Review by ab2020 -- The Surgeon's Wife by William H. Coles
Posted: 01 Sep 2019, 17:52
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Surgeon's Wife" by William H. Coles.]
3 out of 4 stars
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The professional world is often extremely paradoxical, and the medical profession is no exception. While the practice of medicine is fundamentally about helping people, it is also increasingly about making money. Doctors use their skills to save lives, but they also sometimes destroy lives. These paradoxes form the foundation of William H. Coles’s novel, The Surgeon’s Wife.
The Surgeon’s Wife is, as the title suggests, about the conflicts that arise between a surgeon (Clayton Otherson) and his wife (Catherine). Clayton struggles with his incompetence as a surgeon, which causes a former student of his (Michael Boudreaux) to turn against him, and Catherine struggles with her unhappiness, which leads her into an affair with that same former student. Michael tells himself that he owes his career to Clayton, but he also cannot ignore Clayton’s surgical malpractice—especially when an acquaintance of Michael’s dies as a result of Clayton’s surgery. This professional conflict encroaches on his private life when he learns of Clayton’s abusive treatment of his wife and daughter.
William H. Coles is a capable writer. The story is set in New Orleans, and the city’s multicultural atmosphere is skillfully incorporated into the plot. The novel flows smoothly, and the story pulls the reader in with ease. The dialogue is vivid and the setting is explored in appropriate detail. The medical profession is portrayed in a lively and engrossing (if sometimes gruesome) manner, which makes the book particularly realistic and poignant. (However, the author is a doctor, so this shouldn’t be surprising.) All this makes The Surgeon’s Wife quite an interesting book—at least on the surface.
Look a bit deeper, and you might find a few problems with the book. First off, the romance between Catherine and Michael does not really make sense. It feels as if their affair is simply a plot device designed to create more tension between Michael and Clayton. The author does not reflect much on why they are attracted to each other or whether or not they are actually compatible together. This makes their relationship seem awkward and contrived. The portrayal of Catherine’s daughter, Melissa, is similarly awkward. This is understandable because the story is told from Michael’s perspective (third-person limited point of view), and he does not understand her very well. However, Melissa still comes across as more of a plot device than a fully fleshed-out character.
On the whole, The Surgeon’s Wife was an enjoyable read. However, I could not help but notice that it was lacking in a few fundamental areas, which left me with a lot of unanswered questions at the end. The book also had a large number of typographical errors. Nonetheless, it was not a bad book. In fact, I would not call it “problematic”; there was nothing that offended me or set me off—only things that seemed a little strange. Thus, I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys drama, especially drama surrounding the medical profession.
******
The Surgeon's Wife
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
The professional world is often extremely paradoxical, and the medical profession is no exception. While the practice of medicine is fundamentally about helping people, it is also increasingly about making money. Doctors use their skills to save lives, but they also sometimes destroy lives. These paradoxes form the foundation of William H. Coles’s novel, The Surgeon’s Wife.
The Surgeon’s Wife is, as the title suggests, about the conflicts that arise between a surgeon (Clayton Otherson) and his wife (Catherine). Clayton struggles with his incompetence as a surgeon, which causes a former student of his (Michael Boudreaux) to turn against him, and Catherine struggles with her unhappiness, which leads her into an affair with that same former student. Michael tells himself that he owes his career to Clayton, but he also cannot ignore Clayton’s surgical malpractice—especially when an acquaintance of Michael’s dies as a result of Clayton’s surgery. This professional conflict encroaches on his private life when he learns of Clayton’s abusive treatment of his wife and daughter.
William H. Coles is a capable writer. The story is set in New Orleans, and the city’s multicultural atmosphere is skillfully incorporated into the plot. The novel flows smoothly, and the story pulls the reader in with ease. The dialogue is vivid and the setting is explored in appropriate detail. The medical profession is portrayed in a lively and engrossing (if sometimes gruesome) manner, which makes the book particularly realistic and poignant. (However, the author is a doctor, so this shouldn’t be surprising.) All this makes The Surgeon’s Wife quite an interesting book—at least on the surface.
Look a bit deeper, and you might find a few problems with the book. First off, the romance between Catherine and Michael does not really make sense. It feels as if their affair is simply a plot device designed to create more tension between Michael and Clayton. The author does not reflect much on why they are attracted to each other or whether or not they are actually compatible together. This makes their relationship seem awkward and contrived. The portrayal of Catherine’s daughter, Melissa, is similarly awkward. This is understandable because the story is told from Michael’s perspective (third-person limited point of view), and he does not understand her very well. However, Melissa still comes across as more of a plot device than a fully fleshed-out character.
On the whole, The Surgeon’s Wife was an enjoyable read. However, I could not help but notice that it was lacking in a few fundamental areas, which left me with a lot of unanswered questions at the end. The book also had a large number of typographical errors. Nonetheless, it was not a bad book. In fact, I would not call it “problematic”; there was nothing that offended me or set me off—only things that seemed a little strange. Thus, I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys drama, especially drama surrounding the medical profession.
******
The Surgeon's Wife
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords