This book was so special. I really loved being in the mind of this male (Pat) who sees the bright side of all of his predicaments. This tale of mental illness is candid and takes the perspective of the person who is ill and gives us an empathetic view of what it would be like to be in the situation of everyone looking at you like you’re crazy. I think that anyone who has been in love can understand his breaking point and understand his reaction, even if it isn’t the way we would behave. I enjoyed the football analogy, sharing the highs and lows of winning and losing as we do in our lives. It mirrors the ebb and flow of mental illness where the smallest thing can really make a huge difference and change the tide of a game or a life. This story also vaguely touches on mental illness as a hereditary trait. I find that the main characters father is just as mentally ill as his son but because he is the big tough guy, no one actually identifies it as mentally ill. The father displays some actions that if they are just taken one level higher would equivocate to the son’s major outburst that sent him to the mental hospital. I also enjoy the relationship between Pat and Tiffany. It is so dysfunctional that it is his best fit. Tiffany is the only other person that can understand him.
What do you think of the song that triggers the main characters outbursts? Would it upset you? Why?
Do you think the mother is an enabler to her son? To her husband?
What is the purpose of the dance competition? Who benefits most from it?
Will Pat ever be truly “cured”?
What did you think of Tiffany’s ruse?
Did you feel that the movie did justice to this book?
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