Men Who Play God: A Collection of Ten Stories

by Arturo B. Rotor

147 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

Reviews

[Christian Joshua Cacatian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Men Who Play God by Dr. Arturo B. Rotor. Ten essential stories to fill in a heart craving for medicine. A collection of baffling eloquence in every way, each story filled with important lessons from the past. From contrasting realities of convalescence from the past and present healthcare in PGH to a conference of animals discussing a new anti-depressant and revealing primal values of man. Nothing short of amazing. Definitely a re-read!

Quotable Chapter: Balikbayan Doctor

[Billy Ibarra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kung mahilig ka sa medical fiction, magugustuhan mo itong The Men Who Play God ni A. B. Rotor. Papapasukin ka ng kuwento sa mga ward ng PGH hanggang sa labas nito, ipakikilala sa iyo ang mga doktor at kanilang mga pasyente, hanggang sa makita mo rin ang hirap na maging isang doktor, lalo na rito sa Pilipinas. Kaninong pasyente ibibigay ang nag-iisang bakanteng kama? Sino ang pasyente na dapat bigyan ng paunang atensiyon? Kasama ba talaga sa pagiging doktor ang hindi pagpapakita (o pagtatago) ng kanilang emosyon (maging impersonal) sa kanilang mga pasyente? Umaasta ba talaga silang Diyos? Ano ang pagkakaiba ng sistemang pangkalusugan noon kaysa ngayon? May nagbago ba, umaabante ba ang ating healthcare system, o nananatili pa rin tayong atrasado? Bakit mayroon pa ring mga doktor at nars na pinipili ang mangibambansa?

May mga medical term sa aklat, marami, kaya kailangan mong magsaliksik kung nais mong higit na maintindihan ang mga kuwento. Ngunit gayunpaman, na-enjoy ko ang pagbabasa nito. May ilang kuwento na may twist, may nakakatawa, may madrama, may iiwan kang naka-hang---hindi ganoon kahirap basahin kahit tadtad ng medical terms.

1980 nang makatanggap ng writing grant ang aklat at unang nailathala noong 1983 (third printing ang hawak kong kopya, 1996) ngunit nananatili pa ring relevant, sa tingin ko, ang panulat ni Rotor. Mananatiling makabuluhan ang aklat hangga't hindi ganap na nagbabago ang sistemang pangkalusugan ng bansa.

[Michael David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arturo Rotor was a polymath. Not only did he graduate from a music conservatory, he also became a medical doctor and even observed a new medical syndrome that was later named after him.

He was also a great writer. I believe that he ranks as one of the best Filipino writers in English, and this collections shows why. Among the stories of his collection, "Judas Iscariot, MD," was particularly affecting, especially because during my practice of medicine, I see doctors who double as mercenaries, instead of people seeking to heal. "The Jubilarians" continued this vein of vapidity in doctors who sought fortune more than helping others, by being better politicians than healers. Finally, "The Clinical Trials" sardonically parodies the loss of humanity by certain doctors (me included) by thinking of living, breathing people as mere statistics.

I admit, I don't have as much empathy for patients as my peers, but I recognize that there is a distinct line between the necessity of earning money from a profession, and taking advantage of the unfortunate. I have vowed never to cross that line, although I may skirt close at times. Rotor's Men Who Play God is a jarring reminder to me that in order to remain a medical doctor, I must be a human being first and foremost.

[Ella Mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

An endearing anthology of 10 stories from the walls of hospitals and the lives of doctors. I love how poetic the writing was, how it almost transports you through time but still feels eerily familiar, as though the lives and experiences mirror our own. It is beyond the examination of a physician; it is the examination of humanity, how it thrives and survives in the background of disease and decline. Interestingly, not all stories have a solid plot or conclusion to them, which would normally have left the story hanging. But the skill at which Dr. Rotor writes makes it all irrelevant. The stories leave you thinking, as all great stories do.

[Mitchie Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed Dr. Rotor's book very much. I ordered from Ateneo Publishing months before the deadline of the 1st Rotor Literary Awards by PCP Foundation. The stories were well written, inspired by the real events in a hospital setting.

[Sharren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read "At Last This Fragrance," and it's very timely with the Holidays. It's so beautifully written that you could cry.

[Rom · Rating 4 out of 5]

a compilation of people who thinks and act like a God.. (highlighted the medical people)).. sounds stupid but some people think they are the one.. find out out why...

[Ivan Labayne · Rating 1 out of 5]

pwedeng pampaantok bago matulog

[Karlo Mikhail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Those looking for craft may find these narratives rather boring. But interesting for the depiction of the medical profession in the Philippines and the wider socio-ideological context in which it was positioned during the era of American colonialism! Can be read for traces of spontaneous ideology of scientists (doctors playing God) and resistance to such (as in the elevation of indigenous healing practices in the last story).