The House of God Paperback – September 7, 2010

There are books - good books! - that are written by putting what's in an authors brain, in a fairly formulaic manner that seems at times, a little forced. Books that are written to be read; easy, digestible prose in unoffensive and perfunctory doses. And then there are books that seem to have been inspired by a muse that sits on the shoulder that the author channels into paper. This book is one of the latter category.The House of God is a book written, as the author would put it, from deep within the author's cardiac muscles and hits you straight in the sigmoid colon. Many have compared the book to Catch-22, and they are right to do so. Both are about people essential, much respected professions, the impossibility of their lives and the cynical ways they cope with the pressures of their occupation. Both are also, about redemption, growth, and love. Both had me laugh uncontrollably and sometimes shed a tear, and both are a must read for any person that believes that humanity is the most hideous and terrible infliction that has been borne upon the universe and at the same time, the most exalted.I don't use the term "love" on inanimate objects often, but I loved this book.So a quick synopsis - but you will find many of them already everywhere:Dr. Roy Basch, a new intern fresh off the BMS ("Best Medical School" - a thinly veiled referenced to Harvard Medical) is off to intern at the "House of God" (again, a thinly veiled reference to Beth Israel). Eager and naive at first he quickly realizes that hospital patients fall into two broad categories: Gomers - elderly patients that refuse to die and are kept alive for monetary purposes (HOUSE LAW NO 1: GOMERS DON'T DIE) and the dying young: younger patients who have their whole lives ahead of them that unexpectedly contract something horrible and die.There to guide him through the conflicts and dilemmas of medical practice (and occasionally non-practice and mal-practice) is the book's unexpected hero: The Fat Man. Some would call him an anti-hero, a combination of a cynic and a humanitarian, The Fat Man has a very Dr. House air about him and is certainly one of my favorite characters of all time.The theme of the book is the conflict between death and life, love and hate: it is dotted with a variety of sexual exploits, where Dr. Basch and some of his friends escape to to avoid thinking about death, constantly. Raunchy in their depiction, they contrast the constant stench of people dying with the interns' attempt at living.All in all - the book deserves a place of honor in my book case. I only hope that the authors' other work is as sublime; Catch-22 was a one off in Heller's work. I am eager to find out if this is a one-off in Shem's.

Just finished Samuel Shel's "The House of God," a sarcastic comedic portrayal of the medical field with a "Catch-22" like quality. It is a perfect blend of humor and tragedy.Shem’s storytelling is sharp, filled with wit and irony, yet he never shies away from the human cost of a system that can often seem dehumanizing to patients and caregivers alike. His novel exposes the emotional and psychological toll that medical training takes on doctors, especially interns.His characters are memorable, particularly the protagonist Dr. Roy Basch. They are richly drawn, and their experiences feel both harrowing and real. Here, too, Shem somehow blends a sense of camaraderie against the isolation that comes with working in the medical trenches.This novel was a recommendation from my fraternity book club, so I can not wait to discuss it with those in the medical field."The House of God" remains a classic for a reason—it’s both timeless and unforgettable. It’s sometimes shocking but always compelling.Check it out.

I read this book back in the late 70's and read it again only recently. I was curious to see two things : how much of the book I remembered correctly and how much the descriptions of that world were dated. I remember many silly details and had forgotten some major things and characters. In my mind the Fat Man figured much more prominently than he does. I guess I had built him up as sort of a Yoda figure over the years. Still, Fats remains perhaps my favorite character. Some of the medical procedures thankfully are no longer practice with the kind of frequency encountered in the book. Still it is amazing to me how much of the book deals with the same sort of conundrums the health care delivery systems do today. I'm not sure how someone who has never worked in an ER or ICU of a large teaching hospital can relate to the story, but I assure you that health care providers at that time were quite taken with the book. It provided a much needed recognition for the kind of soul sucking, energy draining, and morally bankrupt situations we were placed in on a daily basis. It has been compared to Catch 22 and I think that is probably fair though the two books come from different worlds. In both worlds, however, there are survivors and casualties and the House of God probably helped some to survive by the simple fact that misery loves company and company is therapeutic. This book was therapeutic for a past generation of house staff at all levels and disciplines. Upon revisiting it, I suspect it still provides some validation to the current one as well.

House of G is still a scream after all these years. I laughed 'til I cried, loved the characters, hated the plutocracy, got my hopes up, got a woody, dashed my dreams into reality (I really hate that) & entertained me all night long. Beg, borrow or steal this book from someone, it's worth the sin. I've bought & given (lent) over a dozen copies over 4 decades. Don't even ask, & it's locked-up! ... CFC ... ...N`est Pas!

Bought it used, but was in good condition. Certainly an enjoyable read.