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The Doctor Stories

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( 762 ratings, 73 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Doctor Stories by William Carlos Williams offers an intricate blend of fiction and personal anecdotes, drawing from his experiences as a physician. The collection delves into the human condition through vivid narratives, capturing the intimacy of doctor-patient interactions and exploring the moral dilemmas faced by a medical professional. These stories reveal the compassion, challenges, and sometimes the stark realities of life and illness.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$2899
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're fascinated by the intersection of literature and medicine. The author offers a compelling glimpse into the human condition, drawing from his experiences as a physician. Expect powerful, reflective narratives that blend acute observation with a poetic touch.

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A new edition of one of the best books ever written about being a doctor: writing as aware and memorable as Chekhov’s.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A new edition of one of the best books ever written about being a doctor: writing as aware and memorable as Chekhov’s.

The Doctor Stories collects thirteen of Williams’s stories (direct accounts of his experiences as a doctor), six related poems, and a chapter from his autobiography that connects the world of medicine and writing. It also includes a new preface by Atul Gawande, an introduction by Robert Coles (who put the book together), and a final note by Williams’s son (also a doctor), about his famous father.

The writings are remarkably direct and freshly true. As Atul Gawande notes, “Reading these tales, you find yourself in a conversation with Williams about who people really are—who you really are. Williams recognised that, caring for the people of his city, he had a front-row seat to the human condition. His writing makes us see it and hear it and grapple with it in all its complexities. That is his lasting gift.”

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Williams' work is lauded for its vivid and sometimes uncomfortable exploration of the human condition, combining the prose of a poet with the insights of a healer. Critics appreciate the book's ability to expose biases and flaws within the medical profession, delivering a powerful yet unsettling reading experience. The stories are praised for their dramatism, urgency, and the heroism portrayed in their clinical vignettes.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780811228176

Publisher: New Directions Publishing Corporation

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 25 October 2018

Country: United States

Imprint: New Directions Publishing Corporation

Contributors:

  • Afterword by William Eric Williams
  • Introduction by Atul Gawande

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 13.0mm

Width: 132.0mm

Height: 203.0mm

Weight: 177g

Pages: 160

About the Author

Besides being a practicing physician, William Carlos Williams (1883–1963) was a poet, short-story writer, novelist, translator, playwright, and essayist whose contribution to the development of modern American poetry grew out of his commitment to recording the "local" experience of Rutherford, New Jersey, and its environs. The surgeon and public health leader Dr. Atul Gawande is a MacArthur Fellow and a staff writer for the New Yorker and has written four New York Times best sellers.

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