: Crisis
Author: Robin Cook
I’m not usually this blunt, but this is a horrible, horrible, book. Absolutely nothing happens. The title and the book jacket implied this was an exciting tale about medical malpractice and knowing Cook’s books I figured this would be cutting edge legal-medical conflict and raise a lot of interesting issues. Wrong! Instead we have what appears to be a routine death and a subsequent lawsuit that blames the doctor’s personal problems which all get aired in court. The crux of the novel is about a potential autopsy of the victim — and we literally must wade through hundreds of pages of incredible tedium as the doctor (the brother-in-law of the sued doctor) tries to fight through bureaucratic paperwork to get the body exhumed and examined. It’s so boring! As if to make up for the lack of story, Cook suddenly throws in bizarre kidnapping and assaults… apparently instigated by the “evil” lawyer suing the doctor who doesn’t want an autopsy. The assaults are so outrageous — a gunfight on a freeway — that all plausibility of the novel is lost. We’re really supposed to believe an attorney would send goons to attack the defense? I mean, come on — he’s the obvious suspect. But of course nothing can be proven and the lawyer gets away with it. Preposterous. But the final insult was the book’s ending. I had kept reading because the way the book made it sound we could expect some dramatic resolution at the end and I had to find out what would be discovered in the autopsy. What was discovered was just ridiculous: that apparently the sued doctor had killed the patient on purpose? Huh? I don’t get it. It makes no sense and there’s no explanation given. Just bizarre and totally out of character. Very odd novel, if you can even call it that. The plot would fit into a short story and even then it would be boring. I normally like Cook’s books, but I feel this book stole years of my life. I want my brain back! Gag. Just horrible. One of the worst books I’ve ever read.
Topic: [/book] |
