The Good Patient

By Kristin Waterfield Duisberg

Book Overview

Brilliant, acerbic, funny, and relentless, Darien Gilbertson appears to have it all: a successful career, a husband who loves her absolutely, and all the material comforts of a New York life. But Darien is in trouble on the run from her emotions, and from a past that resurrects itself in acts of self-mutilation she neither understands nor cares to explore. After years of good behavior, Darien is hurting herself again. And this time it's so brutal that her husband, Robert, cannot help but recognize the woman he adores is unraveling before his eyes. Darien has a history with therapists. She knows exactly what they want and need to hear. She has made a game of psychotherapy, spinning outrageous fictions, exposing her doctors' vanities, knowing when to reveal just a little of the truth. When Robert brings her to Dr. Lindholm, she is ready. But in Dr. Lindholm Darien may have met her match: a caring psychiatrist with the patience and skill to see beneath her fa?ade. At once intrigued and resistant, Darien engages Dr. Lindholm in a battle of wits, sure only her pride is at stake. When she stumbles instead upon a buried truth about herself the consequences are devastating, threatening her marriage, her identity, and what she understands about life and love. The Good Patient is about interiors and exteriors, knowledge and perception, the treachery and triumph of memory. Written in razor-sharp, sparkling prose, it is a story that takes dead aim at a question we all fear: how well do we really know the people we love?

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312300395
• ISBN13: 9780312300395
• Release Date: February 2003
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.14 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

I wish I could give this more than 5 stars

This is the best book I've read in a long time. Although the subject matter was painful, I couldn't help loving and rooting for the main character. She was so funny and sarcastic, you just couldn't wait to hear what she would say next. On the other hand, you dreaded what she might do next. I could not put this book down but when it was over, I wanted more. I certainly hope to read more from this author.

Beautifully written, exceptional first novel

A riveting novel about twenty-eight-year-old Darien Gilbertson who engages in self destructive acts like self-mutilation and excessive drinking because of dark secrets in her past that she has repressed. Sarcastic, brilliant, witty, rebellious, and vulnerable, Darien at first goes out of her way not to cooperate with Dr. Rachel Lindholm, the savvy psychiatrist her husband, Robert, has persuaded her to see. Gradually, however, she moves into a trusting relationship with the doctor and begins to peel away the layers covering the secrets. Grim as this may sound, it is more than that: complex and disturbing, but with plenty of humor, and so beautifully written, with not one wasted word, that one is in awe. Vivid images, real characters, and pitch perfect dialogue are just some of the attributes of this stellar debut. We grow to care very much for Darien. Also, in the midst of the angst and darkness, this novel is above all a love story: both Darien and Robert must learn how to love. An earned resolution at the end.

Engrossing

Promiscuity, bulimia and self-mutilization are not necessarily what would come to mind when looking for a good read, but Kristen Waterfield Duisberg creates a character who the reader comes to care about so soon after meeting her that one is willing and eager to follow along her path to the bottom and her eventual return to the complex world of reality. Duisberg's skillful use of language is as engaging as the plot. By page 20, when she has her character say, "..by the time I can form a kiss and throw it to him...he has already turned away and it falls amid the garbage and tired soles of a late summer night". Duisberg shows a creative mind and a fine education. I'm hooked, and you will be too.

Dark and disturbing -- hooked me from its first page!

I was duly impressed with Kristin Waterfield Duisberg's The Good Patient. The dark, compelling and disturbing tale of Darien captured me from the very beginning. The mounting suspense as Dr. Lindholm, Darien's psychiatrist, unravels the reasons that have triggered the protagonist's compulsive and self-destructive behavior is haunting and poignant. The Good Patient is a harrowing and thought-provoking novel that should be savored like fine wine. A wonderful read...

Exceptional New Author

The Good Patient is an exceptional book, written with great passion. From the opening paragraph, the reader is drawn right in, eager to know more about Darien. With all her problems, we still love her and admire her honest and painful struggle. The author displays a wonderful command of the English language, giving us creative and expressive dialog as well as vivid descriptions. It's a dark subject, but treated with compassion and even humor. I loved every minute of this book!