I liked the book but it was way too long. Nothing actually happens for much of the time and yet the author seems to be promising so much that never actually materialises. I think my imagination went to work as soon as the word stalker was used and I expected some thriller type action and blood. (Perhaps my imagination needs to calm down a bit.) On the other hand it is a good story with some interesting characters written in Liane Moriarty's very readable style. She has written several better books than this but I enjoyed it anyway. 9780425260937 Highly enjoyable, addictive, page-turning, as most Moriarty books are. But I definitely enjoyed this one more than some of her others. 9780425260937 The Hypnotist’s Love Story is centered around the hypnotist, Ellen, and her partner Patrick. The story is told from the POV of Ellen and Patrick’s stalker, Saskia (and I really love that name, btw).
Anyway, if you were to read the blurb you would think this might be a scandalous thriller of a novel but it’s actually a lovely, funny and warm story about love (romantic and familial) and growth. I was pleasantly surprised! The hypnotherapy practice Ellen runs was such an interesting aspect of the story.
Saskia was such a fascinating character, and I’m glad she was so complex and sympathetic, and not made out to be some crazy villainess. Her love for Jack was so heart wrenching.
The members of both families and the other minor characters were great as well, it was easy to get a sense of the family dynamics.
Despite the fact that this is a fairly long book, it has LM’s trademark addictive prose and it was a fairly fast read, for me anyway. I’m excited to dip into more of her books soon, I really liked Nine Perfect Strangers too. 9780425260937
“I thought Patrick was my perfect love story. Except he's not. He's the hypnotist's love story. I'm the ex-girlfriend in the hypnotist's love story. Not the heroine. I'm only a minor character.”
This was not, in my opinion, a love story. If asked to describe this book to a friend, I would say The Hypnotist’s Love Story was fantastic storytelling about a woman who didn’t really know what she wanted and another woman who didn’t have the coping mechanisms to let go of the past. There were three main characters in the story - Ellen - the Hypnotist, Patrick - Ellen’s new love interest and Saskia -Patrick’s ex and stalker.
Though Patrick was a main character in the book, we really only got to see his personality and thoughts through the two women in the book. This story was really told from Ellen and Saskia’s point of view.
I really liked that we got to see Saskia’s point of view. Very often, in stories about stalkers, their characters are very one dimensional and we don’t really get a view into what drove them to their behaviours. Though I kept wanting to scream at her throughout the book to get help, I couldn’t help but sympathize with her. Patrick broke up with her in a pretty unforgivable way. While most would have been able to move on, Saskia clearly didn’t have the support or coping skills to do that. I truly felt her anger and helplessness over the situation, particularly since a young child was involved and Saskia not only lost Patrick, but his son, Jack, whom she helped raise.
“if he'd ever just said, I'm sorry, and meant it, then I think I could have let it go. Perhaps then I would have eventually healed, like people do. Instead it got infected. It spread. Like gangrene. It took hold. It's his fault. I know what I do is unacceptable. Deep down I do know this. But he started it”
I’ve often thought that when a relationship ends, it can feel like a death. I believe, to a lesser extent, you go through some of the same stages as grieving the death of a loved one. So, again, I could totally relate to Saskia and her socially unacceptable feelings.
“If Patrick had been killed in a car accident, I would have been allowed to grieve for him for years. People would have sent me flowers and sympathy cards; they would have dropped off casseroles. I would have been allowed to keep his photos up, to talk about him, to remember the good times. But because he dumped me, because he was still alive, my sadness was considered undignified and pathetic.”
Ellen’s character was so different from Saskia. From her, I truly got the impression that she had a pre-conceived notion of what equated to happiness and was looking to check off the boxes. So it came as no surprise to me that when she got these things, she was not suddenly feeling happy and fulfilled. I see this all the time and have been guilty of it myself. I think the message that I took away from Ellen’s story was that happiness comes from within and you have to accept the people in your life for who they are instead of being disappointed when they don’t match up to your unrealistic fantasy. Only then can you truly enjoy having them in your life.
Very early on in the story, as Ellen talked about the ethics of her using her hypnotherapy skills on people she knew all the while wondering what was going on in Patrick's head, I kept thinking to myself --- careful. This could be a slippery slope.
I will admit to not feeling too much sympathy for Patrick throughout the novel. I can’t help but wonder, if the roles had been reversed and it was a woman being stalked instead of the man, would my feelings have been different? I’m embarrassed to say that I think the answer may be yes. Once I put aside my anger towards the way Patrick treated Saskia, I think I was able to finally see what a terrible stress her actions must have put on him.
Love every word of this story!!! 9780425260937
I hated him. I still loved him. But I hated him. And ever since then it's been hard to tell the difference between the two. If I didn't hate him so intensely, maybe I would have been able to stop loving him.
Okay, so I am apparently a bit of a booksnob. Everytime I read a book by either Liane, Jodi Picoult and now also Joshilyn Jackson I always point out that this was just a fun read in between more serious reads, a palate cleanser if you will. Well, I've decided those days are over. Why would it be any easier writing these books than a historical fiction novel. I herewith proudly announce that I am officially a chick lit reader.
Liane Morairty is fast becoming one of my favourite authors, I have now read all her books, and is anxiously awaiting the next. I love her characters in this title, you feel for everyone even the bad stalker. In fact, I think I had more empathy for her than for anyone else in the story. The author has the amazing ability to look at real issues while making you laugh out loud. It was interesting learning more about hypnotherapy. I strongly recommend any of this authors titles if you've not tried it before.
Can anyone please recommend similar authors? 9780425260937
Liane Moriarty Î 6 REVIEW
Ellen O'Farrell is a professional hypnotherapist who works out of the eccentric beachfront home she inherited from her grandparents. It's a nice life, except for her tumultuous relationship history. She's stoic about it, but at this point, Ellen wouldn't mind something long-term. When she meets Patrick, she's optimistic. He's attractive, single, employed, and best of all, he seems to like her back. Then comes that dreaded moment: He thinks they should have a talk.
Braced for the worst, Ellen is pleasantly surprised. It turns out that Patrick's ex-girlfriend is stalking him. Ellen thinks, Actually, that's kind of interesting. She's dating someone worth stalking. She's intrigued by the woman's motives. In fact, she'd even love to meet her.
Ellen doesn't know it, but she already has. The Hypnotists Love Story
I’m a big fan of Moriarty’s books, but I pretty much disliked this one from the start. I’m sceptical about hypnotism, so the title put me on edge anyway, but it was really the story, or rather the lack of a story, that sealed the deal.
Ellen is a professional Hypnotherapist, she helps people quit smoking, lose weight and overcome irrational fears etc. She’s single and keen to settle down, if she can find the right man. Along comes Patrick, a widowed surveyor with an eight-year-old son – is he the man she’s been looking for? Unfortunately, amongst the baggage he brings with him is an obsessed ex-girlfriend.
I can’t really go into the story any more, because there is really no more to it than that. I kept waiting for the surprise, for the twist Moriarty always introduces – it never came. There are familiar settings and the normal chit-chat with friends and family, but it’s uniformly dull. There are also few laughs to be had. And it’s way too long and becomes horribly repetitive. My final criticism, and maybe one that applies to all of her books, is that I don’t think she draws men well. They are always secondary characters in her work but it’s most noticeable here with the one dimensional and totally dislikeable (to me, anyway) Patrick.
For readers yet to discover this Aussie author, the good news is that most of her books are excellent - just give this one a miss. I’m happy to write this one off and look forward to her next book in the firm belief it’ll be a continuance of her fine overall form. 9780425260937 The Hypnotist Love Story by Liane Moriarty is a 2012 Berkley publication.
After reading ‘What Alice Forgot’ a little while back, I vowed to read anything I could find written by Liane Moriarty. Little by little I have been able to sneak one of her backlisted titles into my reading schedule.
One thing about this author and her books, is that each one is special and very different. Yet, the style of writing has a signature that is unique to this author, and I can’t quite find a way to describe it. Whatever it is about her skill as a writer, it holds me spellbound from start to finish, no matter what genre is represented or the subject matter.
This book is no exception. I had no idea what to expect when I started this novel. I wasn’t sure if it was a novel of suspense or contemporary fiction, or both. For the most part, I would place this one in the contemporary fiction category, even though there are moments of suspense, but I never felt threatened or worried, exactly, but there was an underlying feeling of unease.
Ellen is a hypnotherapist who recently began dating Patrick, a man she met through an internet dating site. Patrick is widowed, with a young son, and comes fully equipped with his very own stalker. Yes, a stalker!
However, Ellen does not initially find this situation all that disturbing. In fact, she’s rather intrigued by it. She is delirious with curiosity about this ex-girlfriend, and wonders what has precipitated her obsession with Patrick. She wants to see what she looks like, and maybe even meet her. But, Patrick can only think of how to rid himself of her once and for all.
The story is told from the dual perspectives of Ellen and Saskia, each relaying a different perspective on Patrick and his son, Jack.
It goes without saying that of all the characters in the book Saskia is the most disturbed, and despite the image we typically conjure up in regards to stalking, this character generates a fair amount of sympathy.
However, Ellen suffered from the inability to maintain a long term relationship, which could be tied up with her upbringing, one that intentionally excluded her father.
With the focus on Saskia, and the impact she is having on Patrick, the profound effect his wife’s death had on him is not immediately visible.
As we get to know Patrick, we see he is a very conflicted, and rather illogical at times. His treatment of Saskia was not handled well, which may have contributed her overreaction to their breakup.
I think a lot was made of the female stalking angle, and it is true that four out of five stalkers are men. However, it’s not exactly unheard of for women to stalk men, as has been documented several times with celebrities.
Still, people do tend to think that men aren’t affected in the same way, but I thought the author did a terrific job of showing what living with a constant third party in one’s life might feel like, as Patrick is always on edge, checking rearview mirrors and turning his phone off, and growing so weary of having to stay on guard at all times, and may always suffer some lingering side effects from living this way for so long a time.
However, ultimately, this story is about learning to let go. While Ellen is the central character, the person most effected by Patrick’s past, as she tries to carve out a future with him, everything seems to hinge on Patrick’s ability to move on and accept that he can experience guilt free happiness.
There were some controversial moments, and I some thought provoking scenes, which would make for some lively discussion, but overall, this is really a rather curious love story, with each character taking monumental steps toward maturity and stability, and closure.
In the end, each person accepted the cards life dealt them and made the best of it, even experiencing happiness and peace they never thought possible.
But, to be clear, the story is not super heavy, or dramatic. It fact, it has that strange, whimsical quality to it that kept things on the lighter side, without losing its intensity.
This is another original story from Liane Moriarty, which is one of the reasons I enjoy reading her books so much. I don’t think this is the strongest novel in her repertoire, but it was a nice change of pace and certainly held my fascination and attention, as well as keeping me amused and entertained.
Overall, 3.5 rounded to 4
9780425260937 I like Liane Moriarty’s writing a lot. Her characters are always somewhat off center, yet always very interesting and appealing in so many ways. I also enjoy her plots and her descriptive writing.
This book was somewhat of a disappointment, however. There is a stalker, old boyfriends, new boyfriends, unresolved parent issues, old girlfriends, new girlfriends, and people who aren’t what they appear to be. All of that should have been interesting. Unfortunately, the only character that really had his act together in any substantial way was an 8 year old boy who didn’t really receive sufficient air time. Maybe that’s why he appeared to be more mature than his elders.
There was more teenage angst and more obsessive behavior in this book than there should have been considering the youngest adult character was 35. So many times, in so many ways, this book just didn’t feel appropriate for the age groups that were featured. The characters were not endearingly ‘off center’ in this book, they were annoyingly so.
The premise was good and could have been very interesting. As it was, the hypnotherapy aspect was, indeed, very interesting. Even there, however, we got into ethical issues with bad choices and I was wondering how that could possibly be charming or even acceptable.
This book was a shaky 3.5 Star read for me and because it felt rushed and not enough time was spent resolving all the issues with any sense of growth or deeper understanding on the part of the characters, I rounded it down to 3 Stars.
Despite that, I plan to read more of Liane Moriarty’s books as I have enjoyed those I have read in the past and hope to enjoy more in the future. In good conscience, this is not one I would recommend unless you have no problem overlooking immature, unethical, and undeveloped behavior and ways of relating from people in age groups who should know better.
9780425260937 I have one word for this book: deceitful. She's a good writer, offering fun dialog and characters to like and dislike. But if an author is going to write as though something big is going to happen at any moment, please, God, that author should make something happen ONCE in 432 pages. Just ONCE. Something. Anything. So many missed opportunities for a good story here. I don't know that I'll read What Alice Forgot anytime soon, because that's even longer, and the torture I feel from this story, or lack thereof, is too fresh. (Oh, one big flaw. A man takes a woman for a romantic getaway to the same hotel that he took his ex/current stalker to just a few short years before? And that woman doesn't mind? Riiiggggghhhht.) 9780425260937 OK, I know this is more chick lit than great literature, and I hand out five stars like my favorite gourmet handmade chocolates, but for sheer entertainment value, I'm tempted to give this full accolades. I loved this story. The Hypnotist's Love Story tells about the romance between Ellen, the hypnotist, or more accurately, hypnotherapist, and Patrick, a grounded surveyor who is a widower with an eight-year-old son. Ellen comes to find out there is a third wheel (or fourth if you count the dead wife) in the guise of an ex-girlfriend turned stalker. Saskia, the stalker, will not leave Patrick alone - constantly leaving him text messages, letters, flowers, and following him even on dates with Ellen. Unable to elude her and never knowing where or when she may show up, Patrick is understandably angry and stressed. Ellen, whose career is built on helping people cope with debilitating problems, is intrigued by the idea of a stalker. Ellen's calm and soothing demeanor, her positive focus, and her penchant for New Age thinking are the perfect antidote to Patrick's tense wariness. She posts Buddhist quotes on her refrigerator and helps clients deal with pain, infertility, and smoking habits. She is nice and totally likeable. Unknown to her, the stalker is also a client. This is an interesting set-up, but the author, Liane Moriarty, makes it compelling by giving a first person voice to Saskia, the stalker, while Ellen's story is in third person. In doing so, Saskia, while her actions are repellant, becomes sympathetic. We come to understand her obsession, and how normal can tip over into crazy. What elevates this book above average chick lit is it never feels contrived. Moriarty is a compassionate writer and has a gift for creating sympathetic characters with warmth and humor. She is wonderful at setting a realistic scene with dialogue and self-talk that ring true, and her children talk and act like real kids. Though she captures the every day, her story is above the ordinary, and when she deals with emotions, she handles them with genuine care, never becoming cheesily sentimental or maudlin. For those who may think the set-up is an unrealistic situation, with a woman stalking a man for years, I had a conversation today that was eerily coincidental. I was catching up with a man I hadn't seen in years, and he was telling me about the problems he was having with a woman stalker, how it had affected him and disrupted his life. Having just finished this book today, I felt like I could understand his situation a little better, how a stalker could make you feel powerless and out of control of your own life. Thanks go to Liane Moriarty for expanding my perspective in a totally enjoyable way. 9780425260937