Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a pretty solid debut novel from Crichton. I liked that he didn't shy away from the medical terms and he weaved a compelling mystery thriller.
My only complaint was that Dr. Barry had unfettered access to all of the evidence and witnesses. I realize that this book was written in 1968, when doctors were probably less cautious about sharing information. He was just a pathologist, not a lawyer, not a board member, and certainly not a cop. They openly invited him into their homes, into autopsy rooms, showed him medical records... anything he wanted. That was a bit too easy.
My only complaint was that Dr. Barry had unfettered access to all of the evidence and witnesses. I realize that this book was written in 1968, when doctors were probably less cautious about sharing information. He was just a pathologist, not a lawyer, not a board member, and certainly not a cop. They openly invited him into their homes, into autopsy rooms, showed him medical records... anything he wanted. That was a bit too easy.
3.5/5 - Very interesting and compelling mystery while serving as a fascinating lens into medicine in the 60s even if parts obviously haven’t aged well.
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
tre stelline. Il libro è carino e fra l'altro leggendo l'introduzione di crichton ho scoperto che l'ha scritto mentre ancora frequentava l'università di medicina.. cioè lui mentre studiava medicina ad harvard trovava il tempo per cimentarsi nelle vesti di scrittore (fra l'altro in caso di necessità ha pure avuto parecchio successo).. sono quasi shokkata però è adorabile.. ok tornando al commento... la storia ti prende, è inevitabile.. insomma una ragazza muore in seguito ad un aborto fatto da incompetenti (dato che non era manco incinta!) e viene accusato un medico che con moltissime probabilità è innocente, nella sua famiglia c'è tutto un giro di segreti abbastanza losco, il giro di amicizie della vittima non era dei più raccomandabili e la polizia non è esattamente il massimo della collaboratività (però se ci fosse stato grissom avrebbe risolto il caso tipo in una notte ù.ù)... insomma è appassionante.. e bravo jeffrey!
A blend of murder mystery who-dunnit and medical drama, A Case of Need is a compelling read. This page turner introduces twists, new suspects,and evolving theories in a gripping manner and keeps the reader guessing.
The book is set in a time when doctors (almost) exclusively men. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll are erasing the prim and proper world of the 50s & 60. Racism is we rigueur. Crichton plays with threads of these underlying issues in a subtle manner that is still thought provoking and relevant today. In the foreground is the taboo topic of abortion; Crichton explores it through ethical, moral, and legal lenses of his-century America. Echoes of past conflicts and struggles over abortion continue to ring true through the decades and same points of contention exist today.
The book is set in a time when doctors (almost) exclusively men. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll are erasing the prim and proper world of the 50s & 60. Racism is we rigueur. Crichton plays with threads of these underlying issues in a subtle manner that is still thought provoking and relevant today. In the foreground is the taboo topic of abortion; Crichton explores it through ethical, moral, and legal lenses of his-century America. Echoes of past conflicts and struggles over abortion continue to ring true through the decades and same points of contention exist today.
Michael Crichton could write a telephone book that would make my heart race. That being said, I could've done without the subtle and not-so-subtle misogyny. Really didn't need to hear two women described as "b****** in heat."
I read this because I'm a big fan of Michael Crichton's scifi/suspense books. (I started with Jurassic Park and got quickly and completely hooked.) I read this knowing it was Crichton's first novel, and I was able to see some things that labelled it as such. Many of Crichton's characteristic elements-–cutting off conversations at dramatic points, foreshadowing, and pausing the storyline to provide some background or a moral discussion on the given topic, to name a few--appeared in what I can only call their infancy. It was interesting to see an early stage of a favorite author's work.
However, maybe because this was such an early book of Crichton's, it did not grip me nearly as strongly as his other books. I'm squeamish, so I tried to zoom over the medical details as quickly as possible, and perhaps this was part of why the book didn't have as strong of a hold on me as Crichton's other novels.
This book is also quite old, and centers on the abortion debate in the 1960s. This was interesting from a historical point of view, but not very relevant to me now because of Roe v. Wade. That's part of why I like Crichton's books, though--I like the vintage scifi feel, almost as I like to giggle about the technological advances that Crichton found dangerous and are now mundane to me (Touch screen computers? Supercomputers the size of buildings? What about 'em?).
And finally, I was simultaneously put off and intrigued by the subtle sexism that Crichton probably wasn't even aware of including in his book at the time. I don't think it'll be a surprise that in a 1968 novel about medicine, every doctor is a man and every assistant is a woman. Outdated sexism is another motif in Crichton's books that somehow finds a way to bother and amuse me at the same time.
Long story short: Disappointing compared to Cricthon's other books, but still an interesting read if you're interested in an historical perspective on abortion, sexism, medicine, or the like.
However, maybe because this was such an early book of Crichton's, it did not grip me nearly as strongly as his other books. I'm squeamish, so I tried to zoom over the medical details as quickly as possible, and perhaps this was part of why the book didn't have as strong of a hold on me as Crichton's other novels.
This book is also quite old, and centers on the abortion debate in the 1960s. This was interesting from a historical point of view, but not very relevant to me now because of Roe v. Wade. That's part of why I like Crichton's books, though--I like the vintage scifi feel, almost as I like to giggle about the technological advances that Crichton found dangerous and are now mundane to me (Touch screen computers? Supercomputers the size of buildings? What about 'em?).
And finally, I was simultaneously put off and intrigued by the subtle sexism that Crichton probably wasn't even aware of including in his book at the time. I don't think it'll be a surprise that in a 1968 novel about medicine, every doctor is a man and every assistant is a woman. Outdated sexism is another motif in Crichton's books that somehow finds a way to bother and amuse me at the same time.
Long story short: Disappointing compared to Cricthon's other books, but still an interesting read if you're interested in an historical perspective on abortion, sexism, medicine, or the like.
Maybe not the full 4, but you have to hand it to the guy, first novel at only 26. Moved along at a good pace and kept me thinking trying to stay ahead of him. Which I didn't do all that well. The signs of the times were really a laugh. Abortions were still illegal, the doctors all smoked....like chimneys, in the hospital even! And the doctor went in and out of hospitals and accessed records and took samples on cases he had no ties too. The HIPAA folks would faint dead away today. The only things that did not seem to change were drug addicts.....sadly. Definitely a fun book. The appendices at the end about various things medical and ethical were interesting as well.