You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
anusha_reads 's review for:
The Good Doctor
by Damon Galgut
Once upon a time, there was a good doctor and there was a bad doctor…..
What is good and what is bad? How do we assess that? By their nature? Work ethics? appearance? Their behaviour? Their lexicon?
Sometimes we lose our creativity and the yearning to do something. We get into a rut. A nudge from someone in the right direction prompts us toward something that we dreamt of. Years of experience do teach us something, so do we go by our experience, or do we try to do something different suddenly? As experienced people, can we just reject new innovative ideas?
The story has two protagonists, Frank, the everyman and Laurence, a symbolic character.
This book is set in a remote village in South Africa. A fresh medical Graduate, Laurence, keen on doing some community service, comes to an ill-equipped hospital, and with hardly any medical supplies. Where there is poverty, there is corruption, theft, and mismanagement. The lack of funds starkly shows.
Frank is a physician who has been at this hospital for many years. Laurence is full of life and is keen on improving the conditions of the hospital. The whole team at the hospital spends their time in utter dullness as there hardly are any patients.
A quote from the book that I loved: “Past a certain point, maybe, a person's character defines itself and stays fixed in your mind.” This is so true whether a person is good or bad, there are idiosyncrasies of people that get etched in us and we remember them for those traits.
A character I felt bad for was a local woman who sold handmade souvenirs. Although the author does not talk much about her or her life, the events that revolved around her made me want to know more about her.
Having read two other books by Damon Galgut, I now understand his style of writing. All the characters are compelling. All three books I read were based in South Africa and every book had a unique theme and plot. Though anyone can finish this book in a day, I took the time to devour the beautiful writing and the simple storyline.
Though it’s a small book, it kept me hooked till the end. The ending was a bit ambiguous, and I did not expect it. It has been left open to interpretation.
THE GOOD DOCTOR is the author’s fifth book and it was shortlisted for the Booker prize in 2003 and won the Commonwealth writers' prize.
What is good and what is bad? How do we assess that? By their nature? Work ethics? appearance? Their behaviour? Their lexicon?
Sometimes we lose our creativity and the yearning to do something. We get into a rut. A nudge from someone in the right direction prompts us toward something that we dreamt of. Years of experience do teach us something, so do we go by our experience, or do we try to do something different suddenly? As experienced people, can we just reject new innovative ideas?
The story has two protagonists, Frank, the everyman and Laurence, a symbolic character.
This book is set in a remote village in South Africa. A fresh medical Graduate, Laurence, keen on doing some community service, comes to an ill-equipped hospital, and with hardly any medical supplies. Where there is poverty, there is corruption, theft, and mismanagement. The lack of funds starkly shows.
Frank is a physician who has been at this hospital for many years. Laurence is full of life and is keen on improving the conditions of the hospital. The whole team at the hospital spends their time in utter dullness as there hardly are any patients.
A quote from the book that I loved: “Past a certain point, maybe, a person's character defines itself and stays fixed in your mind.” This is so true whether a person is good or bad, there are idiosyncrasies of people that get etched in us and we remember them for those traits.
A character I felt bad for was a local woman who sold handmade souvenirs. Although the author does not talk much about her or her life, the events that revolved around her made me want to know more about her.
Having read two other books by Damon Galgut, I now understand his style of writing. All the characters are compelling. All three books I read were based in South Africa and every book had a unique theme and plot. Though anyone can finish this book in a day, I took the time to devour the beautiful writing and the simple storyline.
Though it’s a small book, it kept me hooked till the end. The ending was a bit ambiguous, and I did not expect it. It has been left open to interpretation.
THE GOOD DOCTOR is the author’s fifth book and it was shortlisted for the Booker prize in 2003 and won the Commonwealth writers' prize.