. You are seeing the story through a bipolar man, and yet the other 'sane' people around him have the capacity to act just as crazy.
I found this book wonderful and to get sappy it does get you to look for the silver lining. I haven't seen the movie and apparently there are some significant changes, but if it's half as good as the book I'm sure I'll enjoy it. I would thoroughly recommend this book, but for now I'll leave you with this:
(Gonna Fly Now)
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