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The House of God: The Classic Novel of Life and Death in an American Hospital
The House of God The Classic Novel of Life and Death in an American Hospital Author:Samuel Shem The hilarious novel of the healing arts that reveals everything your doctor never wanted you to know. Six eager interns -- they saw themselves as modern saviors-to-be. They came from the top of their medical school class to the bottom of the hospital staff to serve a year in the time-honored tradition, racing to answer the flash of on-duty call ... more »lights and nubile nurses. But only the Fat Man -- the Clam, all-knowing resident -- could sustain them in their struggle to survive, to stay sane, to love -- and even to be doctors when their harrowing year was done.« less
Not what I'd call hilarious. But nearly required reading for anyone who works in a hospital. From my own observations, hower, there's WAAAY more sex going on in this book than there is in real life. I found this book more depressing than funny but poignant and ringing true to life in many instances.
This is one book that I could not get into. I read about 100 pages and then had to give up. I didn't understand it and it was difficult reading. Maybe being as old as I am, I just wasen't able to get into it. Did not like it as all.
Lisa W. (lisawoj) reviewed The House of God: The Classic Novel of Life and Death in an American Hospital on
Kind of cynical, kind of graphic sex scenes, but overall a lovely read and insightful to anyone who's had experience with end of life care. Great character development.
It is the first of July, and Roy Basch, an intern at the House of God hospital is scared. It's his, and his colleagues' (The Runt, Potts, Chuck, and Hooper) first day of work as doctors. The book follows all of these doctors, and the nurses, patients, and assorted other characters that they come into contact with for the next year. Author Samuel Shem writes in the afterword that the book is vaguely autobiographical, and I don't doubt it. I liked this book and found it interesting, although I think there were too many characters and it was sometimes hard to keep them all straight. When I first started reading this, I actually thought it was non-fiction, but it is actually fiction and an enjoyable read.
This is THE MUST READ book for any med student/resident/doctor/nurse. Yes, it's dated, yes medicine has changed a lot and women are all empowered and all that stuff, but it had done more to help shape the culture of medicine than any other pop culture influence. More than ER, more than Grey's Anatomy. If nothing else, you need to read it to know The Laws of the House of God. Last but not least, it's funny as hell and a great read.
