Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
I read this book years ago. It was originally published under a pseudonym so I didn't know it was written by Crichton. It is a must read for those who forget or never knew the risks to women's health before abortion was legal.
Michael Crichton's first novel written in 1968 published under the name Jeffery Hudson, shortly after completing his medical internship. It is told from the perspective of a Boston pathologist (who happens to have some legal training) who dropped everything to find out about a colleague stuck in jail charged with performing an abortion (illegal at that time) which resulted in the death of a young woman (daughter of an important doctor) after she arrived in the emergency room. Lots of intrigue with trying to pin down the truth, exonerate his friend. The friend was involved with performing some abortions, but not this one. Lots of coverups, lies, and messy relationships. Acronyms and medical terms were explained in footnotes and an appendix--like a research paper. I think it was a pretty good debut novel.
I am on a mission to read all of Crichton's book, so it was good to go back and read and oldie. Some of the medical information really dates the story, but overall it was intriguing and held my attention.
It’s crucial to remember when this was written, otherwise the attitudes seem archaic, even in more conservative circles. Entertaining, but not one of his better ones.
Didn't like this one. Didnt like any of the characters. Sexist and racist. Writing style grated. Mystery was intriguing but all felt very far fetched.
Dated. Written in 1968
A bit too heavy on technicalities (mostly obsolete now) and definitely dated, shows its age on many anachronisms. The plot is fast paced but unrealistic by today’s standards
A bit too heavy on technicalities (mostly obsolete now) and definitely dated, shows its age on many anachronisms. The plot is fast paced but unrealistic by today’s standards
I read this book for a book challenge I'm participating in...I needed a book published the year I was born, 1968. I was having a hard time finding any that looked appealing, until I stumbled upon this one. I didn't realize until I actually received the book that it is Crichton's first novel (written under a pseudonym. It was a quick and relatively easy read, though I had a hard time keeping track of all the doctors in relation to the plot. The other interesting thing, reading this nearly 50 years after it was published, is that it deals with illegal abortion, as at the time it was written, abortion had not yet been legalized. I haven't read a crime novel in a long time but it was kind of fun to read something actually written from a time when I was just a baby as opposed to a book published recently yet set back in that decade.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
the beginning was great. i loved the imagery. but the plot dragged on really slow. lost interest.
This is Crichton's first novel and it shows. It wasn't all bad, though, and thank goodness he kept writing.