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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
I waited for the audio-book version of this for a full year, and while it wasn't the best book I've ever read, it was a good historical fiction story and I did enjoy it so I'd say it was worth the wait.
Dr. Ephraim Carroll, a young Philadelphia doctor, is studying under the renowned medical doctor and professor William Osler [in a neat Canadian connection, Osler is Canadian and has a major medical centre here in his name today]. Ephraim is hoping to build a career in medicine and is thrilled to be working under Dr. Osler, who is a trail-blazer and advocate of newer methods of medicine, including autopsy to learn more about the human body, among other controversial methods of medical activity.
One day in the "dead house" as the autopsy room is called, Dr. Osler, and another doctor in training react strangely to the body of a young woman. Ephraim is puzzled by the reaction, and as he makes inquiries, a number of disturbing facts come to his attention. Then, another death, that of the other doctor in training further complicates the situation and makes Ephraim determined to find out what is going on, despite the many people trying to convince him to leave the events alone, including his mentor, Dr. Osler.
The book is a complex and many layered murder mystery, combined with history about the early development of the medical establishment in America in the late 1800's into the new century. The characters are engaging, the plot is well done and the ending - without giving any spoilers - is not what one expects.
The book was a bit long, with perhaps more "colour" and descriptions of the time and details about every room and street, etc. but that is the only complaint and it is a small one. One thing I should mention though is that as this is a story about doctors, there is some fairly graphic description of surgery and autopsies, so if you are particularly squeamish about that sort of thing, this may not be the book for you, but I enjoyed this story.
Dr. Ephraim Carroll, a young Philadelphia doctor, is studying under the renowned medical doctor and professor William Osler [in a neat Canadian connection, Osler is Canadian and has a major medical centre here in his name today]. Ephraim is hoping to build a career in medicine and is thrilled to be working under Dr. Osler, who is a trail-blazer and advocate of newer methods of medicine, including autopsy to learn more about the human body, among other controversial methods of medical activity.
One day in the "dead house" as the autopsy room is called, Dr. Osler, and another doctor in training react strangely to the body of a young woman. Ephraim is puzzled by the reaction, and as he makes inquiries, a number of disturbing facts come to his attention. Then, another death, that of the other doctor in training further complicates the situation and makes Ephraim determined to find out what is going on, despite the many people trying to convince him to leave the events alone, including his mentor, Dr. Osler.
The book is a complex and many layered murder mystery, combined with history about the early development of the medical establishment in America in the late 1800's into the new century. The characters are engaging, the plot is well done and the ending - without giving any spoilers - is not what one expects.
The book was a bit long, with perhaps more "colour" and descriptions of the time and details about every room and street, etc. but that is the only complaint and it is a small one. One thing I should mention though is that as this is a story about doctors, there is some fairly graphic description of surgery and autopsies, so if you are particularly squeamish about that sort of thing, this may not be the book for you, but I enjoyed this story.
The Anatomy of Deception makes an attempt to be a philosophical study in morality, but in actuality, it is a botched historical mystery that lacks depth and is burdened with a convoluted, poorly executed plot. The characters themselves are not endearing, and the main protagonist himself, Dr. Ephraim Carroll, is both obnoxiously naive and altogether forgettable. His detective skills are poor and he stumbles around the entire novel, trying to solve two mysteries that are connected, all the while besotted with an upper-crust woman who is loose and flat, in regards to her character. I disliked all the characters, even the one good one, Dr. Simpson.
The ending was predictable, depressing, and left me completely unsatisfied. The book's pace was slow the entire time, and the author didn't seem to understand how to properly execute a twist; there was just a lot of lying and exposure of lying. I read it quickly because I wanted to be done with it. The only reason why I didn't stop reading it early on is that it had been sitting on my shelf for a couple years and I wanted to give it a fair chance. Sadly, the book did not rise to the occasion.
The ending was predictable, depressing, and left me completely unsatisfied. The book's pace was slow the entire time, and the author didn't seem to understand how to properly execute a twist; there was just a lot of lying and exposure of lying. I read it quickly because I wanted to be done with it. The only reason why I didn't stop reading it early on is that it had been sitting on my shelf for a couple years and I wanted to give it a fair chance. Sadly, the book did not rise to the occasion.
A historical forensic mystery, the novel was set in 1889 Philadelphia. The book was well researched and that although complicated - the plot was entertaining in a didactic way.
The novel featured real people and fictionalized characters together. One of the real people in the novel was Dr. William Osler who has been referred to as 'the father of modern medicine'. Dr. William Osler was a bibliophile who collected the works of Michael Servetus. Another was Dr. William Stewart Halsted, an American surgeon of some reknown. I did not approve of the way the real people in the novel were portrayed in a less than flattering light. I think the author took unnecessary liberties in that regard. Perhaps the author should have used fictionalized characters to be implicated in the crimes, and left the real people's memory unsullied.
The painting on the dustjacket is a famous work by artist Thomas Eakins which now hangs at Johns Hopkins Medical Center.
"Anatomy of Deception" depicted the 'old-boy' network thought prevalent in the medical profession. The idea that physicians will cover for each other, regardless of whether guilty or innocent. Another theme was the moral rationale of 'the greater good'. The question of who is valuable... the dilemma of sacrificing a few for the benefit of the many...
The book accurately described historical medical practices and recounted several events in this pivotal time in the history of medicine. During the time period in which the novel was set, autopsies were very controversial and the fact that the doctors in the novel used autopsies to further their knowledge of the human body made them ahead of their time and ground-breakers in the practice of forensic medicine.
The novel featured real people and fictionalized characters together. One of the real people in the novel was Dr. William Osler who has been referred to as 'the father of modern medicine'. Dr. William Osler was a bibliophile who collected the works of Michael Servetus. Another was Dr. William Stewart Halsted, an American surgeon of some reknown. I did not approve of the way the real people in the novel were portrayed in a less than flattering light. I think the author took unnecessary liberties in that regard. Perhaps the author should have used fictionalized characters to be implicated in the crimes, and left the real people's memory unsullied.
The painting on the dustjacket is a famous work by artist Thomas Eakins which now hangs at Johns Hopkins Medical Center.
"Anatomy of Deception" depicted the 'old-boy' network thought prevalent in the medical profession. The idea that physicians will cover for each other, regardless of whether guilty or innocent. Another theme was the moral rationale of 'the greater good'. The question of who is valuable... the dilemma of sacrificing a few for the benefit of the many...
The book accurately described historical medical practices and recounted several events in this pivotal time in the history of medicine. During the time period in which the novel was set, autopsies were very controversial and the fact that the doctors in the novel used autopsies to further their knowledge of the human body made them ahead of their time and ground-breakers in the practice of forensic medicine.
This was really great! It wasn't as thrilling as I expected, but it was a great mystery and I liked the time period and circumstances. I was also surprised to find that most of the characters were real people, so it was historical in nature (although it IS fiction). The parts describing the autopsies were a little gross, so if blood and guts bothers you, I'd avoid it. But I didn't find them overwhelming and they didn't take away from the story. What a good mystery!