Review: The Physician

The Physician by Noah Gordon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



It took me 4.5 months to read this book, since it's the one I've been reading a page or two at a time on my phone whenever I find myself waiting around and needing a book to read. The style of The Physician made it a good one to savor in such a way. It's going to be really strange reading about someone else now when I find myself waiting, which happens a lot by the way.

Wow, this story really covers a lot of ground - literally. It starts out with a young orphan in the early 11th century who develops a yearning to improve his medical knowledge. This desire takes him from Britain to Europe, Persia, and as far as India. Rob is a remarkable man for his time, and it is heartbreaking at times to see him struggle and experience terrible setbacks.

Mostly, though, it's a hopeful tale of learning and compassion, of creative solutions to the closed-mindedness of the time period. It also highlights the religious prejudices of the Middle Ages while inspiring sympathy for individuals of each faith, and portrays each location and people that Rob encounters vividly. The time period really came alive through Rob's travels and relationships. I feel like I lived there.

At one point near the end, I was struck with a sudden fear that it was going to end tragically and I think I could have been induced to throw my phone after all Rob learned and went through. Thankfully it ended well, or as well as it probably could for the mindset of the times, and my phone was spared.



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