The Silver Linings Playbook is a novel that was written in 2008. Recognizing a winner, the Harvey Weinstein production company snatched up the movie rights to the novel even before it was published. The novel is about Pat, a man who had been institutionalized due to a traumatic event that is revealed towards the end of the novel. After he is released from the institution he goes back home to live with his parents and attempts to become re-acclimated to the normalcies of life outside of an institution. Through his best friend, he meets Tiffany, a woman who had dealt with as much trauma and mental illness as Pat. The two make an interesting couple as they navigate through life trying to cope with their past, present, and future.
The Silver Linings Playbook is a debut novel for Matthew Quick. Before becoming a writer, Quick taught high school literature and film in southern New Jersey. It seems that he was very involved in the community where he coached sports, led trips to South American countries and even has counseled troubled teens. Apparently, this background was what prepared him to write such an emotionally layered film about mental illness, forgiveness, love for sports and how to move forward in life. Since 2008, Quick has had three more novels published with two more on the way and all of them have also been optioned for film.
