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betti's review against another edition
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and War
Moderate: Infidelity and Pregnancy
sherbertwells's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
In a collection of short stories inspired by the author’s medical experience, a newly-qualified doctor finds his feet at a remote outpost on the eve of the Russian Revolution. Bulgakov’s black humor and evocative prose hang a guiding lamp for everyone who has suffered from impostor syndrome—or who just loves to hear a gory tale from an old friend.
“Forty-eight days ago I qualified ‘with distinction;’ but distinction is one thing and hernia is another. Once I watched a professor operating on a strangulated hernia. He did it, while I sat in the amphitheater. And I only just managed to survive…” (21)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Blood, Addiction, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Violence, Gun violence, Torture, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Minor: Infidelity, Chronic illness, Cancer, Ableism, and Antisemitism
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