SDMB - Straight Dope discussion
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3. The Anatomy of Deception, by Lawrence Goldstone, April 1
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I'd be interested in this one as well. Even if it is only available in hardcover. :)
I'm in! Auntiepam, did you have a date in mind?
End of March might be best, since this is a hardcover, and a fairly new one, I think. Or we could put it off to April and take more nominations for March -- maybe read something that's older, and available in paperback.
No problem! I'm almost finished, but I think I'll be able to remember it by April. It's a bit like The Grenadillo Box but it makes more sense, plot-wise.
Oops. Forgot!Just ordered it from Amazon. I'm sure I'll get it in plenty of time to join in.
Harumphf! Here's a snippy snippet from the NYT review: "Vivid period setting and amazing medical detail duly noted, if Goldstone’s hero were any more naïve he’d be institutionalized." I'm posting it now rather than waiting for April 1 so you can be on the lookout for examples of the hero's naivete. I don't see it, but maybe that's because I was comparing him to the dolt from Grenadillo Box.
Got my copy and I'm most of the way through it.
Auntiepam, for other books, I've tried to put together some questions for discussion. Is that something you're interested in doing for this book?
Julie, since I nominated the book, I should probably do that. I should have done it as I was reading. Problem is, it's been awhile since I read it, and the book's out on loan. I think a good point for discussion would be how we feel about the doctors' decision with regard to the culprit -- basically, whether one person's life and liberty is worth more than another's, because of his perceived greater "value" to society. Should we let our geniuses get away with murder?
I also want to know how everyone feels about the hero. Was he really naive, or did he just prefer to believe in his heroes? Is there a difference? Was he blinded by celebrity?
Dangit, I forgot to answer the questions!I do think the most interesting point of the book is just what it means when someone who does a lot of good does something bad. Is the bad thing the same no matter who does it? Can a person achieve so much good that a bad thing is mitigated, or even forgivable?
In general, I don't think so, the doctor should have admitted his guilt and should have accepted the consequences.
But I do think the potential punishments (the girl's father) are significant. I don't think someone should have to die for an accident.
I got the feeling that the hero wasn't so much naive as suffering from a bit of an inferiority complex. I think he wondered who he was to challenge these famous doctors. He seemed to see himself as a nobody from nowhere (as an Ohioan myself, I can relate) and afraid that he would be laughed at for his effrontery!
I was leery of the book at first with those opening scenes of autopsy. Bleargh. But I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. In the end, the various romances didn't turn out the way I was expecting, which was nice.
So can we post spoilers yet? I don't want to ruin the book for anyone.
Go ahead! It's April, so it should be safe.
Link to an excerpt:
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/di...
A mesmerizing forensic thriller that thrusts the reader into the operating rooms, drawing rooms, and back alleys of 1889 Philadelphia, as a young doctor grapples with the principles of scientific process to track a daring killer
In the morgue of a Philadelphia hospital, a group of physicians open a coffin and uncover the corpse of a beautiful young woman. What they see takes their breath away. Within days, one of them strongly suspects that he knows the woman’s identity…and the horrifying events that led to her death. But in this richly atmospheric novel–an ingenious blend of history, suspense and early forensic science–the most compelling chapter is yet to come, as young Ephraim Carroll is plunged into a maze of murder, secrets and unimaginable crimes....