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Doctors
Writing with all the passion of "Love Story" and power of "The Class," Erich Segal sweeps us into the lives of the Harvard Medical School's class of 1962. His stunning novel reveals the making of doctors--what makes them tick, scheme, hurt . . . and love. From the crucible of med school's merciless training through the demanding hours of internship and residency to the triumphs--and sometimes tragedies--beyond, "Doctors" brings to vivid life the men and women who seek to heal but who must first walk through fire. At the novel's heart is the unforgettable relationship of Barney Livingston and Laura Castellano, childhood friends who separately find unsettling celebrity and unsatisfying love--until their friendship ripens into passion. Yet even their devotion to each other, even their medical gifts may not be enough to save the one life they treasure above all others. "Doctors" --heartbreaking, witty, inspiring, and utterly, grippingly real--is a vibrant portrait that culminates in a murder, a trial . . . and a miracle."A superior story . . . A moving and compelling novel of doctors and their fears--how they confront them or are confounded by them."-- "UPI."
"Segal's best work to date."-- "New York Post"
"Segal's best work to date."-- "New York Post"
675 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
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About the author
Erich Segal
42books1,222followersErich Wolf Segal was an American author, screenwriter, and educator. He was best-known for writing the novel Love Story, a bestseller, and writing the motion picture of the same name, which was a major hit.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 600 reviews
September 9, 2022
This book, written in 1988, is considered one of the best Medical novels ever written. I read this novel when I was in Med School. This novel tells us the story of students of the Harvard Medical School's class of 1962. The story of Barney Livingston and Laura Castellano is marvelously crafted by Erich Segal and is a must-read book if you are a Doctor or a Medical school student.
"He had spent most of his life studying the art of medicine and realized now that he would never really understand its mysteries. Medicine is an eternal quest for reasons - causes that explain effects. Science cannot comprehend a miracle."
January 30, 2008
I read the hardcover version of this book, which was 679 pages. I started it on a Tuesday evening around 7 p.m. and finished it at 1:00 p.m. the next day. If that doesn't say a lot about the quality of the book, I don't know what does!
Erich Segal continues to amaze me with his storytelling abilities. Not only are his plots interesting, but he makes you really identify with the characters. There are no outlandish plot twists or soap opera dramas - just multi-dimensional characters trying to get through life.
Doctors focuses mainly on Barney Livingston and Laura Castellano, Brooklyn neighbors who both get in to Harvard Med School. The beginning of the book tells the story of how they met and how their friendship developed over the years. It also reveals why each of them want to go to medical school and become doctors.
Once they are at medical school, the book begins to follow their lives as well as the lives of several classmates. They complete medical school, complete residencies in their chosen specialties, and deal with all of the trials and tribulations of life.
Segal is a wonderful author and this was a great read.
Erich Segal continues to amaze me with his storytelling abilities. Not only are his plots interesting, but he makes you really identify with the characters. There are no outlandish plot twists or soap opera dramas - just multi-dimensional characters trying to get through life.
Doctors focuses mainly on Barney Livingston and Laura Castellano, Brooklyn neighbors who both get in to Harvard Med School. The beginning of the book tells the story of how they met and how their friendship developed over the years. It also reveals why each of them want to go to medical school and become doctors.
Once they are at medical school, the book begins to follow their lives as well as the lives of several classmates. They complete medical school, complete residencies in their chosen specialties, and deal with all of the trials and tribulations of life.
Segal is a wonderful author and this was a great read.
December 15, 2008
We can never imagine what kind of life lies ahead of us and this book made me realize that we can never say "never", "I will" or "I can" not until we are right at that very moment wherein we need to make a decision(rational or not). Yes, we can determine what we want to be in the future but we can never foresee the things and changes that we are to encounter. We can do nothing but to choose, and even by just making 1 wrong choice will change something sometime everything and the future will be far more different from what we sought it to be.
November 2, 2014
"There are thousands of diseases in the world, but Medical Science only has an empirical cure for twenty-six of them. The rest is... guesswork."
Doctors focuses on the lives of Barney Livingston and Laura Castellano, from when they were kindergartners to them being medstudents and their journey as full pledged doctors. This book gives such a great insight on those aspiring to don the white coat someday.
"All of a sudden, I'm not a person, I'm a robot studying a human."
I am in my third year of medschool and, even if the premise is set in the 60's to the 70's, it still gives an accurate description of what it's like to be in medschool. I find myself smiling as I remember my first year of medschool, how unsure I was and how scared I felt of not doing good. It was all so real.
But first year, as far as medicine goes, was a relatively lax year. Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry were the stars. 'Tis the year you learn your foundations and the year I first cut open a cadaver and it was a lot of fun. While there were many sleepless nights, it was manageable. For aspiring medical students, enjoy this year while you can.
Second year came around and I find myself pulling my hair in frustration. Why were there too many bacteria and fungus and viruses? How are we expected to memorize the names of all these drugs when they sound alike? I did not know that there were so many pathological problems that could happen with the human body. Information overload! They say that when you make it through second year, you can make it all the way.
Third year, the final hurdle to get through before you're released in the actual hospital setting (at least that's how our curriculum goes). This is the year that I am being buried in all the damn paperworks(and I don't know if this is true for other medschools).
And they say the sleepless nights aren't about to end until you retire from being a physician.
"For the first time Laura understood why it was said that to be a doctor - or at least to survive as one - you have to build a fortress around your feelings to withstand all the assaults of emotional involvement. You can try to help the suffering and mitigate their pain, but you must not feel it."
It is statistically proven that there are more doctors who are depressed and commits suicide than any other professions.It's ironic, when you think about it, that doctors always tell their patients to reduce stress, to eat right, to exercise and to live life when they themselves have spent more than half of their lives locked up in their rooms, studying. It's no surprise that a lot of doctors are depressed. Being responsible for a person's life is a heavy weight to carry.
If there's one thing that I learned from this book, its that to be a doctor requires nerves of steel. Superman ain't got nothing compared to the superpowers it takes to be a physician.
So yeah, this is more of a review of being a doctor rather than the actual book itself, but hey, I think they're pretty much the same :)
Definitely one of my favorite books of all time.
Doctors focuses on the lives of Barney Livingston and Laura Castellano, from when they were kindergartners to them being medstudents and their journey as full pledged doctors. This book gives such a great insight on those aspiring to don the white coat someday.
"All of a sudden, I'm not a person, I'm a robot studying a human."
I am in my third year of medschool and, even if the premise is set in the 60's to the 70's, it still gives an accurate description of what it's like to be in medschool. I find myself smiling as I remember my first year of medschool, how unsure I was and how scared I felt of not doing good. It was all so real.
But first year, as far as medicine goes, was a relatively lax year. Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry were the stars. 'Tis the year you learn your foundations and the year I first cut open a cadaver and it was a lot of fun. While there were many sleepless nights, it was manageable. For aspiring medical students, enjoy this year while you can.
Second year came around and I find myself pulling my hair in frustration. Why were there too many bacteria and fungus and viruses? How are we expected to memorize the names of all these drugs when they sound alike? I did not know that there were so many pathological problems that could happen with the human body. Information overload! They say that when you make it through second year, you can make it all the way.
Third year, the final hurdle to get through before you're released in the actual hospital setting (at least that's how our curriculum goes). This is the year that I am being buried in all the damn paperworks(and I don't know if this is true for other medschools).
And they say the sleepless nights aren't about to end until you retire from being a physician.
"For the first time Laura understood why it was said that to be a doctor - or at least to survive as one - you have to build a fortress around your feelings to withstand all the assaults of emotional involvement. You can try to help the suffering and mitigate their pain, but you must not feel it."
It is statistically proven that there are more doctors who are depressed and commits suicide than any other professions.It's ironic, when you think about it, that doctors always tell their patients to reduce stress, to eat right, to exercise and to live life when they themselves have spent more than half of their lives locked up in their rooms, studying. It's no surprise that a lot of doctors are depressed. Being responsible for a person's life is a heavy weight to carry.
If there's one thing that I learned from this book, its that to be a doctor requires nerves of steel. Superman ain't got nothing compared to the superpowers it takes to be a physician.
So yeah, this is more of a review of being a doctor rather than the actual book itself, but hey, I think they're pretty much the same :)
Definitely one of my favorite books of all time.
September 3, 2007
A very well written book, i think one of the rare books that i read in one go. It gives a good description about the daily lives of doctors and their profession. Based on the life of Barney Livingston and Laura Castellano (best of friends). The book is mainly based on their journey through school, medical college and their respective fields. The ups and downs, the rise and fall, the realisations they have. It takes many years for them to realise that what they have is more than friendship. They both look out for each other no matter what the situation. Laura relies on barney and he inturn does not let her be deprecative of herself. Both go through various disappointing relations, realising at the end the true relation.
March 29, 2010
pernah baca yg terjemahannya, untung kemaren dapet edisi inggrisnya di obralan buku impor :D
gak kecewa dg tebelnya :P
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buat yang minta reviewnya:
Saya baru membaca buku Segal 2 biji, Love Story dan Doctors ini. Tapi, karena buku ini yang paling tebel, jadi buku ini yg terbaik. hehe
Doctors bercerita ttg seluk beluk kehidupan para dokter. Inti cerita berpusat pada tokoh si Barney Livingston dan Laura Castellano, dua anak yg bertetanggaan. Berlatar di masa2 Amerika sedang tertatih-tatih---setelah depresi ekonomi, perang dunia perang saudara---dua anak ini bercita2 ingin menjadi dokter, salah satu pekerjaan paling bergengsi saat itu bahkan hingga kini. Tak tanggung2, mereka terobsesi utk sekolah tempat pendidikan dokter paling prestisius di muka bumi, Harvard Medical School--hanya Harvard Bussiness School dan Harvard Law School yg bisa menyaingi keangkeran dan ketenaran tempat ini.
Namun, obsesi kedua anak ini tak sebatas mengejar sekolah bergengsi. Mereka punya "misi" lain dalam mengejar gelar dokter. Barney, tergerak hatinya menjadi dokter setelah ayahnya meninggal karena tak ada dokter yang mau merawatnya. Di lain pihak, Laura berambisi menjadi dokter karena dia punya masalah yang lebih rumit. Dia berambisi menjadi dokter setelah keluarganya luluh lantak saat adiknya meninggal karena polio. Tapi kematian si adik kecil yang terkasih membawa konsekuensi mengerikan. Ibu Laura terpukul hancur dan menemukan pelarian dengan menjadi seorang fanatik religius. Ayah Laura, yang juga dokter, menemukan pelarian melalui alkohol dan nyaris linglung. Tinggallah Laura yang "tetap berakal sehat", dan menemukan pelarian dg cara belajar keras menjadi dokter.
Dendam-dendam masa lalu inilah yang membuat kedua tetangga itu mati-matian rela melakukan apa saja agar bisa masuk sekolah kedokteran. Apalagi target mereka adalah selevel HMS. Tapi tentu saja bukan masalah otak yang menghadang. Barney nyaris menyerah dalam mengejar HMS karena kesulitas ekonomi yang parah. sejak dulu pendidikan dokter memang identik dengan biaya mahal. Untungnya, pada detik-detik terakhir ada keajaiban. Mukjizat yang menghantarkannya untuk tetap bisa mendaftar pada HMS namun dengan bayaran yang sangat mahal, dan kelak akan terus menghantui hidupnya.
Perjuangan Laura pun tak bisa dibilang gampang. dia nyaris ditolak masuk karena masalah gender. Bahkan untuk sekelas HMS, dokter perempuan adalah sesuatu yang tabu. HMS diciptakan untuk mendidik dokter laki-laki. bukan perempuan. jadi, meski ada perempuan yang berotak secemerlang Einstein, bukan jaminan dia bisa masuk dg leluasa ke HMS. Tenang saja, itu dulu :D
Karena begitu banyaknya dendam-dendam yang harus terbalaskan, mereka mati-matian berusaha masuk ke HMS. Menjadi dokter bukan lagi sekedar mengejar cita-cita, tapi telah menjadi obsesi dan ambisi. Ketika mereka akhirnya bisa masuk HMS, baru terasakan betapa ambisi mereka kini menjadi boomerang. dihadapkan pada materi kuliah yang mengerikan--bayangkan makhluk2 yang bernama Biokimia, Anatomi, Fisiologi, Histiologi, Patologi, dll lengkap dg ribuan nama ilmiah untuk sesuatu yang oleh rakyat jelata disebut otot, rambut, syaraf, hormon, penyakit, bakteri, dll-- membuat mereka berpikir bahwa mungkin obsesi yang mereka kejar selama ini salah. belum tekanan batin yang dihadapi saat bergaul dg para jenius HMS yang elitis bahkan rasis.
Dan kelak, saat sudah berhasil menjadi dokter sekalipun, mereka tetap terbayang-bayangi oleh hantu masa lalu, yang memaksa mereka untuk mempertaruhkan segala hal yang berharga dalam hidupnya, sumpah Hipocrates, kehormatan, harga diri, cinta, kebahagiaan bahkan masa depan.
Ditulis dengan sangat meyakinkan--tak lupa Erich Segal melengkapi cerita dengan berbagai istilah medis yang membuat penasaran untuk bertanya pada si-tuan-tau-segalanya, Google----Doctors akan mengajak kita melihat seorang dokter yang bukan sebagai seorang malaikat penolong dan pembawa mukjizat. tapi sebagai manusia biasa, yang memiliki mimpi, memiliki keterbatasan, dan memiliki harapan untuk meraih kebahagiaan. Membaca buku ini, akan membuat kita tersadar, bersyukurlah atas hal-hal kecil dalam hidup kita, karena kita tak akan pernah tau, hal-hal besar apa yang akan menghadang kita.
buku ke 8999
gak kecewa dg tebelnya :P
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
buat yang minta reviewnya:
Saya baru membaca buku Segal 2 biji, Love Story dan Doctors ini. Tapi, karena buku ini yang paling tebel, jadi buku ini yg terbaik. hehe
Doctors bercerita ttg seluk beluk kehidupan para dokter. Inti cerita berpusat pada tokoh si Barney Livingston dan Laura Castellano, dua anak yg bertetanggaan. Berlatar di masa2 Amerika sedang tertatih-tatih---setelah depresi ekonomi, perang dunia perang saudara---dua anak ini bercita2 ingin menjadi dokter, salah satu pekerjaan paling bergengsi saat itu bahkan hingga kini. Tak tanggung2, mereka terobsesi utk sekolah tempat pendidikan dokter paling prestisius di muka bumi, Harvard Medical School--hanya Harvard Bussiness School dan Harvard Law School yg bisa menyaingi keangkeran dan ketenaran tempat ini.
Namun, obsesi kedua anak ini tak sebatas mengejar sekolah bergengsi. Mereka punya "misi" lain dalam mengejar gelar dokter. Barney, tergerak hatinya menjadi dokter setelah ayahnya meninggal karena tak ada dokter yang mau merawatnya. Di lain pihak, Laura berambisi menjadi dokter karena dia punya masalah yang lebih rumit. Dia berambisi menjadi dokter setelah keluarganya luluh lantak saat adiknya meninggal karena polio. Tapi kematian si adik kecil yang terkasih membawa konsekuensi mengerikan. Ibu Laura terpukul hancur dan menemukan pelarian dengan menjadi seorang fanatik religius. Ayah Laura, yang juga dokter, menemukan pelarian melalui alkohol dan nyaris linglung. Tinggallah Laura yang "tetap berakal sehat", dan menemukan pelarian dg cara belajar keras menjadi dokter.
Dendam-dendam masa lalu inilah yang membuat kedua tetangga itu mati-matian rela melakukan apa saja agar bisa masuk sekolah kedokteran. Apalagi target mereka adalah selevel HMS. Tapi tentu saja bukan masalah otak yang menghadang. Barney nyaris menyerah dalam mengejar HMS karena kesulitas ekonomi yang parah. sejak dulu pendidikan dokter memang identik dengan biaya mahal. Untungnya, pada detik-detik terakhir ada keajaiban. Mukjizat yang menghantarkannya untuk tetap bisa mendaftar pada HMS namun dengan bayaran yang sangat mahal, dan kelak akan terus menghantui hidupnya.
Perjuangan Laura pun tak bisa dibilang gampang. dia nyaris ditolak masuk karena masalah gender. Bahkan untuk sekelas HMS, dokter perempuan adalah sesuatu yang tabu. HMS diciptakan untuk mendidik dokter laki-laki. bukan perempuan. jadi, meski ada perempuan yang berotak secemerlang Einstein, bukan jaminan dia bisa masuk dg leluasa ke HMS. Tenang saja, itu dulu :D
Karena begitu banyaknya dendam-dendam yang harus terbalaskan, mereka mati-matian berusaha masuk ke HMS. Menjadi dokter bukan lagi sekedar mengejar cita-cita, tapi telah menjadi obsesi dan ambisi. Ketika mereka akhirnya bisa masuk HMS, baru terasakan betapa ambisi mereka kini menjadi boomerang. dihadapkan pada materi kuliah yang mengerikan--bayangkan makhluk2 yang bernama Biokimia, Anatomi, Fisiologi, Histiologi, Patologi, dll lengkap dg ribuan nama ilmiah untuk sesuatu yang oleh rakyat jelata disebut otot, rambut, syaraf, hormon, penyakit, bakteri, dll-- membuat mereka berpikir bahwa mungkin obsesi yang mereka kejar selama ini salah. belum tekanan batin yang dihadapi saat bergaul dg para jenius HMS yang elitis bahkan rasis.
Dan kelak, saat sudah berhasil menjadi dokter sekalipun, mereka tetap terbayang-bayangi oleh hantu masa lalu, yang memaksa mereka untuk mempertaruhkan segala hal yang berharga dalam hidupnya, sumpah Hipocrates, kehormatan, harga diri, cinta, kebahagiaan bahkan masa depan.
Ditulis dengan sangat meyakinkan--tak lupa Erich Segal melengkapi cerita dengan berbagai istilah medis yang membuat penasaran untuk bertanya pada si-tuan-tau-segalanya, Google----Doctors akan mengajak kita melihat seorang dokter yang bukan sebagai seorang malaikat penolong dan pembawa mukjizat. tapi sebagai manusia biasa, yang memiliki mimpi, memiliki keterbatasan, dan memiliki harapan untuk meraih kebahagiaan. Membaca buku ini, akan membuat kita tersadar, bersyukurlah atas hal-hal kecil dalam hidup kita, karena kita tak akan pernah tau, hal-hal besar apa yang akan menghadang kita.
buku ke 8999
September 4, 2022
I have liked Erich Segal's books and I did not think twice before picking up Doctors by the same author. Having read this book way early in my reading life, I only remembered the protagonists and few salient things and not all and I could read this with a fresh set of eyes and mind.
Doctors revolves mostly around the lives and story of Laura Castellano and Barney Livingston. It talks about their lives from being neighbors to their quest to become Doctors, their life at prestigious med school Harvard in the year 1962 and life after that. This book can be termed as Medical fiction if there is such a genre. It gives a great insight to students who would like to become Doctors someday. It details every aspect of life at medical school, the crushing course work and the students plight.
I am really amazed at the amount of research Segal had put in to give such accurate version and descriptions for what happens in med school and for all the clinical stuff. I really have a new found respect for him now. Doctor readers will appreciate the research and can relate to it easily and non doctor readers will appreciate the amount of effort a doctor puts in ! I liked the book second time around as well, but I felt it was little too stretched in some places. This book stands at 676 pages and surely few things could have been cut short. Read this book for its plot and character development. If you are not interested in learning about medical field and what it entails I wouldn't reccommend this book for you.
Doctors revolves mostly around the lives and story of Laura Castellano and Barney Livingston. It talks about their lives from being neighbors to their quest to become Doctors, their life at prestigious med school Harvard in the year 1962 and life after that. This book can be termed as Medical fiction if there is such a genre. It gives a great insight to students who would like to become Doctors someday. It details every aspect of life at medical school, the crushing course work and the students plight.
I am really amazed at the amount of research Segal had put in to give such accurate version and descriptions for what happens in med school and for all the clinical stuff. I really have a new found respect for him now. Doctor readers will appreciate the research and can relate to it easily and non doctor readers will appreciate the amount of effort a doctor puts in ! I liked the book second time around as well, but I felt it was little too stretched in some places. This book stands at 676 pages and surely few things could have been cut short. Read this book for its plot and character development. If you are not interested in learning about medical field and what it entails I wouldn't reccommend this book for you.
June 13, 2013
Love every sentence in it. An extremely well-written story which, as a medical student, I could completely relate - with the characters, the trials and tribulations one face through med school life and the weird and nice ones we get as classmates. It also talks about the dog-eat-dog world out there waiting as soon as one shall begin practicing.
For a non medical reader, you'll relish the story and find newfound respect for doctors. For the ones already in the healing profession, its an eye-opener!
Superbe work!
For a non medical reader, you'll relish the story and find newfound respect for doctors. For the ones already in the healing profession, its an eye-opener!
Superbe work!
November 6, 2020
2016 review:
Sweeping. Excellent even.
See, finally, they put someone with a lot of soul in a house that's far from white. (But haha oh boy, November 2016. 2020 Yikes)
If I were reviewing this book in 2020 :
2 stars
It was a book, I read it, it was a well-written book that I read but did not enjoy
I did read this book in the summer of 2003 that was not the summer of love.
July 30, 2015
Gives a good peek into what happens in a medical school and how much labour is required to be a doctor. It is also a very emotional and romantic story. I liked it immensely. Hope u will too.
December 28, 2018
Reread was way better than the initial read... One of my top favorites..
April 19, 2013
I picked this book up at a second hand sale. Despite having read it about five years ago and not having been too impressed, I decided to give it another go.
The reasons for my reluctance remained: namely the cliche nature of Erich Segal's characters. I have also read "The Class" and there are similarities as to how he develops his characters in both these books: the gorgeous lead female with brains, the class nerd, the handsome jock, the overachievers, the boy next door, the eventual romance that takes place. However, what was a pleasant surprise was the discovery that (maybe due to maturity) I was able to sympathise very much with the characters when they faced their dilemmas, professional and personal. I also gained a new found respect for Segal's detail and research undertaken in ensuring that the clinical details of the story was as accurate as possible and provided an insightful look into the world of medicine as well as the challenges of being a student at Harvard Medical school. Although I do have my qualms with the unrealistic perfection of Segal's characters, I would recommend "Doctors" for all graduate students of any discipline to understand that with the glamour and pride that comes with a profession, also comes responsibility and sacrifices which must be made.
The reasons for my reluctance remained: namely the cliche nature of Erich Segal's characters. I have also read "The Class" and there are similarities as to how he develops his characters in both these books: the gorgeous lead female with brains, the class nerd, the handsome jock, the overachievers, the boy next door, the eventual romance that takes place. However, what was a pleasant surprise was the discovery that (maybe due to maturity) I was able to sympathise very much with the characters when they faced their dilemmas, professional and personal. I also gained a new found respect for Segal's detail and research undertaken in ensuring that the clinical details of the story was as accurate as possible and provided an insightful look into the world of medicine as well as the challenges of being a student at Harvard Medical school. Although I do have my qualms with the unrealistic perfection of Segal's characters, I would recommend "Doctors" for all graduate students of any discipline to understand that with the glamour and pride that comes with a profession, also comes responsibility and sacrifices which must be made.
August 2, 2019
Wonderful book. I don't know why I didn't learn about it earlier. Breezy read yet it compels reader to think of mad ways of the world. At many points I could relate as the issues still matter in today's world. The characters are very convincing and well crafted. I especially liked the way they enter after a certain time, completely unexpected yet perfectly fit in the plot. There are many good dialogues and quotes that I kept highlighting. After I finished the book I came to know that the author was not doctor by profession but by literature degree. Considering that he pulled of all practices and malpractices of medical world in best way. It's impossible to write so candidly about an entirely different field which is not your area of expertise.
Recommended is the character of Laura, who is a beautiful blond lady, equally strong in her brains, knowledge and hard work, faces the world with a bias and keeps struggling despite having everything needed for a successful career. Hope the medical world has changed by now and overcame the gender prejudice. How an outsider knows about it? Must read for a every book lover!
Recommended is the character of Laura, who is a beautiful blond lady, equally strong in her brains, knowledge and hard work, faces the world with a bias and keeps struggling despite having everything needed for a successful career. Hope the medical world has changed by now and overcame the gender prejudice. How an outsider knows about it? Must read for a every book lover!
May 10, 2017
I am a big fan of Eric Segal. His books have always been touching and had great influence in my life. He has always been one of my favorite authors. One thing we need to understand that doctors are also human beings and bear the pressures of life and long duty hours which makes their jobs more challenging but seeing the passion for their profession is really remarkable. Every day they live a new life whenever they save the wounded, frustrated and disheveled patients. How may emotions they pass through when they see some of the impatient patients and have to go through not successful or gone cases. All these emotioned are expressed in this book. Along with this its also love story, romance, friendship and various ups and downs of human life and emotions. In parallel, it depicts the challenge of medicine stream with the main story theme focused on doctors.
December 4, 2020
I love this epic novel. True, while it's not set in some vast fantastic middle earth or even in the romantic South of the 1864 civil war, it spans decades and thoroughly depicts the lives of men and women in the medical field and reveals every dark aspect about it.
I think it's quite accurate overall when it comes to portrayal of the characters' lives: through admission interviews, where you must find a way to thoroughly impress your interviewer, sometime spending a horrible amount of time or money engaging in activities that might do just that (volunteering in hospitals, getting some hands on experience on research if you're lucky)- all of which, during your precious schoolyear (of high school!) or summer vacation; med school, and its tedious classes in the labs, exhausting examinations; getting an few years long internship; landing a great job and going on to treat patients and later on, maybe even advancing into research. It covers all of these from the perspectives of some very diverse set of doctors: the married too young type, the forever unmarried, the black Jewish doctor (whose story brought me to tears more than once), the cocky double doctorates, military medical officers and so on. Through moral dilemmas, marriage troubles, affairs and various fights for equality (the black fight, the feminist fight, a Jewish fight).
Aside from the characters and their subplots, Segal does a brilliant, brilliant job of interweaving his fiction with real life Events in two ways: he either sets his characters in historical events, like Hank who's a medical officer in Saigon during the Vietnam war, or inserts various details about the changes going on in the world around them, like medical breakthroughs or some news about this president or another - which was fairly interesting and made me feel much closer to my favorite characters (topping the list is Seth Lazarus! And here's a note: "Seth Lazarus. Everybody borrows his notes and he will never awake past his bedtime. I can relate to this fellow.").
One of the dark aspect in the life of a doctor which I mentioned earlier is of course the lack of social life and free time for the first decade post medschool (which on its own is a pretty wearying environment to maintain your social skills), and it hit me only towards the end of the book when Laura is 37, a childless divorcee and deep in research - she has an affair and it is discovered that she can't cook, hasn't engaged in a physical activity since college, haven't been to plays or parties even once in the past decade and is deeply unhappy. She hasn't been abroad except for that single medical conference in Mexico.
I think generally this is a must read for every one who aspires to become a doctor, as things haven't changed an awful lot since the 70s when it comes to doctors' time management skills, morality, laws regarding their profession and personal lives. It handled a lot of professions aside from medicine, like law, publishing, teaching and so on. And 'Doctors' also spanned a ton of situations: the Black panthers movement and its inner issues, the holocaust (a story that has made me cry and cry and cry), a surgeon who's hands had been damaged, going to college on a basketball scholarship, abortions, mercy, losing family members of all kind (sons, fathers, sisters), thus losing his speciality, being a strong woman in a male dominated field, the moral implications of illegal euthanasia, trials and tribulations of all sorts. I loved it. I don't think I've enjoyed a book this way ever since I've read , about a decade ago.
I think it's quite accurate overall when it comes to portrayal of the characters' lives: through admission interviews, where you must find a way to thoroughly impress your interviewer, sometime spending a horrible amount of time or money engaging in activities that might do just that (volunteering in hospitals, getting some hands on experience on research if you're lucky)- all of which, during your precious schoolyear (of high school!) or summer vacation; med school, and its tedious classes in the labs, exhausting examinations; getting an few years long internship; landing a great job and going on to treat patients and later on, maybe even advancing into research. It covers all of these from the perspectives of some very diverse set of doctors: the married too young type, the forever unmarried, the black Jewish doctor (whose story brought me to tears more than once), the cocky double doctorates, military medical officers and so on. Through moral dilemmas, marriage troubles, affairs and various fights for equality (the black fight, the feminist fight, a Jewish fight).
Aside from the characters and their subplots, Segal does a brilliant, brilliant job of interweaving his fiction with real life Events in two ways: he either sets his characters in historical events, like Hank who's a medical officer in Saigon during the Vietnam war, or inserts various details about the changes going on in the world around them, like medical breakthroughs or some news about this president or another - which was fairly interesting and made me feel much closer to my favorite characters (topping the list is Seth Lazarus! And here's a note: "Seth Lazarus. Everybody borrows his notes and he will never awake past his bedtime. I can relate to this fellow.").
One of the dark aspect in the life of a doctor which I mentioned earlier is of course the lack of social life and free time for the first decade post medschool (which on its own is a pretty wearying environment to maintain your social skills), and it hit me only towards the end of the book when Laura is 37, a childless divorcee and deep in research - she has an affair and it is discovered that she can't cook, hasn't engaged in a physical activity since college, haven't been to plays or parties even once in the past decade and is deeply unhappy. She hasn't been abroad except for that single medical conference in Mexico.
I think generally this is a must read for every one who aspires to become a doctor, as things haven't changed an awful lot since the 70s when it comes to doctors' time management skills, morality, laws regarding their profession and personal lives. It handled a lot of professions aside from medicine, like law, publishing, teaching and so on. And 'Doctors' also spanned a ton of situations: the Black panthers movement and its inner issues, the holocaust (a story that has made me cry and cry and cry), a surgeon who's hands had been damaged, going to college on a basketball scholarship, abortions, mercy, losing family members of all kind (sons, fathers, sisters), thus losing his speciality, being a strong woman in a male dominated field, the moral implications of illegal euthanasia, trials and tribulations of all sorts. I loved it. I don't think I've enjoyed a book this way ever since I've read , about a decade ago.
August 19, 2011
When I first read this book I was quite touched with the passion with which Doctors treat their patients..The story revolves around a group of Harvard med school students who have to go through the rigrous training of becoming a doctor.. Some faint during the anatomy classes while a dead body is being disected to study the various human parts.. This reminds me of the incidence when one of my classmates fainted during my 12th science grade biology lab session ..The teacher was disecting a rat and the poor girl looking at the artiries and the strong smell just fainted..Any way coming back to the novel I would like to say it's a superb novel depecting the emotional side of Doctors while treating a very sick patient..How they make themselves strong in knowing pretty well that some of the patients they treat have cancers and other acute illness and no cure is possible as yet... It also talks about mercy killing which one of the interns acutally takes up to himself to consult the patients who are sick and dying every second of their miseralbe pain and to give them a mercy killing with a mutual consent from them.. A very heart warming novel showing that there are good doctors in the world just like the way there are bad , cold hearted Doctors..There are those( Doctors) who dedicate their lives for the welfare of treating their patinets with kindness and hope again'st those( Doctors) who only wish to make a good life for themsleves at the cost of a miserable sick patient.....
Though quite lengthy the novel is but I don't mind if a book is well crafted and this one indeed is..Cheers and a happy to reading to one and all......
Though quite lengthy the novel is but I don't mind if a book is well crafted and this one indeed is..Cheers and a happy to reading to one and all......
January 10, 2019
This was too long. Like really, really long especially with all that medical stuff that bored me (which I admit with a title and synopsis like that, it was my own fault for reading this). And there were many characters with their own little narratives such as Bennett, who I must say had an interesting story but the side characters also :
a) Took us away from the story and added to the overall length.
b) Were irrelevant and irritating to read about such as Hank who married the girl of his dreams who he later went on to...... cheat on. Yay for Hank.
Barney's and Laura's relationship took far too long to develop. And what do we get for soldering on bravely through their (obviously) mismatched and soul destroying relationships? We get the cliché
"I've always loved you but didn't want to ruin our friendship" spiel.
Similar, I suppose to Love, Rosie but with (I think) a more satisfactory ending.
I recommend this for anyone who's interested in doctors, their lives and the pressure/stress/existential crisis they go through. I wouldn't recommend anyone reading this as romance. It isn't.
a) Took us away from the story and added to the overall length.
b) Were irrelevant and irritating to read about such as Hank who married the girl of his dreams who he later went on to...... cheat on. Yay for Hank.
Barney's and Laura's relationship took far too long to develop. And what do we get for soldering on bravely through their (obviously) mismatched and soul destroying relationships? We get the cliché
"I've always loved you but didn't want to ruin our friendship" spiel.
Similar, I suppose to Love, Rosie but with (I think) a more satisfactory ending.
I recommend this for anyone who's interested in doctors, their lives and the pressure/stress/existential crisis they go through. I wouldn't recommend anyone reading this as romance. It isn't.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2016
Reading books set in medical schools always intrigue me and doctors is all about HMS life AND it is written by Erich Segal so that means....I TOTALLY LOVED THE BOOK.
But despite my prejudices,It gives an almost realistic view of a doctor's life.
But despite my prejudices,It gives an almost realistic view of a doctor's life.
July 27, 2020
A page turner, but screams its age when it comes to gender especially, but race and religion too.
Tons of problematic and bizarrely reductive views on sex and marriage from the main characters. Even for 1987.
Tons of problematic and bizarrely reductive views on sex and marriage from the main characters. Even for 1987.
July 3, 2018
They had always been brothers. But that summer they became friends
I love Erich Segal and thereby this review is probably (read: definitely) biased.
Doctors is one of those books that you not just read over a period, but you crawl into and live in between the pages.
Like all of Segal's books, this one revolves around Harvard - It's medical school to be precise - and the class of '62. This tells the story of the kind, hopeful kids that came in and the brilliant but neurotic doctors that walked out.
The main protagonists are Barney and Laura, genius individuals and best friends, and Segal follows their jouney from the sandbox to their field-changing careers in a profession where the suicide rate, divorce rate and drug-addiction rates are ironically HIGHER than the national average.
The fantastic well-rounded story aside, the writing itself is very detailed and descriptive.
The author takes us on a journey not just about of lives of this diverse group of med students, but of America, during the formative years: be it the 2nd world war, Vietnam war, the rise of the Civil movement; as well as the pioneering discoveries in medical research that has shaped the modern health care and longevity that we now enjoy.
To read this was not just getting a glimpse into the life of a medical professional, but rather how and what went into making them the way they are.
I recommend it for doctors and non-doctors alike!
5 stars.
October 28, 2017
Doctors begins as a promising plot about people who embark on the journey of medical education, and details their travels from becoming a doctor to being a doctor. So you expect a lot of medical drama happening. And Segal doesn't disappoint on that front. He brings several topics to the fore, that were relevant in the time when the novel was published. Subjects like color and sex discrimination (the latter I've heard exists even today), euthanasia, depression amongst medical students are explored in depth.
But to have multiple characters representing these issues takes a toll on the length of the book. In his quest for providing detailed descriptions, the author tends to stretch the book a lot. Besides, it gets a bit repetitive when every doctor is shown to come with a baggage, in an effort to explain the problems that they suffer during the course of the story. And so, when it comes to ending the novel, it comes across as pretty abrupt.
But to have multiple characters representing these issues takes a toll on the length of the book. In his quest for providing detailed descriptions, the author tends to stretch the book a lot. Besides, it gets a bit repetitive when every doctor is shown to come with a baggage, in an effort to explain the problems that they suffer during the course of the story. And so, when it comes to ending the novel, it comes across as pretty abrupt.
February 22, 2016
С тази книга в ръце човек попада в света на няколко студенти по медицина, изживява заедно с тях цялото им следване, изборът им на направление в медицината и ранните стъпки в кариерата им. Проследяват се не само професионалните им търсения, но и напълно човешките им съдби. Героите са добре развити от автора.
И общо взето дотук са хубавите неща, които мога да кажа за книгата.
Недостатъците не са малко според мен. Твърде много клиширани идеи. Авторът е разгледал повърхностно твърде много морални дилеми - евтаназията, расовите борби, геноцидът срещу евреите, без да казва нещо ново, нито пък оригинално по темите. Типичен бестселър, с лекота може да се чете от средно-интелигентни хора за развлечение. Но без качества, необходими, за да се превърне в истинска литература. Поне аз така почувствах книгата. И ми се причете нещо наистина качествено, след като я завърших. ;)
И общо взето дотук са хубавите неща, които мога да кажа за книгата.
Недостатъците не са малко според мен. Твърде много клиширани идеи. Авторът е разгледал повърхностно твърде много морални дилеми - евтаназията, расовите борби, геноцидът срещу евреите, без да казва нещо ново, нито пък оригинално по темите. Типичен бестселър, с лекота може да се чете от средно-интелигентни хора за развлечение. Но без качества, необходими, за да се превърне в истинска литература. Поне аз така почувствах книгата. И ми се причете нещо наистина качествено, след като я завърших. ;)
January 23, 2022
I’m not even a medical worker but this book is soooo wholesome. A surprising choice for My No. 1 comfort book.
The book revolves around the life of Barney Livingstone and Laura Castellano, from their childhood story as next-door neighbors, their study years at Harvard Medical School, and their professional life as doctors. It also unravels the stories of their HMS classmates and families. Erich Segal manages to convey their story in such writing that is flowing, casual, yet wonderful. Cannot stop gushing how far this book teaches me about medicine, ethics, gender equality, and many more. I can just open a page randomly and I'll always find a piece of story that touches my soul. I also love the friendship between some characters.
I could honestly read this book on an infinite loop until my eyes melt out of my head.
The book revolves around the life of Barney Livingstone and Laura Castellano, from their childhood story as next-door neighbors, their study years at Harvard Medical School, and their professional life as doctors. It also unravels the stories of their HMS classmates and families. Erich Segal manages to convey their story in such writing that is flowing, casual, yet wonderful. Cannot stop gushing how far this book teaches me about medicine, ethics, gender equality, and many more. I can just open a page randomly and I'll always find a piece of story that touches my soul. I also love the friendship between some characters.
I could honestly read this book on an infinite loop until my eyes melt out of my head.
April 23, 2020
I loved the whole book.Every single in the book down to the incosequential details.I finished the whole book in a sitting.It had everything best friends to lovers,drama ,awesome best friends and the entire story from when they were in kindergarden to adults with kids.I got to appritiate Doctors a whole lot more.The book was an emotinal ride and I would read it again soon.
Barney and Laura met when Laura moves in next door when they were in kindergarden and has been the best of friends since then.the book follows their journey through heartbreak,emotional family drama, their collective dream of becomimg doctors,going to med school,the sacrifices they face there, becoming doctors,facing more problems, having a life other than work,building up a family , failing multiple times,and finally finding their way to each other even then their journey doesn't end.
Barney and Laura met when Laura moves in next door when they were in kindergarden and has been the best of friends since then.the book follows their journey through heartbreak,emotional family drama, their collective dream of becomimg doctors,going to med school,the sacrifices they face there, becoming doctors,facing more problems, having a life other than work,building up a family , failing multiple times,and finally finding their way to each other even then their journey doesn't end.
September 23, 2022
Das Buch ist ein Meisterwerk im Bereich der medizinischen Fiktion. Es beschreibt die Geschichte von Laura und Barney vom Kindes- bis ins Erwachsenenalter. In direkter Nachbarschaft aufgewachsen, entscheiden sie sich unabhängig voneinander für das Studium der Medizin. In Harvard angekommen, treten sie mit der Komplexität des menschlichen Körpers und einem stressigen akademischen Umfeld in Kontakt. Nächtelanges Auswendiglernen, leistungsfördernden Substanzmissbrauch und psychische Krisen lernen sie als festen Bestandteile dieses Milieus kennen. Nach anfänglicher Angewöhnungszeit erleben sie packende sechs Jahre in Boston. In dieser Zeit gehen sie gemeinsam durch Dick und Dünn, schliessen Freundschaften mit wunderbaren Menschen und treiben die Entwicklung ihrer Persönlichkeit voran. Als wahren Gradmesser erweist sich der Eintritt ins Berufsleben. Die unendlich langen Arbeitsstunden, das Tragen von erdrückender Verantwortung und die Konfrontation mit unmenschlichen Leid treibt sie an die Grenzen ihrer Kräfte.
Neben den beruflichen Herausforderungen versuchen sich Laura und Barney an der Führung eines normalen Lebens. Sie machen sich auf die Suche nach der Liebe des Lebens, setzten sich mit ihrer Persönlichkeit auseinander und streben nach innerer Zufriedenheit. All diese Aufgaben erweisen sich für die beiden Hauptpersonen als masslos überfordernd. Dennoch entstehen durch ihre unermüdlichen Bemühungen tolle Freundschaften, lehrreiche Lektionen und Momente unbeschwerten Glückes.
“Doctors� zeichnet sich durch eine immense Bandbreite an Fragen aus, welche in diesem Buch thematisiert werden. Historische Ereignisse wie das Leben und Sterben in den nationalsozialistischen Konzentrationslagern, Konflikte wie der Vietnamkrieg und die Bürgerrechtsbewegung geführt von Martin Luther King werden spannend in die Geschichte eingewebt. Aber auch grundlegende moralische Fragestellungen werden aufgegriffen. Was bedeutet es, auf die Kosten eigener Privilegien für die Wahrheit einzustehen? Inwiefern kann der Vorsatz “nicht Schaden� des sokratischen Eides auch als dem Patienten Sterben helfen interpretiert werden? Wie können die Rechte von Minderheiten geschützt werden? All diese Thematiken in Zusammenspiel mit dem hervorragenden Schreibstyl von Erich Segal machen das Buch zu eine Lesegenuss. Ich empfehle das Buch wärmstens weiter!
Neben den beruflichen Herausforderungen versuchen sich Laura und Barney an der Führung eines normalen Lebens. Sie machen sich auf die Suche nach der Liebe des Lebens, setzten sich mit ihrer Persönlichkeit auseinander und streben nach innerer Zufriedenheit. All diese Aufgaben erweisen sich für die beiden Hauptpersonen als masslos überfordernd. Dennoch entstehen durch ihre unermüdlichen Bemühungen tolle Freundschaften, lehrreiche Lektionen und Momente unbeschwerten Glückes.
“Doctors� zeichnet sich durch eine immense Bandbreite an Fragen aus, welche in diesem Buch thematisiert werden. Historische Ereignisse wie das Leben und Sterben in den nationalsozialistischen Konzentrationslagern, Konflikte wie der Vietnamkrieg und die Bürgerrechtsbewegung geführt von Martin Luther King werden spannend in die Geschichte eingewebt. Aber auch grundlegende moralische Fragestellungen werden aufgegriffen. Was bedeutet es, auf die Kosten eigener Privilegien für die Wahrheit einzustehen? Inwiefern kann der Vorsatz “nicht Schaden� des sokratischen Eides auch als dem Patienten Sterben helfen interpretiert werden? Wie können die Rechte von Minderheiten geschützt werden? All diese Thematiken in Zusammenspiel mit dem hervorragenden Schreibstyl von Erich Segal machen das Buch zu eine Lesegenuss. Ich empfehle das Buch wärmstens weiter!
"He had spent most of his life studying the art of medicine and realized now that he would never really understand its mysteries. Medicine is an eternal quest for reasons - causes that explain effects. Science cannot comprehend a miracle."
December 1, 2024
DNF at page 432 because I just can’t take it anymore. This has to be hands down one of the worst books I think I have ever read. It’s supposed to be a romance (I think?) and it started off pretty cutesy with these two kids growing up together as next door neighbors and going through life’s challenges together as best friends. They both aspire to be doctors and Part 2 of the book starts with them getting into Harvard Med School. This is when everything starts to go downhill. Instead of focusing on these two characters, the author starts spinning stories of every single individual in this med school class and now I suddenly have to keep up with the life stories of like 10 people?? He also takes us through each individual class as if I, the reader, also wanted to go to med school, which I can promise you I do not. Then, part 3 of the book makes us follow every single one of these doctors through their individual medical career paths and loses any semblance of a plot. I kid you not, the POV changed every few paragraphs with no warning or context and will skip months or years at a time. It’s as if I’m reading a summary of each of these doctors� careers instead of reading the plot of a book.
ALSO the author clearly thought that he was being very forward thinking by addressing some of the inequalities that the female and black characters faced in their med school years and early career, yet thought it was okay to make the main male character (if you can even call him that) have an inner monologue that speaks about women as if they are just pieces of meat. And he’s supposed to be the “good guy� in this story because he’s one of the only male characters not cheating on his wife or choosing gynecology as his specialty so that he can jack off after seeing a patient. Granted, this book was written in the 80s by a male author so I don’t really know what I expected, but damn.
ALSO the author clearly thought that he was being very forward thinking by addressing some of the inequalities that the female and black characters faced in their med school years and early career, yet thought it was okay to make the main male character (if you can even call him that) have an inner monologue that speaks about women as if they are just pieces of meat. And he’s supposed to be the “good guy� in this story because he’s one of the only male characters not cheating on his wife or choosing gynecology as his specialty so that he can jack off after seeing a patient. Granted, this book was written in the 80s by a male author so I don’t really know what I expected, but damn.
March 23, 2017
A brilliant book. Erich segal keeps you hooked to the plot and characters. He explores the characters and their relationships in a genuine manner.
I was addicted to Robin Cook's medical thrillers in school. I have religiously watched every episode of Grey's Anatomy. As a teen I watched many surgeries on Reality TV and aspired to be one someday. To be present at the heart of change and innovation. I realised after some time it was only a fascination with the profession and I wouldn't have the tolerance for the lifestyle nor would I have the IQ for it.
In India it is a matter of prestige to be a doctor and I always wondered whether there are still people who want to be doctors for a deeper reason than just status. In this book, Segal mentions the reasons the characters decide to become doctors.
He has done justice to the characters, he hasn't written them for the sake of writing a book. they have been explored minutely. one can learn about dialogues, scenes, character development and plot development from this book.
I learnt that one does not have to be a doctor to write a good story about doctors. however I might be able to say this because I'm not a doctor but I loved the book- the mix of fact and fiction is done well in this.
his research and hardwork has paid off I feel.
I had heard a lot about Segal's book 'love story' and it was a concious decision to not succumb to the hype. I'm glad I chanced upon Doctors. I have highlighted lines which I will return to from time to time.
This was a good break for me from all the Indian literary fiction I have read lately. Guess it's time to get back to it.I
I was addicted to Robin Cook's medical thrillers in school. I have religiously watched every episode of Grey's Anatomy. As a teen I watched many surgeries on Reality TV and aspired to be one someday. To be present at the heart of change and innovation. I realised after some time it was only a fascination with the profession and I wouldn't have the tolerance for the lifestyle nor would I have the IQ for it.
In India it is a matter of prestige to be a doctor and I always wondered whether there are still people who want to be doctors for a deeper reason than just status. In this book, Segal mentions the reasons the characters decide to become doctors.
He has done justice to the characters, he hasn't written them for the sake of writing a book. they have been explored minutely. one can learn about dialogues, scenes, character development and plot development from this book.
I learnt that one does not have to be a doctor to write a good story about doctors. however I might be able to say this because I'm not a doctor but I loved the book- the mix of fact and fiction is done well in this.
his research and hardwork has paid off I feel.
I had heard a lot about Segal's book 'love story' and it was a concious decision to not succumb to the hype. I'm glad I chanced upon Doctors. I have highlighted lines which I will return to from time to time.
This was a good break for me from all the Indian literary fiction I have read lately. Guess it's time to get back to it.I
July 2, 2023
can i go to med school now?
August 23, 2018
5 STARS
This was absolutely riveting, beginning to end. Shockingly read and transformed like a real, massive epic.
I mean, truly, the genuine, painstakingly crafted character development of these four doctors. From their childhood years to the formative years of medicine.
You feel their anger at the injustices and negligence and lack of empathy of their colleagues, their sheer fulfillment of their art and science, the depression and dissatisfaction with living and failing, their fears, etc.
I DON't even know how to properly review this book because there are literally so many facets and layers with all the main and supporting characters and the interlocking themes and parallels across the subplots travelling from the 1950s to 1970s. It's a real testament to Segal's masterful storytelling - how he can easily maneuver us from Laura and Barney's early history to Seth's internal conflicts with euthanasia to wartime scenes. The author has a way with words, truly, and my Godddddd every page introduces you to new enlightening material. I felt like I was genuinely learning in a real pedagogical setting curated by Segal. Words I've never come across before leapt out at me, and I thirsted for more - reading and defining and translating from this obviously talented author slash professor.
This was the most compelling reading experience I've had in a while. I learned (and re-learned) stuff about science/physiology, discovered the awful hospital politics, and the "impaired physicians". You feel overwhelmed at first, but you desire to be taught more about this unique Harvard-medicine dog eat dog world because the prose and narrative structure is so fucking slick and well-done and compelling with the right amount of emotional elements and educational tidbits. Ugh.
Enjoyable. Illuminating. I honestly felt smarter, gurls.
Ugh. Laura Castellano is just an amazing character with her ambitious outlook, yet incredibly broken family and messy love life, and then there's Barney who is so fucking iconic. It took them til the last few chapters to get together, but it was worth it. The writing really amps up the humor, love, and pure candor with these two around. Bennett, sweet Bennett and oh my god his Jewish adoptive parents, his life story and his fucking accident preventing him from continuing as a surgeon. AND HE WAS JUST STARTING JFC FUCK THE POLICE. And Seth, ugh sweet mercy killer Lazarus. And the fucking dog surgery subplot, I wanted to die I can not believe that it was allowed, that it was part of this world's history. Fucking vivisection y'all. I just can not at the blatant immorality. And I really fucking thought euthanasia was like somewhat legal in the States. I just.... so much flew over my head in my 23 years. I'm glad I discovered this book. There WERE such lousy, unpleasant characters here tho, aside from the four. The wayward, cheating, jackass husbands. Poor Laura. Poor Cathy. The repulsive doctors in charge. And also I hope the Hippocratic Oath has had some amendments since the 80s; I can not @ the pure HIPPOcrysies and obvious shortcomings of that ancient white man promise. I also do wish Bennett and Seth got slightly more happy endings, kinda like Laura/Barney, but oh well.
AND THE LAST DAMN PAGES WERE SO INSANE AND RIVETING. Edge of my seat. The sudden focus on Laura and Barney's pregnancy was whiplash-inducing. The most memorable sequence with Laura yelling at the lazy residents to deliver her baby, actually being correct that she needed a caesarean. What a mess that was. And all their adorable nervous handwringing. The goddamn APGAR scores! How long did those fucks wait til they measured the next round? And *then* the plot twist of the child's enlarged spleen. I was a fucking mess.
This honestly read like a super modern book, I kind of can't believe this was written in the '80s. It just felt like non-fiction, at times. I feel like my IQ just increased a few points, and that's something I far from expected from what I thought was some generic pre-ER/Grey's Anatomy drama. I live, I live. I need to get a physical copy of this. And perhaps read more Segal books.
This was absolutely riveting, beginning to end. Shockingly read and transformed like a real, massive epic.
I mean, truly, the genuine, painstakingly crafted character development of these four doctors. From their childhood years to the formative years of medicine.
You feel their anger at the injustices and negligence and lack of empathy of their colleagues, their sheer fulfillment of their art and science, the depression and dissatisfaction with living and failing, their fears, etc.
I DON't even know how to properly review this book because there are literally so many facets and layers with all the main and supporting characters and the interlocking themes and parallels across the subplots travelling from the 1950s to 1970s. It's a real testament to Segal's masterful storytelling - how he can easily maneuver us from Laura and Barney's early history to Seth's internal conflicts with euthanasia to wartime scenes. The author has a way with words, truly, and my Godddddd every page introduces you to new enlightening material. I felt like I was genuinely learning in a real pedagogical setting curated by Segal. Words I've never come across before leapt out at me, and I thirsted for more - reading and defining and translating from this obviously talented author slash professor.
This was the most compelling reading experience I've had in a while. I learned (and re-learned) stuff about science/physiology, discovered the awful hospital politics, and the "impaired physicians". You feel overwhelmed at first, but you desire to be taught more about this unique Harvard-medicine dog eat dog world because the prose and narrative structure is so fucking slick and well-done and compelling with the right amount of emotional elements and educational tidbits. Ugh.
Enjoyable. Illuminating. I honestly felt smarter, gurls.
Ugh. Laura Castellano is just an amazing character with her ambitious outlook, yet incredibly broken family and messy love life, and then there's Barney who is so fucking iconic. It took them til the last few chapters to get together, but it was worth it. The writing really amps up the humor, love, and pure candor with these two around. Bennett, sweet Bennett and oh my god his Jewish adoptive parents, his life story and his fucking accident preventing him from continuing as a surgeon. AND HE WAS JUST STARTING JFC FUCK THE POLICE. And Seth, ugh sweet mercy killer Lazarus. And the fucking dog surgery subplot, I wanted to die I can not believe that it was allowed, that it was part of this world's history. Fucking vivisection y'all. I just can not at the blatant immorality. And I really fucking thought euthanasia was like somewhat legal in the States. I just.... so much flew over my head in my 23 years. I'm glad I discovered this book. There WERE such lousy, unpleasant characters here tho, aside from the four. The wayward, cheating, jackass husbands. Poor Laura. Poor Cathy. The repulsive doctors in charge. And also I hope the Hippocratic Oath has had some amendments since the 80s; I can not @ the pure HIPPOcrysies and obvious shortcomings of that ancient white man promise. I also do wish Bennett and Seth got slightly more happy endings, kinda like Laura/Barney, but oh well.
AND THE LAST DAMN PAGES WERE SO INSANE AND RIVETING. Edge of my seat. The sudden focus on Laura and Barney's pregnancy was whiplash-inducing. The most memorable sequence with Laura yelling at the lazy residents to deliver her baby, actually being correct that she needed a caesarean. What a mess that was. And all their adorable nervous handwringing. The goddamn APGAR scores! How long did those fucks wait til they measured the next round? And *then* the plot twist of the child's enlarged spleen. I was a fucking mess.
This honestly read like a super modern book, I kind of can't believe this was written in the '80s. It just felt like non-fiction, at times. I feel like my IQ just increased a few points, and that's something I far from expected from what I thought was some generic pre-ER/Grey's Anatomy drama. I live, I live. I need to get a physical copy of this. And perhaps read more Segal books.
April 1, 2024
To z pewnością lepsze niż Grey’s Anatomy i Doktor House razem wzięte (obu nie oglądałem). Jest to książka idealna dla studentów medycyny-humanistów, ale myśle że spodoba się każdemu. USA lat 50-70, miłość i wiele więcej. Kula daje fulla.
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