Although Jasper DeWitt's The Patient takes place in the modern day, in many respects it reminds me of a classic horror story like Dracula or Frankenstein. The way the narrator begins by addressing the reader directly, thereby breaking the forth wall. The long, descriptive sentences that immediately capture the atmosphere and fill one with a sense of dread. Reading the first few pages, I was much surprised to learn that this is a debut novel considering the skill of DeWitt's writing.