Review by Catevanne22 -- The Surgeon's Wife
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Catevanne22
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Review by Catevanne22 -- The Surgeon's Wife
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Surgeon's Wife" by William H. Coles.]
3 out of 4 stars
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REVIEW OF THE SURGEON’S WIFE
By William H. Coles
The Surgeon’s Wife by William H. Coles is set in New Orleans and tells the story of two surgeons locked in a struggle involving work and love. Readers get a bird’s eye view of what goes on in an operating room as Dr. Clayton Otherson performs surgery on the obese. Dr. Otherson has been operating for some time, but suddenly seems to be losing his grip on reality. He begins making serious mistakes in the operating room that call his competency into question. The scenes in the operating room felt very real and gave me chills; they’re the strongest scenes of the book.
The Surgeon’s Wife starts off with a bang but seems to lose some steam as it moves along. The overall plot is good, and it held my interest; even though I feel the book reads sort of like a soap opera. The drama created when Dr. Michael Boudreaux must discipline Clayton, his friend and mentor, is palpable but also somewhat melodramatic. Dr. Michael Boudreaux and Dr. Clayton Otherson are both well-known and respected surgeons who find themselves in an emotional gridlock. When Dr. Otherson begins making life threatening mistakes in surgery, he doesn’t want to, or can’t, face up to his problems. Dr. Boudreaux sits on a board of physicians that must decide if Dr. Otherson should be allowed to continue operating; this causes a lot of guilt on Dr. Boudreaux’s part since Dr. Otherson is his friend and mentor. When Dr. Boudreaux is tasked with disciplining his friend, it causes anger and resentment to fester between them.
His role also causes Michael a lot of guilt and we see the process of introspection going on with him. He befriends Catherine, Dr. Otherson’s wife when she tells him about not feeling loved by Clayton. Their friendship continues, and they begin having an affair. Clayton finds out about it and this might be what ends up pushing him over the edge. The relationship between Dr. Boudreaux and Catherine seems at times melodramatic, as does Clayton Otherson’s behavior. The only thing we see of Clayton Otherson is his anger and arrogance. I would have liked it if he had shown some self-examination, but instead, he acts like a child throwing a tantrum when he insists that the incident report written up on him be buried. He refuses to admit mistakes and wants to slide by on his reputation alone.
The book gives a sobering look at what can happen to a patient on the operating table if doctors make mistakes that could, and sometimes do, cost a patient his or her life. The book also highlights how difficult it can be to remove a doctor that has become dangerous due to any number of factors. The description of medical procedures is done well, and I felt like I was in the operating room looking over the doctor’s shoulder. The book also gives a look into how doctors evaluate each other and the pressure they are under.
Catherine and Dr. Otherson have a daughter, Mellissa, an angry, rebellious teenager. She’s busy rebelling against her parent’s marriage, which she senses is falling apart. All we see is her defiant behavior toward her parents, until near the end of the book when she miraculously turns into the perfect daughter. This change in behavior isn’t explained and left me wondering. Because of the way she’s portrayed, I don’t think she fits into the plot well. I also think that since the book is set in New Orleans, the culture of that city could have been better portrayed; it has such an eclectic and rich heritage. I found only a few grammatical errors in the book and believe that anyone who likes drama and is curious about the medical profession, and doesn’t mind some mildly graphic operating room details, will enjoy this book; the characters are well developed and the story deals with issues pertinent to our time. Anyone who isn’t interested in the medical field and certain details that are a bit gory, may not like this book. I give The Surgeon’s Wife 3 out of 4 stars because of its overly dramatic tone. I recommend it as an appealing book to read.
******
The Surgeon's Wife
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
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3 out of 4 stars
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REVIEW OF THE SURGEON’S WIFE
By William H. Coles
The Surgeon’s Wife by William H. Coles is set in New Orleans and tells the story of two surgeons locked in a struggle involving work and love. Readers get a bird’s eye view of what goes on in an operating room as Dr. Clayton Otherson performs surgery on the obese. Dr. Otherson has been operating for some time, but suddenly seems to be losing his grip on reality. He begins making serious mistakes in the operating room that call his competency into question. The scenes in the operating room felt very real and gave me chills; they’re the strongest scenes of the book.
The Surgeon’s Wife starts off with a bang but seems to lose some steam as it moves along. The overall plot is good, and it held my interest; even though I feel the book reads sort of like a soap opera. The drama created when Dr. Michael Boudreaux must discipline Clayton, his friend and mentor, is palpable but also somewhat melodramatic. Dr. Michael Boudreaux and Dr. Clayton Otherson are both well-known and respected surgeons who find themselves in an emotional gridlock. When Dr. Otherson begins making life threatening mistakes in surgery, he doesn’t want to, or can’t, face up to his problems. Dr. Boudreaux sits on a board of physicians that must decide if Dr. Otherson should be allowed to continue operating; this causes a lot of guilt on Dr. Boudreaux’s part since Dr. Otherson is his friend and mentor. When Dr. Boudreaux is tasked with disciplining his friend, it causes anger and resentment to fester between them.
His role also causes Michael a lot of guilt and we see the process of introspection going on with him. He befriends Catherine, Dr. Otherson’s wife when she tells him about not feeling loved by Clayton. Their friendship continues, and they begin having an affair. Clayton finds out about it and this might be what ends up pushing him over the edge. The relationship between Dr. Boudreaux and Catherine seems at times melodramatic, as does Clayton Otherson’s behavior. The only thing we see of Clayton Otherson is his anger and arrogance. I would have liked it if he had shown some self-examination, but instead, he acts like a child throwing a tantrum when he insists that the incident report written up on him be buried. He refuses to admit mistakes and wants to slide by on his reputation alone.
The book gives a sobering look at what can happen to a patient on the operating table if doctors make mistakes that could, and sometimes do, cost a patient his or her life. The book also highlights how difficult it can be to remove a doctor that has become dangerous due to any number of factors. The description of medical procedures is done well, and I felt like I was in the operating room looking over the doctor’s shoulder. The book also gives a look into how doctors evaluate each other and the pressure they are under.
Catherine and Dr. Otherson have a daughter, Mellissa, an angry, rebellious teenager. She’s busy rebelling against her parent’s marriage, which she senses is falling apart. All we see is her defiant behavior toward her parents, until near the end of the book when she miraculously turns into the perfect daughter. This change in behavior isn’t explained and left me wondering. Because of the way she’s portrayed, I don’t think she fits into the plot well. I also think that since the book is set in New Orleans, the culture of that city could have been better portrayed; it has such an eclectic and rich heritage. I found only a few grammatical errors in the book and believe that anyone who likes drama and is curious about the medical profession, and doesn’t mind some mildly graphic operating room details, will enjoy this book; the characters are well developed and the story deals with issues pertinent to our time. Anyone who isn’t interested in the medical field and certain details that are a bit gory, may not like this book. I give The Surgeon’s Wife 3 out of 4 stars because of its overly dramatic tone. I recommend it as an appealing book to read.
******
The Surgeon's Wife
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Like Catevanne22's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: Ironbark Hill by Jennie Linnane
