The House of God

Samuel Shem
Introduction by John Updike
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The House of God

Samuel Shem
Introduction by John Updike
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Overview

432 PAGESENGLISH

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Overall rating: 4.428571 / 5 from 7 reviews.

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Review topics: ["balance","book","read","remains"].

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Reviews

House of God

"A good read. Not everything in the book has held up over time but an interesting snapshot of US medical care in the 1970s. 4/5 as it was enjoyable but won’t hold up as a favorite."

Melissa S. (4/5)

If 50 Shades of Gray took place in a hospital

"At times a little difficult to read because it puts you in the perspective of a medical intern whose mind is going through 100000 things, but it was well written in the sense that it accurately depicts and takes you through his journey and the hardships of medicine. It's funny and real except the erotica bits which threw me off - nevertheless they added to the understanding of his growth as a practioner. If you're thinking of going into medicine definitely have a read, I've worked in a few hospitals and many of this unfortunately remains true. Just remember to be open minded when picking up this one!"

Anna (4/5)

Satire never goes out of style

"As a current medical student, reading this absolutely confirmed that the core problems in healthcare haven't changed in the last fifty years. A compelling read with a great voice, I'd recommend it for lovers of black comedy."

Ella (5/5)

Haunting

"It took me forever to read this because it is really disturbing. Somehow this book delicately balances hilarious and horrifying and heartbreaking all at once. Written back in the 70s but continues to be relevant today. Essential reading for anyone in medicine."

Jessica (5/5)

Haunting

"It took me a really long time to read this because it was frequently too disheartening to read it in one go. This book delicately balances heartbreaking, horrifying, and hilarious. Though written in the 70s it still remains relevant today for anyone in the medical field."

Jessica (5/5)

Interesting

"It is definitely an amusing critique of medical education. In my opinion, however, there was too much sexual content which took away from my enjoyment of the material."

Pauline (3/5)

Great, enjoyable book

"Borrowed from a friend and loved it so much that I had to buy my own copy. A must read for anyone with a career in the medical field. Brutally honest about the struggles, although slightly outdated. #plumreview"

June (5/5)

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  • Published date: Sep 07, 2010
  • Language: English
  • No. of Pages: 432
  • Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
  • ISBN: 9780425238097
  • Dimensions: 5.45" W x 0.97" L x 8.27" H
Praise for The House of God

“The raunchy, troubling, and hilarious novel that turned into a cult phenomenon.  Singularly compelling...brutally honest.”—The New York Times

“Bawdy, blistering...this is Catch-22 with stethoscopes.”—Cosmopolitan

“Wonderfully wild, ribald, erotic, bitter, compassionate...in the same spirit as Catch-22.”—The Seattle Times

“A wildly funny, sad, laugh-out-loud, frightening, outrageous, thought-provoking, moving book…a story of modern medicine rarely, if ever, told.”—The Houston Chronicle

“Does for the practice of medicine what Catch-22 and M*A*S*H did for the practice of warfare.”—The Newark Star-Ledger 

“Mordantly funny, brilliantly ironic...A writer of outstanding substance and style.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Samuel Shem is a novelist, playwright, and, for three decades, a member of the Harvard Medical School faculty. His novels include The House of God, Mount Misery, and Fine. He is coauthor with his wife, Janet Surrey, of the hit Off-Broadway play Bill W. and Dr. Bob, the story of the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous (winner of the 2007 Performing Arts Award of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence), and We Have to Talk: Healing Dialogues Between Men and Women.

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