The House of God

I always knew doctors were practicing medicine just until they got it right. This jaw-dropping book has my opinion's back. Humor, wit and wisdom, pathos, seriousness (but thankfully not overbearing) and other stuff I'd need to look up in a thesaurus. Oh, and the bestest raunchyist erotic descriptions of sex I've read since Tom Robbins. Thanks Mr. Shem. I need to take some of that there acedamenathin stuff now. I'll get back to you. Is early morning a good time?

Just finished Samuel Shel's "The House of God," a sarcastic comedic portrayal of the medical field with a "Catch-22" like quality. It is a perfect blend of humor and tragedy. Shem’s storytelling is sharp, filled with wit and irony, yet he never shies away from the human cost of a system that can often seem dehumanizing to patients and caregivers alike. His novel exposes the emotional and psychological toll that medical training takes on doctors, especially interns. His characters are memorable, particularly the protagonist Dr. Roy Basch. They are richly drawn, and their experiences feel both harrowing and real. Here, too, Shem somehow blends a sense of camaraderie against the isolation that comes with working in the medical trenches. This novel was a recommendation from my fraternity book club, so I can not wait to discuss it with those in the medical field. "The House of God" remains a classic for a reason—it’s both timeless and unforgettable. It’s sometimes shocking but always compelling. Check it out.

To be honest, most of this book was absolutely horrid to me. I'm about to enter medical school myself and even acknowledging a lot of the problems in medical education and the healthcare system in the United States, I have a lot of hope for medicine and for my life as a physician. So, reading this very dismal, dark, sarcastic, catch-22-esque book was uncomfortable to say the least. I almost didn't make it through to the end, and if I hadn't I would have given it one star. But don't let the middle fill you. Part 3 is what makes this novel worth reading. The main character grows so much in the final chapters and is able to, finally, call out and critize all the terrible things he did and went through. This criticism forms the basis for the bigger the picture of the novel: the criticism of the brutality and lack of caring in medical education and medical practice (mainly during the 60s and 70s but to a certain extent today as well). I also highly recommend reading the authors note at the end of the book to get more perspective and insight into why the author wrote the book and what he hoped to accomplish. While part 3 gave me many of those reasons, it was fulfilling to hear from it from the author's own voice.

I read this as a PGY3 and cannot begin to describe how much this resonates. Obviously the work hours are less grueling but the people, the patients, the relationships, the rules hold true. I would recommend this book to others later in their training; I don’t think it would resonate or really be enjoyable for those not in medicine or those early (pre-med or med school). In fact it may feel upsetting to read during intern year so wait until that’s done. Be warned it has quite a lot of explicit scenes so just be prepared for that. Overall an excellent book that was difficult to put down and provides an interesting reflection on medical training.

There are books - good books! - that are written by putting what's in an authors brain, in a fairly formulaic manner that seems at times, a little forced. Books that are written to be read; easy, digestible prose in unoffensive and perfunctory doses. And then there are books that seem to have been inspired by a muse that sits on the shoulder that the author channels into paper. This book is one of the latter category. The House of God is a book written, as the author would put it, from deep within the author's cardiac muscles and hits you straight in the sigmoid colon. Many have compared the book to Catch-22, and they are right to do so. Both are about people essential, much respected professions, the impossibility of their lives and the cynical ways they cope with the pressures of their occupation. Both are also, about redemption, growth, and love. Both had me laugh uncontrollably and sometimes shed a tear, and both are a must read for any person that believes that humanity is the most hideous and terrible infliction that has been borne upon the universe and at the same time, the most exalted. I don't use the term "love" on inanimate objects often, but I loved this book. So a quick synopsis - but you will find many of them already everywhere: Dr. Roy Basch, a new intern fresh off the BMS ("Best Medical School" - a thinly veiled referenced to Harvard Medical) is off to intern at the "House of God" (again, a thinly veiled reference to Beth Israel). Eager and naive at first he quickly realizes that hospital patients fall into two broad categories: Gomers - elderly patients that refuse to die and are kept alive for monetary purposes (HOUSE LAW NO 1: GOMERS DON'T DIE) and the dying young: younger patients who have their whole lives ahead of them that unexpectedly contract something horrible and die. There to guide him through the conflicts and dilemmas of medical practice (and occasionally non-practice and mal-practice) is the book's unexpected hero: The Fat Man. Some would call him an anti-hero, a combination of a cynic and a humanitarian, The Fat Man has a very Dr. House air about him and is certainly one of my favorite characters of all time. The theme of the book is the conflict between death and life, love and hate: it is dotted with a variety of sexual exploits, where Dr. Basch and some of his friends escape to to avoid thinking about death, constantly. Raunchy in their depiction, they contrast the constant stench of people dying with the interns' attempt at living. All in all - the book deserves a place of honor in my book case. I only hope that the authors' other work is as sublime; Catch-22 was a one off in Heller's work. I am eager to find out if this is a one-off in Shem's.

I came across this book by accident and am amazed I had never heard of it. It has been described as a "Catch 22" of hospital life and I think the comparison is somewhat fair... It's written in the style of a rollicking comedy but its humour is very bitter indeed. It frequently makes your hair stand on end but more frequently saddens the heart and embitters the mind. It turns all our classic traditional notions of wise compassionate healing medicine on their head to portray a medicine awry and distraught besotted with its own false beliefs aspirations and images, arrogant, presuming, mad and dangerous, "Doctor heal thyself..." might be the subtitle of this work depicting the horrid underside of the "American Medical Dream." It's not without its flaws. I found it overlong, and many of its characters and scenes are unevenly or erratically sketched it seemed to me. But it's full of a primal ribald truthful energy racy brash bold and colourful and sexy which is impossible to resist. It is a maelstrom of living and dying, of despair and the need for love. At its core is uncovered the raw pathetic pitiable feeble inept human condition... It is so entirely believable. In one scene the entire ward staff are beseiging a "cardiac arrest" patient they are trying to save... After half an hour they realise their efforts are useless, and like at a "dud party" lose interest and just wait for the opportunity to drift away... Despite any flaws it may have, this is obviously a novel written in a great white heat of revulsion disenchantment despair and vast vast pity. It is a racy heartfelt truthful novel like few others... It is an extraordinary and terrifying read... It really should not be missed... Not suitable for hospital patients!

"The House of God" by Samuel Shem is a novel that delves into the world of medicine and offers a unique perspective on the challenges faced by medical professionals. While the book has garnered much praise for its raw portrayal of the healthcare system, I found myself having mixed feelings about it, resulting in a three-star rating. One aspect I appreciated about the book is its ability to provide an unfiltered glimpse into the reality of medical training and the emotional toll it can take on individuals. The author's firsthand experience as a physician shines through, presenting a brutally honest portrayal of the medical profession. The book delves into the complexities of patient care, the ethical dilemmas faced by doctors, and the often-unspoken struggles of healthcare professionals. This raw and candid approach makes for a thought-provoking read. However, I must admit that the book's narrative style and language proved to be challenging for me at times. The use of medical jargon and slang may be engaging for readers with a medical background, but it can be alienating and confusing for those without prior knowledge of the field. This made it difficult to fully immerse myself in the story and connect with the characters on a deeper level. Additionally, while the book aims to shed light on the flaws within the healthcare system, it sometimes crosses the line into cynicism and dark humor. The constant presence of gallows humor and the depiction of unprofessional behavior by some characters can be off-putting for readers seeking a more balanced portrayal. It often felt like the negative aspects of medicine overshadowed the positive aspects, leaving me with a somewhat disheartened perspective. Furthermore, the pacing of the book seemed uneven, with certain parts dragging on while others felt rushed. This uneven pacing made it challenging to maintain a consistent level of engagement throughout the story. In summary, "The House of God" offers a raw and unflinching portrayal of the medical profession, highlighting its challenges and ethical dilemmas. While I appreciated the author's honest approach, the book's use of jargon and slang, along with its sometimes excessive cynicism, created barriers to my full enjoyment and understanding. I would recommend this book to readers with a keen interest in the medical field or those who appreciate dark humor, but caution others to approach it with an open mind and a willingness to navigate the unique writing style.

I am not a doctor but most of my immediate family is. I was raised by two MDs, my grand-father was a surgeon, my younger brother, my uncles were doctors or dentist. And then I was born and raised in France, so how could this book describing tong-in-cheek the excesses of internship in the US speak to me? It seems that the same causes generate the same effects: constant brushes with disease and death; excruciatingly long work hours with the day job sometimes followed by the emergency night before the next day's job; the necessity for a mental shield against burn-out from both these sources naturally causes cynicism and a form of alienation very acutely described by the author. My younger brother once told me on a Wednesday morning he was already working overtime for the week (more than 40h of work in just over two days). He was in Paris' public hospital system, therefore without all this layer of medicine for money that also exudes from the house of God. Doctors' suicides? This is too raw a topic for me to mention here. By far most of the testimonies from doctors I know support the case. How does what I know of the medical cursus in France match this testimony? As it turns out the title "House of God" is explicitly a direct translation of "L'Hôtel Dieu", the first and oldest hospital in the world, which is in Paris right next to Notre Dame. Did I enjoy reading this book? YES, at multiple levels - it is well written, fun to read and does give a very interesting perspective on this poorly known underworld. It did jive with what I know of the milieu, but I don't think it is necessary to know anything of it to enjoy the read. Let's just say that I read it on the recommendation by two very different doctors who don't know each other, one German and one New Englander. Not for the faint of heart, but if you like cringing dark humor and a walk on the wild side you should enjoy House of God.