Judith L. (jlautner) reviewed on + 105 more book reviews
Therapist Theo Faber finds the case of Alicia Berenson interesting. The woman, apparently happily married, was found, bloodied and holding a gun, in her house with her dead husband. She was convicted of murder but determined to be not in her right mind. Nobody could get anything from her, because she would not talk.
Theo wants to work with her, and gets himself transferred to the hospital where she is confined, even though the institution is on its last legs. He manages to get her case assigned to him, because others had given up.
Gradually Theo finds ways to communicate with Alicia and the story - her story and the story of others - comes out.
I had not guessed the way it would end, and I admit to being surprised but also disappointed.
The book is easy to get through, as chapters are short and there is a lot of white space, so it isn't actually very long. I felt it was light on details and motivation, and I wondered how this doctor was accepted into the hospital and then is allowed to work with only one patient. The characterization of therapy as a way for the therapist to feel the patient's pain until the patient can recognize it seemed off to me. I also had trouble with how Theo thinks and behaves. I am aware that therapists are just people but they do learn some techniques to cope with their own pain. Instead, Theo lashes out, feeds his own resentment, acts like a child at heart.
Theo wants to work with her, and gets himself transferred to the hospital where she is confined, even though the institution is on its last legs. He manages to get her case assigned to him, because others had given up.
Gradually Theo finds ways to communicate with Alicia and the story - her story and the story of others - comes out.
I had not guessed the way it would end, and I admit to being surprised but also disappointed.
The book is easy to get through, as chapters are short and there is a lot of white space, so it isn't actually very long. I felt it was light on details and motivation, and I wondered how this doctor was accepted into the hospital and then is allowed to work with only one patient. The characterization of therapy as a way for the therapist to feel the patient's pain until the patient can recognize it seemed off to me. I also had trouble with how Theo thinks and behaves. I am aware that therapists are just people but they do learn some techniques to cope with their own pain. Instead, Theo lashes out, feeds his own resentment, acts like a child at heart.
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