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The Citadel
The Citadel follows Andrew Manson, a young and idealistic Scottish doctor, as he navigates the challenges of practising medicine across interwar Wales and England.
Based on Cronin's own experiences as a physician, The Citadel boldly confronts traditional medical ethics, and has been noted as one of the inspirations for the formation of the National Health Service.
Based on Cronin's own experiences as a physician, The Citadel boldly confronts traditional medical ethics, and has been noted as one of the inspirations for the formation of the National Health Service.
380 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1937
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About the author
A.J. Cronin
211 books495 followersArchibald Joseph Cronin was a Scottish novelist, dramatist, and non-fiction writer who was one of the most renowned storytellers of the twentieth century. His best-known works are The Citadel and The Keys of the Kingdom, both of which were made into Oscar-nominated films. He also created the Dr. Finlay character, the hero of a series of stories that served as the basis for the long-running BBC television and radio series entitled Dr. Finlay's Casebook.
-Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.J._Cronin
-Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.J._Cronin
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 857 reviews
June 11, 2024
3.5 ~ 4 stars
Originally published in 1937, this story follows newly physician’s assistant, Andrew Manson, recently accepted to a post in a mining town in Wales.
Manson is driven by his ethics and wont of care for his poor patients. Life is a struggle for the young man, but Manson grows in his self-esteem and ambition.
This is the story of his life, trials and tribulations, and, life-altering successes.
The author was a medical doctor prior to writing THE CITADEL; and, I wondered how much of his own life he breathed into Andrew Manson.
Originally published in 1937, this story follows newly physician’s assistant, Andrew Manson, recently accepted to a post in a mining town in Wales.
Manson is driven by his ethics and wont of care for his poor patients. Life is a struggle for the young man, but Manson grows in his self-esteem and ambition.
This is the story of his life, trials and tribulations, and, life-altering successes.
The author was a medical doctor prior to writing THE CITADEL; and, I wondered how much of his own life he breathed into Andrew Manson.
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April 25, 2019The Citadel is the morality tale of the initially idealistic Scottish Doctor Andrew Manson who starts off working in the mining towns of the South Wales valleys before descending into the vanity fair of fashionable London doctors, who specialise in conditions which cost a lot of money to treat, where he reaches a crisis point before returning to the narrow path of virtue.
In the Welsh Valleys, Manson encounters the diseases of poverty exacerbated by poor housing conditions and industrial injuries, leaving behind the Celtic fringe for the slightly shabby attractions of London he will encounter the profitable diseases of the rich, such as hypochondria, which as everyone with a taste for earning money knows, is best treated with inflated bills and quack treatments.
It is clearly a book of its time. Published in 1937 this is Britain before the National Health Service, it is critical of the then private for profit system of Doctors' practices which makes for a nice moral contrast between success in this world and the disturbing possibilities of an ideal of the Doctor as someone using their skills to help the sick.
Several kinds of solutions can be offered for this dichotomy. This book doesn't predict the National Health Service or imagine anything near as wide ranging, although it is sometimes said to have paid a role in bringing it about. Cronin, who was a Doctor himself, imagines instead something like the Polyclinics of the Soviet Union staffed by a mixed group of medical personnel devoted to the ideal of healing rather than of earning money. Individual virtue rather than structural change is as far as he goes. I suppose this is often the imagined answer because we can imagine that we might, if well supported, be able to practise individual virtue, while massive structural social change seems a bit fantastical, in the event the Second World war occurred and the practise of national mobilisation produced a profound shift in thinking which dominated the country until the end 1970s. But Cronin wasn't to know that in 1937.
In this book Cronin has a weakness towards tell don't show, rather than letting characters emerge through their dialogue or actions and his use of Manson's wife - really potentially an interesting figure in her own right - is wasteful. But he tells here a lively story of aspiration and corruption. The Northern Light had more flashes of skill down at the sentence level but suffered from a super abundance of potential plot directions, this is a simple story but that makes for a better book.
In the Welsh Valleys, Manson encounters the diseases of poverty exacerbated by poor housing conditions and industrial injuries, leaving behind the Celtic fringe for the slightly shabby attractions of London he will encounter the profitable diseases of the rich, such as hypochondria, which as everyone with a taste for earning money knows, is best treated with inflated bills and quack treatments.
It is clearly a book of its time. Published in 1937 this is Britain before the National Health Service, it is critical of the then private for profit system of Doctors' practices which makes for a nice moral contrast between success in this world and the disturbing possibilities of an ideal of the Doctor as someone using their skills to help the sick.
Several kinds of solutions can be offered for this dichotomy. This book doesn't predict the National Health Service or imagine anything near as wide ranging, although it is sometimes said to have paid a role in bringing it about. Cronin, who was a Doctor himself, imagines instead something like the Polyclinics of the Soviet Union staffed by a mixed group of medical personnel devoted to the ideal of healing rather than of earning money. Individual virtue rather than structural change is as far as he goes. I suppose this is often the imagined answer because we can imagine that we might, if well supported, be able to practise individual virtue, while massive structural social change seems a bit fantastical, in the event the Second World war occurred and the practise of national mobilisation produced a profound shift in thinking which dominated the country until the end 1970s. But Cronin wasn't to know that in 1937.
In this book Cronin has a weakness towards tell don't show, rather than letting characters emerge through their dialogue or actions and his use of Manson's wife - really potentially an interesting figure in her own right - is wasteful. But he tells here a lively story of aspiration and corruption. The Northern Light had more flashes of skill down at the sentence level but suffered from a super abundance of potential plot directions, this is a simple story but that makes for a better book.
November 30, 2025
دژ کتابی است از ای جی کرونین ، نویسنده و پزشک اسکاتلندی . کتاب او را باید نقدی بر سیستم بهداشتی انگلستان دردهه های یست و سی قرن گذشته دانست ، سیستمی که مبتنی بر پرداخت مستقیم هزینه درمان بود و کارگران معدن و طبقات پایین با پرداخت حق عضویت اندک، به پزشکان عمومی دسترسی پیدا میکردند.
همانند کتاب سلاخ خانه شیکاگو که به شرایط اسفناک زندگی کارگران در آمریکا می پرداخت ، دژ هم به سیستم بهداشتی انگلستان که پزشک سالاری بود پرداخته و ایرادها و نواقص آن را نشان داده . این سیستم تقریبا ده سال پس از انتشار کتاب کرونین اصلاح شد و سیستم خدمات ملی تاسیس شد که بر اساس آن هر شهروند میتوانست بدون پرداخت مستقیم هزینه، به پزشک، بیمارستان و دارو دسترسی داشته باشد و پرداخت هزینهها از طریق مالیات شهروندان تأمین میشود، نه پرداخت فردی بیماران .
داستان کتاب ( خواندن این قسمت ممکن است داستان را فاش کند )
دژ داستان سقوط و سپس به پا خاستن دکتری جوان در انگلستان است . قهرمان داستان او اندرو منسون ، پزشکی است که به سختی کاری در شهر معدنی فقیر در ولز پیدا می کند . اوکه فردی آرمانگرا و کاملا بی اعتنا به مادیات است ، با شور و ایمان به بهبود زندگی بیماران و تغییر شرایط وارد حرفه پزشکی میشود. در همان آغاز، منسون با بیماریهای ناشی از شرایط سخت کارگران معدن و بیتوجهی صاحبان معادن روبهرو میشود و میکوشد با دانش و صداقت خود تغییری ایجاد کند.
اما مسیر پیشرفت او ساده نیست. اندرو در برخورد با واقعیتهای تلخ نظام پزشکی انگلستان، کمکم درمییابد که آرمانگرایی تنها کافی نیست. جاهطلبی، وسوسهٔ پول و فشار اجتماعی او را به سوی لندن میکشاند؛ جایی که پزشکان بیشتر به تجمل و سود میاندیشند تا به سلامت بیماران. در این مرحله، منسون از آرمانهای اولیه فاصله میگیرد و سقوط اخلاقیاش آغاز میشود.
با این حال، داستان تنها دربارهٔ سقوط یک انسان نیست ، حضور همسرش کریستین و دوستانی چون فیلیپ دنی، وجدان او را بیدار میکند. اندرو درمییابد که پزشکی بدون انسانیت، تنها حرفهای سوداگرانه است. همین بازاندیشی و بازگشت به ارزشهای انسانی، نقطهٔ اوج رمان است؛ جایی که او دوباره برمیخیزد و به رسالت واقعی پزشکی وفادار میشود.
کرونین این گونه و از نگاه منسون ، پزشکان حرفه ای انگلستان را به تجدید نظر در اهداف فرا می خواند ، او می خواهد که پزشکان ، به جای آنکه تنها به ثروت و موقعیت اجتماعی بیندیشند، رسالت واقعی خود را در خدمت به انسان و سلامت جامعه بدانند . در نگاه منسون، پزشکی نه یک تجارت، بلکه یک مسئولیت اخلاقی و اجتماعی است؛ مسئولیتی که باید بر پایهٔ صداقت، همدلی با بیمار و عدالت بنا شود.
در پایان دژ را نباید تنها روایت زندگی یک پزشک دانست ؛ نویسنده کوشیده که جامعهٔ بریتانیا در دههٔ ۱۹۳۰ را با تمام تناقضهایش میان آرمان طلبی و مادیات و وجدان و جاهطلبی نشان دهد . دژ یادآور میشود که پزشکی را به عنوان یک حرفه پول ساز یا نردبانی برای پیشرفت نباید نگریست ، بلکه پزشکی رسالتی اخلاقی و اجتماعی است؛ رسالتی که اگر فراموش شود، به فساد میانجامد و اگر دوباره به دست آید، میتواند بنیان یک نظام عادلانه را بسازد.
همانند کتاب سلاخ خانه شیکاگو که به شرایط اسفناک زندگی کارگران در آمریکا می پرداخت ، دژ هم به سیستم بهداشتی انگلستان که پزشک سالاری بود پرداخته و ایرادها و نواقص آن را نشان داده . این سیستم تقریبا ده سال پس از انتشار کتاب کرونین اصلاح شد و سیستم خدمات ملی تاسیس شد که بر اساس آن هر شهروند میتوانست بدون پرداخت مستقیم هزینه، به پزشک، بیمارستان و دارو دسترسی داشته باشد و پرداخت هزینهها از طریق مالیات شهروندان تأمین میشود، نه پرداخت فردی بیماران .
داستان کتاب ( خواندن این قسمت ممکن است داستان را فاش کند )
دژ داستان سقوط و سپس به پا خاستن دکتری جوان در انگلستان است . قهرمان داستان او اندرو منسون ، پزشکی است که به سختی کاری در شهر معدنی فقیر در ولز پیدا می کند . اوکه فردی آرمانگرا و کاملا بی اعتنا به مادیات است ، با شور و ایمان به بهبود زندگی بیماران و تغییر شرایط وارد حرفه پزشکی میشود. در همان آغاز، منسون با بیماریهای ناشی از شرایط سخت کارگران معدن و بیتوجهی صاحبان معادن روبهرو میشود و میکوشد با دانش و صداقت خود تغییری ایجاد کند.
اما مسیر پیشرفت او ساده نیست. اندرو در برخورد با واقعیتهای تلخ نظام پزشکی انگلستان، کمکم درمییابد که آرمانگرایی تنها کافی نیست. جاهطلبی، وسوسهٔ پول و فشار اجتماعی او را به سوی لندن میکشاند؛ جایی که پزشکان بیشتر به تجمل و سود میاندیشند تا به سلامت بیماران. در این مرحله، منسون از آرمانهای اولیه فاصله میگیرد و سقوط اخلاقیاش آغاز میشود.
با این حال، داستان تنها دربارهٔ سقوط یک انسان نیست ، حضور همسرش کریستین و دوستانی چون فیلیپ دنی، وجدان او را بیدار میکند. اندرو درمییابد که پزشکی بدون انسانیت، تنها حرفهای سوداگرانه است. همین بازاندیشی و بازگشت به ارزشهای انسانی، نقطهٔ اوج رمان است؛ جایی که او دوباره برمیخیزد و به رسالت واقعی پزشکی وفادار میشود.
کرونین این گونه و از نگاه منسون ، پزشکان حرفه ای انگلستان را به تجدید نظر در اهداف فرا می خواند ، او می خواهد که پزشکان ، به جای آنکه تنها به ثروت و موقعیت اجتماعی بیندیشند، رسالت واقعی خود را در خدمت به انسان و سلامت جامعه بدانند . در نگاه منسون، پزشکی نه یک تجارت، بلکه یک مسئولیت اخلاقی و اجتماعی است؛ مسئولیتی که باید بر پایهٔ صداقت، همدلی با بیمار و عدالت بنا شود.
در پایان دژ را نباید تنها روایت زندگی یک پزشک دانست ؛ نویسنده کوشیده که جامعهٔ بریتانیا در دههٔ ۱۹۳۰ را با تمام تناقضهایش میان آرمان طلبی و مادیات و وجدان و جاهطلبی نشان دهد . دژ یادآور میشود که پزشکی را به عنوان یک حرفه پول ساز یا نردبانی برای پیشرفت نباید نگریست ، بلکه پزشکی رسالتی اخلاقی و اجتماعی است؛ رسالتی که اگر فراموش شود، به فساد میانجامد و اگر دوباره به دست آید، میتواند بنیان یک نظام عادلانه را بسازد.
December 8, 2025
This work is superb to discover because it has retained all its relevance, and the message it conveys remains as forceful as ever. This book is the first by this author for me. I opened it because I was intrigued by the title and wanted to know more and browse the story. What a good idea I had! The book is fascinating from start to finish and is a superb surprise that I highly recommend!
December 25, 2025
Всеки противник на ваксинирането трябва задължително да прочете тази книга!
Всеки, който си позволява да приравнява медицинските лица до един и същи нисък морален аршин, трябва да прочете тази книга.
Хората забравят толкова лесно и непростимо бързо...
На снимката: майки чакащи на опашка децата им да бъдат имунизирани срещу детски паралич, Австралия, 60те години на ХХ век. Прости хора ще речеш, пък и ги е нямало интернет и бг мамите, да им разяснят почти научно обосновано, каква огромна грешка правят...
Всеки, който си позволява да приравнява медицинските лица до един и същи нисък морален аршин, трябва да прочете тази книга.
Хората забравят толкова лесно и непростимо бързо...
На снимката: майки чакащи на опашка децата им да бъдат имунизирани срещу детски паралич, Австралия, 60те години на ХХ век. Прости хора ще речеш, пък и ги е нямало интернет и бг мамите, да им разяснят почти научно обосновано, каква огромна грешка правят...
November 12, 2024
The Citadel is a beautiful study of an idealistic young doctor who attempts to swim against the tide of the established medical ethics and the unorganized system, who, though almost drowned by it in the cause, courageously extricates himself and swims ashore conscientiously.
This story of the young Scottish doctor, Andrew Manson, is one inspirational story. Beginning his career as the medical assistant to a doctor in a South Wales mining community, he receives his first blow in the understanding that his learning at the medical school is inadequate to cater to the actual illnesses of the people. Slowly, with the help of a senior colleague and a little practical experience, he develops a scientific method of diagnosis and treatment. But in so doing, he is in for war, for he must face many difficulties since his method is against the traditionally established medical ethics. On top of it, Dr. Manson must face the jealousies and rivalries of the old practitioners who saw him as a threat to their practices. He is driven from place to place, but nowhere could he find his ideal system. Frustrated, he then swims in line with the established system for a time and finds himself slowly drowning in the benefits and money it brings. But one horrible incident wakes up the dormant idealist in him and thereon, he defies the system resorting to the beneficial yet unorthodox more scientific methods of treatment.
Based on his own experiences as a physician, in this semi-autobiographical novel, Cronin pours out his own views for an organized medical system, boldly confronting the established traditional medical ethics. Cronin wanted a change in the system, to establish an ordered method where the doctors could work conscientiously and in accordance with the Hippocratic Oath. He succeeded in his mission as this groundbreaking novel served to inspire the formation of the National Health Service (NHS).
The novel is mostly medical fiction, but it is also a good portrayal of a doctor's life, the hardships they face in carrying out their duties, the struggle to keep a decent professional front amidst financial difficulties, and the normal human feelings of love, separation, loss, grief, and hope. The sympathetic presentation of these professional men, showing that they are also humans with feelings in their non-professional capacity is really touching. Cronin may not be a literary genius, but his presentation of them is genuine and heartfelt. Andrew Manson earns readers' sympathy, and though his conduct is not always noble, he is a likable hero, because he feels real and human. And so are the other characters. Even those you don't like are relatable. Reading the story was almost like reading a true story.
For a newbie to Cronin, I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the story and his simplistic writing. There is no pretension or any unnecessary adornment. He connects us with the characters effortlessly. And though his writing is simple, there is a power in its simplicity which makes the story stay with you long after you finish reading it. That is the ability of a good storyteller, and Cronin qualifies as one.
This story of the young Scottish doctor, Andrew Manson, is one inspirational story. Beginning his career as the medical assistant to a doctor in a South Wales mining community, he receives his first blow in the understanding that his learning at the medical school is inadequate to cater to the actual illnesses of the people. Slowly, with the help of a senior colleague and a little practical experience, he develops a scientific method of diagnosis and treatment. But in so doing, he is in for war, for he must face many difficulties since his method is against the traditionally established medical ethics. On top of it, Dr. Manson must face the jealousies and rivalries of the old practitioners who saw him as a threat to their practices. He is driven from place to place, but nowhere could he find his ideal system. Frustrated, he then swims in line with the established system for a time and finds himself slowly drowning in the benefits and money it brings. But one horrible incident wakes up the dormant idealist in him and thereon, he defies the system resorting to the beneficial yet unorthodox more scientific methods of treatment.
Based on his own experiences as a physician, in this semi-autobiographical novel, Cronin pours out his own views for an organized medical system, boldly confronting the established traditional medical ethics. Cronin wanted a change in the system, to establish an ordered method where the doctors could work conscientiously and in accordance with the Hippocratic Oath. He succeeded in his mission as this groundbreaking novel served to inspire the formation of the National Health Service (NHS).
The novel is mostly medical fiction, but it is also a good portrayal of a doctor's life, the hardships they face in carrying out their duties, the struggle to keep a decent professional front amidst financial difficulties, and the normal human feelings of love, separation, loss, grief, and hope. The sympathetic presentation of these professional men, showing that they are also humans with feelings in their non-professional capacity is really touching. Cronin may not be a literary genius, but his presentation of them is genuine and heartfelt. Andrew Manson earns readers' sympathy, and though his conduct is not always noble, he is a likable hero, because he feels real and human. And so are the other characters. Even those you don't like are relatable. Reading the story was almost like reading a true story.
For a newbie to Cronin, I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the story and his simplistic writing. There is no pretension or any unnecessary adornment. He connects us with the characters effortlessly. And though his writing is simple, there is a power in its simplicity which makes the story stay with you long after you finish reading it. That is the ability of a good storyteller, and Cronin qualifies as one.
February 20, 2016
Oh this is wonderful story - a 1937 publication concerning primarily, the life of a young doctor investigating lung disease rife amongst miners and social conditions in mid Wales. Fully recommended.
September 6, 2019
I dont know if I can do justice to this book from my review, but I will try. The Citadel is my favourite novel without doubt. I will always love this book no matter how many brilliant books I read in the future. I treat this book with a kind of reverence which I give to no other novels and that has a lot to do with how I came across the book and the time at which I read it.
I found a really old withered copy of this book in the attic of my mother's home. It was owned by a lot of her relatives as it was a course book in their college syllabus and was handed over from one person to another and finally left in the attic to decay, once everyone passed out of college. I felt so sorry for this book and a few others which I rescued and brought back home.
As I read past the yellowed pages of the really delicate book, I was enchanted by Andrew Manson, his dedication and his high morals. I loved Christine Barlow and her honesty and values. I loved the plot. I was appalled by the changes in Manson as he grew rich and felt sorry for Christine as she struggled to support her husband and tried and failed to bring him back to the person he was when she met him for the first time.
This book is the journey of a young doctor fresh out of college, eager to help everyone with his knowledge and skills who ends up lost in the charm of money and fame and losses all interest in the morals and values he once fought for. This is a story of a woman who fell in love with an honest hardworking doctor who went to great lengths to save lives, only to find him changing for the worse into someone whom they both despised. The story of her struggles to make him realise his mistakes. This is a book about medical ethics and what it means to be a doctor. It is a great read and all aspiring medical students must definitely read this stunning book.
I am definitely in love with this book and its characters ever since I read it many years ago when I was just 15. And I will never stop loving it. Hope this review inspires readers to try this amazing book.
It is a semi autobiographical novel of A. J. Cronin who was a doctor. This is the only novel of Cronin's I had ever read. And there I have given my longest review on Goodreads!😁
I found a really old withered copy of this book in the attic of my mother's home. It was owned by a lot of her relatives as it was a course book in their college syllabus and was handed over from one person to another and finally left in the attic to decay, once everyone passed out of college. I felt so sorry for this book and a few others which I rescued and brought back home.
As I read past the yellowed pages of the really delicate book, I was enchanted by Andrew Manson, his dedication and his high morals. I loved Christine Barlow and her honesty and values. I loved the plot. I was appalled by the changes in Manson as he grew rich and felt sorry for Christine as she struggled to support her husband and tried and failed to bring him back to the person he was when she met him for the first time.
This book is the journey of a young doctor fresh out of college, eager to help everyone with his knowledge and skills who ends up lost in the charm of money and fame and losses all interest in the morals and values he once fought for. This is a story of a woman who fell in love with an honest hardworking doctor who went to great lengths to save lives, only to find him changing for the worse into someone whom they both despised. The story of her struggles to make him realise his mistakes. This is a book about medical ethics and what it means to be a doctor. It is a great read and all aspiring medical students must definitely read this stunning book.
I am definitely in love with this book and its characters ever since I read it many years ago when I was just 15. And I will never stop loving it. Hope this review inspires readers to try this amazing book.
It is a semi autobiographical novel of A. J. Cronin who was a doctor. This is the only novel of Cronin's I had ever read. And there I have given my longest review on Goodreads!😁
September 27, 2023
I will definitely be reading more by this author--SOON!
Read first the book description—it is accurate.
What should be pointed out?
*There is a feel of the old-fashioned in the prose. I like this very much.
*Historical information is captivatingly drawn. At the same time facts are informatively presented. There is a good balance of heart and head.
*Ethics, both medical and personal, is a central theme. How to live a life and the road toward finding one’s own way is movingly portrayed. Life’s ups and down, happiness and sorrow--both are here. The reader observes the allure of money and fame and the depths to which they can bring a person. This was a very important element of the story for me!
*The characters become individuals you come to know very, very well. The characters presented at the start of the novel carry through to the end. None are extraneous. The story is well thought out.
*I don’t enjoy sweet, happy, cute fairy tales. They are not reality. Reality is delivered here.
The audiobook is read by Franklin Engelmann. The narration performance is fine, but the recording is poor. The sound is distant, as if you were listening to an old movie recording that crackles.
The author was himself a doctor--he writes of what he knows!
I so wish I had more time to spend writing about this classic. Life intrudes.
*******************
Standalones:
*The Keys of the Kingdom 5 stars
*The Stars Look Down 5 stars
*A Thing of Beauty 4 stars
*The Citadel 4 stars
*Adventures in Two Worlds 4 srats
(autobiography)
*The Judas Tree 4 stars
*The Spanish Gardener 4 stars
*Hatter's Castle 4 stars
*Beyond This Place TBR
*Three Loves  TBR
*The Northern Light TBR
*Vigil in the NightTBR
*Grand Canary TBR
Duologies:
1,The Green Years 5 stars
2.Shannon's Way 3 stars
--------------------
1.A Song of Sixpence 5 stars
2.A Pocketful of Rye 3 stars
Read first the book description—it is accurate.
What should be pointed out?
*There is a feel of the old-fashioned in the prose. I like this very much.
*Historical information is captivatingly drawn. At the same time facts are informatively presented. There is a good balance of heart and head.
*Ethics, both medical and personal, is a central theme. How to live a life and the road toward finding one’s own way is movingly portrayed. Life’s ups and down, happiness and sorrow--both are here. The reader observes the allure of money and fame and the depths to which they can bring a person. This was a very important element of the story for me!
*The characters become individuals you come to know very, very well. The characters presented at the start of the novel carry through to the end. None are extraneous. The story is well thought out.
*I don’t enjoy sweet, happy, cute fairy tales. They are not reality. Reality is delivered here.
The audiobook is read by Franklin Engelmann. The narration performance is fine, but the recording is poor. The sound is distant, as if you were listening to an old movie recording that crackles.
The author was himself a doctor--he writes of what he knows!
I so wish I had more time to spend writing about this classic. Life intrudes.
*******************
Standalones:
*The Keys of the Kingdom 5 stars
*The Stars Look Down 5 stars
*A Thing of Beauty 4 stars
*The Citadel 4 stars
*Adventures in Two Worlds 4 srats
(autobiography)
*The Judas Tree 4 stars
*The Spanish Gardener 4 stars
*Hatter's Castle 4 stars
*Beyond This Place TBR
*Three Loves  TBR
*The Northern Light TBR
*Vigil in the NightTBR
*Grand Canary TBR
Duologies:
1,The Green Years 5 stars
2.Shannon's Way 3 stars
--------------------
1.A Song of Sixpence 5 stars
2.A Pocketful of Rye 3 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2021
Set in the 1920s in a Welsh mining town, protagonist Andrew Manson is a newly qualified Doctor of Medicine. He is idealistic and eager to make his mark. He wants to change the traditional ineffective methods and use the latest science in his treatments. He becomes fascinated with analyzing the source of miners’ lung diseases. As he moves upward in his career, he loses his idealism and becomes more interested in accumulating wealth. His wife grows disillusioned, wondering what happened to the man she married.
This book explores ethics in the medical profession. It portrays doctors of varying competence. Some keep up their skills and others become wedded to traditional remedies. Some compete vigorously with other doctors. The story contains descriptions of diagnoses, medical procedures, and surgeries. Published in 1937, this book was helpful in pointing out changes needed in the UK’s health care system.
This book explores ethics in the medical profession. It portrays doctors of varying competence. Some keep up their skills and others become wedded to traditional remedies. Some compete vigorously with other doctors. The story contains descriptions of diagnoses, medical procedures, and surgeries. Published in 1937, this book was helpful in pointing out changes needed in the UK’s health care system.
November 14, 2024
Вже вкотре з цим зіштовхуюсь, але щоразу дивуюсь — от як же тексти сторічної давнини близькі нам по сенсах до сьогодення. Навіть мозок, коли читає, то хоче відчути вайб старовини, чогось неактуального, несвідомо вишуковує це, але не знаходить. Очевидно, якби це була екранізація, де все візуально вказувало б на те, що це 1920-ті роки, то такого ефекту не було б...
...але в тому і краса книг. Ти можеш відчувати і уявляти так, як хочеш. Діалоги, думки, переживання, стосунки, комплекси, привабливість успіху та страх невдач, моральні дилеми та складність важливих рішень — все це було, є і буде в приблизно однаковому вектору. Тому і так впізнаване у текстах та вічно актуальне.
Прочитав “Цитадель” Арчибальда Кроніна. Перше знайомство з автором, і точно не останнє.
Це історія про молодого лікаря Ендрю Менсона, який розпочинає свій професійний шлях у медицині. Він ідеаліст, чітко для себе розуміє, що є правильним, а що неправильним, відстоює правду та намагається діяти по совісті. Але світ медицини — як і будь-яка сфера нашого життя — не дуже любить “правильних людей”. Тут і виникає питання конформізму, компромісів з совістю, гри по певних неписаним правилам — звісно, якщо ти хочеш залишитись в цьому човні і комфортно себе в ньому почувати. Чи впорається Ендрю з цим натиском? Чи зрадить собі і своїм ідеалам? Як буде діяти тоді, коли моральний компас змушений буде збитись?
Класична історія з розкриттям класичних проблем. Гарно, стильно, моментами глибоко, моментами поверхнево, але точно не без байдужості. Так чи інакше в головних персонажах десь впізнаєте себе. Певно, історія могла би бути меншою, бо десь превалювала тема роздумів про медицину і суто професійних розмов (це нагадало “Остаточний діагноз” Артура Гейлі), і ставало трішки скучно, але цілісне враження — хороше.
Чув, що це не найсильніший текст Кроніна, тому з часом спробую ще щось почитати. А поки — задоволений, хороша, витримана, елегантна та емоційна історія “старої закалки”.
Ще більше відгуків та окололітературного шукайте в моєму книжковому блозі в Телеграмі
...але в тому і краса книг. Ти можеш відчувати і уявляти так, як хочеш. Діалоги, думки, переживання, стосунки, комплекси, привабливість успіху та страх невдач, моральні дилеми та складність важливих рішень — все це було, є і буде в приблизно однаковому вектору. Тому і так впізнаване у текстах та вічно актуальне.
Прочитав “Цитадель” Арчибальда Кроніна. Перше знайомство з автором, і точно не останнє.
Це історія про молодого лікаря Ендрю Менсона, який розпочинає свій професійний шлях у медицині. Він ідеаліст, чітко для себе розуміє, що є правильним, а що неправильним, відстоює правду та намагається діяти по совісті. Але світ медицини — як і будь-яка сфера нашого життя — не дуже любить “правильних людей”. Тут і виникає питання конформізму, компромісів з совістю, гри по певних неписаним правилам — звісно, якщо ти хочеш залишитись в цьому човні і комфортно себе в ньому почувати. Чи впорається Ендрю з цим натиском? Чи зрадить собі і своїм ідеалам? Як буде діяти тоді, коли моральний компас змушений буде збитись?
Класична історія з розкриттям класичних проблем. Гарно, стильно, моментами глибоко, моментами поверхнево, але точно не без байдужості. Так чи інакше в головних персонажах десь впізнаєте себе. Певно, історія могла би бути меншою, бо десь превалювала тема роздумів про медицину і суто професійних розмов (це нагадало “Остаточний діагноз” Артура Гейлі), і ставало трішки скучно, але цілісне враження — хороше.
Чув, що це не найсильніший текст Кроніна, тому з часом спробую ще щось почитати. А поки — задоволений, хороша, витримана, елегантна та емоційна історія “старої закалки”.
Ще більше відгуків та окололітературного шукайте в моєму книжковому блозі в Телеграмі
May 3, 2019
The Citadel won the National Book Award for Novels in 1937. It was written by A.J. Cronin
The dialogue in this semi-autobiographical story about a talented young Welsh doctor was quite good. The cases and threads were also convincing. The doctor, Andrew, and his wife, Christine, were both likable characters.
The problem that I had with the book is that the prose is very choppy and not always a pleasure to read. The death of a major character does not garner more than three pages in the book. In the same vein, there are many medical cases that occur, mostly accidents, so it reads like a series of vignettes without a lot of drama.
3.5 stars. The story and writing style is dated. It probably garners an additional half star when comparing to other books written in the 1930’s.
The dialogue in this semi-autobiographical story about a talented young Welsh doctor was quite good. The cases and threads were also convincing. The doctor, Andrew, and his wife, Christine, were both likable characters.
The problem that I had with the book is that the prose is very choppy and not always a pleasure to read. The death of a major character does not garner more than three pages in the book. In the same vein, there are many medical cases that occur, mostly accidents, so it reads like a series of vignettes without a lot of drama.
3.5 stars. The story and writing style is dated. It probably garners an additional half star when comparing to other books written in the 1930’s.
November 4, 2021
Que eu sou um fã de livros com temática de medicina, isso já deixei bem claro por aqui! Por isso, foi com muita expectativa que comecei a ler A cidadela, em que são narradas as condições de trabalho de um jovem médico recém-formado no início do século XX. Além disso, em nossa conversa para o @dariaumlivropodcast, o livro havia sido indicado por Antônio Fagundes como um dos seus favoritos.
O protagonista da história, Dr. Andrew Manson, inicia sua carreira em uma pequena aldeia do País de Gales. Por não ter tido muita experiência com pacientes, conseguimos acompanhar a insegurança de um jovem com a enorme responsabilidade de lidar com a vida dos moradores de Drineffy. Porém, sempre buscando enxergar o seu paciente como um ser complexo, indo além da simples análise dos seus sintomas físicos, Dr. Manson começa a chamar a atenção na região em que atende.
Apesar de o início da leitura ter me prendido bastante a atenção, confesso que o desenvolvimento do meio da narrativa ficou um pouco lento. Tive a sensação de que a rotina do Dr. Manson teria ficado monótona, sem grandes acontecimentos.
Por sua vez, consegui retomar o ritmo no terço final da obra. Depois que se muda para Londres e começa a adentrar no círculo social dos pacientes ricos e importantes, o personagem passa a esbarrar em questões éticas interessantes. Foi como se o médico tão interessado no bem-estar do paciente passasse a ser corrompido por uma sociedade que vive pelo dinheiro e pelo poder. Há um crescente conflito interno entre sucesso profissional e os objetivos éticos da tão venerada profissão dos médicos… Temas que, na minha visão, ainda devem existir para quem vive nesse meio. Também é interessante ver como as questões profissionais acabam irradiando para o lado pessoal e familiar do protagonista.
Mesmo com esse ritmo mais lento no desenvolvimento da obra, a experiência da leitura foi bem prazerosa. Recomendo bastante a leitura para quem se interessa pelo tema e para quem gosta de romances que retratam a sociedade do início do século passado!
Nota 8,5/10
Leia mais resenhas em https://www.instagram.com/book.ster/
O protagonista da história, Dr. Andrew Manson, inicia sua carreira em uma pequena aldeia do País de Gales. Por não ter tido muita experiência com pacientes, conseguimos acompanhar a insegurança de um jovem com a enorme responsabilidade de lidar com a vida dos moradores de Drineffy. Porém, sempre buscando enxergar o seu paciente como um ser complexo, indo além da simples análise dos seus sintomas físicos, Dr. Manson começa a chamar a atenção na região em que atende.
Apesar de o início da leitura ter me prendido bastante a atenção, confesso que o desenvolvimento do meio da narrativa ficou um pouco lento. Tive a sensação de que a rotina do Dr. Manson teria ficado monótona, sem grandes acontecimentos.
Por sua vez, consegui retomar o ritmo no terço final da obra. Depois que se muda para Londres e começa a adentrar no círculo social dos pacientes ricos e importantes, o personagem passa a esbarrar em questões éticas interessantes. Foi como se o médico tão interessado no bem-estar do paciente passasse a ser corrompido por uma sociedade que vive pelo dinheiro e pelo poder. Há um crescente conflito interno entre sucesso profissional e os objetivos éticos da tão venerada profissão dos médicos… Temas que, na minha visão, ainda devem existir para quem vive nesse meio. Também é interessante ver como as questões profissionais acabam irradiando para o lado pessoal e familiar do protagonista.
Mesmo com esse ritmo mais lento no desenvolvimento da obra, a experiência da leitura foi bem prazerosa. Recomendo bastante a leitura para quem se interessa pelo tema e para quem gosta de romances que retratam a sociedade do início do século passado!
Nota 8,5/10
Leia mais resenhas em https://www.instagram.com/book.ster/
January 17, 2011
This book was written in 1937. It is about an idealistic young doctor who starts off poor and has a great heart for the poor and the sick. He marries a wonderful young teacher named Christine and they are very happy, not having much materially, but rich in love and plans for the future. They begin their life in the mining town of Wales, where he begins research involving the men with breathing problems due to their exposure to the dust in the underground mines.
They eventually move to London. He slowly begins to see that there is a great deal of money to be made by tending to the rich and pampering them with pills and potions and attention. He loses his high standards and begins the downward slope. Christine is not happy with the change and their once idyllic relationship begins to fall apart. He's not the man she married.
It is the story of falling and then getting back up again. Wonderfully told, sometimes wordy, with great characters and lots of in and outs. I loved it!
They eventually move to London. He slowly begins to see that there is a great deal of money to be made by tending to the rich and pampering them with pills and potions and attention. He loses his high standards and begins the downward slope. Christine is not happy with the change and their once idyllic relationship begins to fall apart. He's not the man she married.
It is the story of falling and then getting back up again. Wonderfully told, sometimes wordy, with great characters and lots of in and outs. I loved it!
September 4, 2015
Wonderful. I picked this up for $1 at a used book store. I didn't recognize the title or the author but figured, what do I have to lose, it's only a buck, right?
Once I started reading, it all came back to me. I read this twenty years ago and in my mind I lumped it with Francis Brett Young's "Dr. Bradley Remembers" which is another great book, high on the list for a re-read, and very similar in style and subject matter to "Citadel".
You know a good book when twenty years later you still know all the characters, the plot, the finale, and it remains a five star read.
Simply put, this is the story of a doctor's assistant who gets an appointment in Wales to help an MD in a mining village. However, when he arrives, he finds that the MD has been incapacitated from a stroke and he must carry on without him. From there, he starts specializing in diseases of the lungs, gets his MD licence, works his way up the corporal ladder and very nearly sells his soul in his quest to "be someone".
Everything about this is excellent. The characters, the plot, the dialog; I really couldn't change a thing. Just an all over great read.
CONTENT:
Sex: None shown
PROFANITY: Very mild. D's
VIOLENCE: None. Some surgical procedures, a mine accident, traffic accident. Nothing graphic.
PARANORMAL ELEMENTS: None
Once I started reading, it all came back to me. I read this twenty years ago and in my mind I lumped it with Francis Brett Young's "Dr. Bradley Remembers" which is another great book, high on the list for a re-read, and very similar in style and subject matter to "Citadel".
You know a good book when twenty years later you still know all the characters, the plot, the finale, and it remains a five star read.
Simply put, this is the story of a doctor's assistant who gets an appointment in Wales to help an MD in a mining village. However, when he arrives, he finds that the MD has been incapacitated from a stroke and he must carry on without him. From there, he starts specializing in diseases of the lungs, gets his MD licence, works his way up the corporal ladder and very nearly sells his soul in his quest to "be someone".
Everything about this is excellent. The characters, the plot, the dialog; I really couldn't change a thing. Just an all over great read.
CONTENT:
Sex: None shown
PROFANITY: Very mild. D's
VIOLENCE: None. Some surgical procedures, a mine accident, traffic accident. Nothing graphic.
PARANORMAL ELEMENTS: None
May 24, 2011
Instead of telling you what the story is like, I'd rather tell you what I felt like when reading it.
My heart intertwined with the main character's heart in a firm grasp, Cronin made the character come alive for me - I felt each little bit of happiness, stressfulness and sadness in those droplets of ink. The main character's personality growth was astounding.
I recommend this book especially to everyone considering a career as a doctor.
My heart intertwined with the main character's heart in a firm grasp, Cronin made the character come alive for me - I felt each little bit of happiness, stressfulness and sadness in those droplets of ink. The main character's personality growth was astounding.
I recommend this book especially to everyone considering a career as a doctor.
July 19, 2015
This is the story of a young country doctor life and how he struggled to become a successful doctor in a big city.
Andrew Manson, a young Scotsman man, started his professional life in the mines of Wales where he worked in a tough condition by paying part of his salary to a senior and reputed local doctor. He dedicated part of his life studying lung diseases which was the primary disease found in most of the local miners.
In order to improve his career, he moves to London with his wife - a school teacher. There he pursuit to become a prestigious doctor by submitting to a board examination. This fact will bring a lot of prestige, money and all kind of human ambition.
However, the death of a patient will roll his life upside down, making him to revise his moral obligations against his family, friends and to the society as well.
By telling this magnificent story, the author built a great fiction masterpiece. That’s why he is considered with great justice as one most great writers of the 20th century fiction.
Several other books have this kind of storyline but in different scenarios and covering different heath issues, such as:
The Spanish Gardener by A.J. Cronin, see my review here.
The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham, see my review here.
Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham, see my review here.
A non-fiction book is worth mentioning here:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, see my review here.
And another book that should not be forgotten is The Physician by Noah Gordon, which is already in my TBR list for quite some time already.
4* The Spanish Gardener
3* Lady with Carnations
5* The Citadel
TR Hatter’s Castle
TR The Keys of the Kingdom
TR The Stars Look Down
TR The Green Years
Andrew Manson, a young Scotsman man, started his professional life in the mines of Wales where he worked in a tough condition by paying part of his salary to a senior and reputed local doctor. He dedicated part of his life studying lung diseases which was the primary disease found in most of the local miners.
In order to improve his career, he moves to London with his wife - a school teacher. There he pursuit to become a prestigious doctor by submitting to a board examination. This fact will bring a lot of prestige, money and all kind of human ambition.
However, the death of a patient will roll his life upside down, making him to revise his moral obligations against his family, friends and to the society as well.
By telling this magnificent story, the author built a great fiction masterpiece. That’s why he is considered with great justice as one most great writers of the 20th century fiction.
Several other books have this kind of storyline but in different scenarios and covering different heath issues, such as:
The Spanish Gardener by A.J. Cronin, see my review here.
The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham, see my review here.
Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham, see my review here.
A non-fiction book is worth mentioning here:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, see my review here.
And another book that should not be forgotten is The Physician by Noah Gordon, which is already in my TBR list for quite some time already.
4* The Spanish Gardener
3* Lady with Carnations
5* The Citadel
TR Hatter’s Castle
TR The Keys of the Kingdom
TR The Stars Look Down
TR The Green Years
February 1, 2023
"If we go on trying to make out that everything's wrong outside the profession and everything is right within, it means the death of scientific progress."
First published in 1937 and set during the interwar years 'The Citadel' shines a light on the medical establishment in Britain at the time through the eyes of a young newly qualified Scottish doctor. Andrew Manson, takes up his first clinical post as an assistant to a GP in a small Welsh mining community where disease and poverty is rife, sanitation poor and operations are performed on kitchen tables before moving as his career progresses to the fashionable, greedy world of London with its private clinics, hypochondriac patients and rich awards. Manson arrives with a bagful of enthusiasm and idealism but soon comes face to face with the realism of his chosen profession.
Archibald Joseph Cronin was born in Cardross, Dunbartonshire, in 1896, and was destined either for the Church or medicine: he chose medicine. Cronin trained in various hospitals in Scotland, Dublin and South Wales. He was appointed as a Medical Inspector of Mines and reported on coal-dust inhalation and lung disease before subsequently moving to London and private practice. This novel is therefore semi-autobiographical in nature as he draws on his professional career as a background.
The novel has two specific areas of emphasis. Firstly, the work of the doctor in a poor community and how his work is transformed when he moves to a city and private practice. Secondly the competence, or incompetence, of doctors and their need to keep their skills up to date. Manson is often critical of the quality of other doctors' work.
In the small Welsh mining village, the men, as miners, can change doctors through a company insurance scheme whenever they wish, their choices often based on the doctor's own popularity rather than his ability. Manson is outspoken and critical of the way in which the service is funded which lands him in trouble.
But the climax comes when Manson is asked to treat the daughter of an old friend who has tuberculosis. Manson has her admitted to an established London hospital but when the treatment provided there shows no signs of benefit he recommends a new therapy. His senior disagrees and Manson removes his young patient to a newly built hospital with an un-medically qualified boss. However, despite the success of the treatment and his patient's subsequent discharge, when Manson’s London colleagues hear about this he is referred to the General Medical Council (GMC) to be investigated with the potential outcome of him being struck off the Medical Register.
In many respects this novel is a creature of its time. Cronin identified many of the issues in clinical practice which needed to be tackled , including better supervision of young doctors, postgraduate education programmes and the novel's popularity along with the cinematic portrayal helped towards the establishment of the NHS a decade or so later. However, some of the issues, in particular affordability, are still relevant today.
This isn't perhaps great literature. Manson despite his revolutionary zeal isn't always a particularly likeable character, he is often, selfish, arrogant and uncaring, but Cronin still manages to present an interesting and entertaining story. I am always interested in novels that feature social history and this book had the power to change public attitudes and behaviour towards health as well as professional thinking and for that reason alone deserves to be more widely read today.
First published in 1937 and set during the interwar years 'The Citadel' shines a light on the medical establishment in Britain at the time through the eyes of a young newly qualified Scottish doctor. Andrew Manson, takes up his first clinical post as an assistant to a GP in a small Welsh mining community where disease and poverty is rife, sanitation poor and operations are performed on kitchen tables before moving as his career progresses to the fashionable, greedy world of London with its private clinics, hypochondriac patients and rich awards. Manson arrives with a bagful of enthusiasm and idealism but soon comes face to face with the realism of his chosen profession.
Archibald Joseph Cronin was born in Cardross, Dunbartonshire, in 1896, and was destined either for the Church or medicine: he chose medicine. Cronin trained in various hospitals in Scotland, Dublin and South Wales. He was appointed as a Medical Inspector of Mines and reported on coal-dust inhalation and lung disease before subsequently moving to London and private practice. This novel is therefore semi-autobiographical in nature as he draws on his professional career as a background.
The novel has two specific areas of emphasis. Firstly, the work of the doctor in a poor community and how his work is transformed when he moves to a city and private practice. Secondly the competence, or incompetence, of doctors and their need to keep their skills up to date. Manson is often critical of the quality of other doctors' work.
In the small Welsh mining village, the men, as miners, can change doctors through a company insurance scheme whenever they wish, their choices often based on the doctor's own popularity rather than his ability. Manson is outspoken and critical of the way in which the service is funded which lands him in trouble.
But the climax comes when Manson is asked to treat the daughter of an old friend who has tuberculosis. Manson has her admitted to an established London hospital but when the treatment provided there shows no signs of benefit he recommends a new therapy. His senior disagrees and Manson removes his young patient to a newly built hospital with an un-medically qualified boss. However, despite the success of the treatment and his patient's subsequent discharge, when Manson’s London colleagues hear about this he is referred to the General Medical Council (GMC) to be investigated with the potential outcome of him being struck off the Medical Register.
In many respects this novel is a creature of its time. Cronin identified many of the issues in clinical practice which needed to be tackled , including better supervision of young doctors, postgraduate education programmes and the novel's popularity along with the cinematic portrayal helped towards the establishment of the NHS a decade or so later. However, some of the issues, in particular affordability, are still relevant today.
This isn't perhaps great literature. Manson despite his revolutionary zeal isn't always a particularly likeable character, he is often, selfish, arrogant and uncaring, but Cronin still manages to present an interesting and entertaining story. I am always interested in novels that feature social history and this book had the power to change public attitudes and behaviour towards health as well as professional thinking and for that reason alone deserves to be more widely read today.
February 18, 2026
One of my all time favourite books till date.I must have read this book about 38 years ago and this book published in 1937 that portrays the trials and tribulations of Dr.Andrew Manson and expresses the magic and misery of the profession and the pride and prejudice that exists even to this day. The choice of characters,the story,the depth of thought,the values,virtues and principles are so aptly portrayed and this book unmistakably really is a classic !! The story follows Dr. Andrew Manson, a freshly qualified and idealistic young Scottish physician who begins his career in a Welsh mining town. He’s driven by the desire to improve people’s health and to practice medicine based on science, compassion, and ethical principles. Initially, Manson confronts the harsh realities of the healthcare system in the small community—poor sanitation, rampant disease, outdated practices, and resistance from both the establishment and local authorities. As he gains experience, he becomes more ambitious and moves to London, where he is drawn into the lucrative world of private practice. But this success brings moral dilemmas, ethical compromises, and personal challenges that test his integrity.  Andrew Manson begins as a principled doctor determined to help the underserved. However, his transition into successful London society exposes him to the vices of materialism and professional compromise. Personal tragedies and professional crises force him to re-examine his values and strive toward restoring his original ideals.
Re read this book about twice ! It’s 5 stars from my side !!
Dr.Javed Rasheed
Re read this book about twice ! It’s 5 stars from my side !!
Dr.Javed Rasheed
September 19, 2011
Арчибълд Кронин разказва лекарска приказка в "Цитаделата": http://www.knigolandia.info/2009/10/b...
Още на 7-8-та страница се усетих, че съм чел тази книга, но кога и до днес не мога да си спомня. Въпреки това имах усещането, че съм я харесал и затова си я дочетох чинно.
В книгата се разказва историята на д-р Андрю Менсън, млад и перспективен лекар. Той започва работа в малко миньорско градче, като бързо печели уважение с отдадеността си на професията. Чрез неговата уста Кронин яростно критикува лекарската система, която е тромава и неефикасна, корумпирана и безнадеждно непрофесионална в кастовата си закърнялост. (Нищо не се е променило в наши дни, задължително трябва да гледате изумителния филм на Майкъл Муур "Sicko"!)
Още на 7-8-та страница се усетих, че съм чел тази книга, но кога и до днес не мога да си спомня. Въпреки това имах усещането, че съм я харесал и затова си я дочетох чинно.
В книгата се разказва историята на д-р Андрю Менсън, млад и перспективен лекар. Той започва работа в малко миньорско градче, като бързо печели уважение с отдадеността си на професията. Чрез неговата уста Кронин яростно критикува лекарската система, която е тромава и неефикасна, корумпирана и безнадеждно непрофесионална в кастовата си закърнялост. (Нищо не се е променило в наши дни, задължително трябва да гледате изумителния филм на Майкъл Муур "Sicko"!)
June 30, 2020
A great novel. While it traces the career and challenges of a young doctor this story could easily be about almost any young person's choices in most any career. A book that should be read by every young person just starting out.
August 8, 2020
După absolvirea facultății de medicină, tânărul și ambițiosul Andrew Manson vine să lucreze în calitate de medic asistent într-o mică localitate minieră de la sudul țării galilor. Plin de neîncredere în forțele proprii, aici descoperă diferența dintre teorie și practică. Începe să lege prietenii durabile în timp (Denny - in chirurg extraordinar) și se îndrăgostește. Însă fiind nedreptățit, alege un viitor nesigur în altă parte, decât să lâncezească in același loc, alimentându-și nemulțumirea. Își schimbă adesea locul de trai și postul de lucru, fiind în continuă dezvoltare. Susține examene, avansează în titlu, devine bogat. Însă descoperă lacune în sistemul medical. Găsește medici pentru care banii sunt mai importanți decât pacienții. Întâlnește medici cu titlu și fără abilități practice, dar și oameni care profesează excelent medicina fără a deține titlu de medic.
Andrew constituie pesonajul complex (nici prea bun, nici prea rău; uneori blajin, alteori arogant); un medic în devenire, apoi unul care tinde spre perfecțiune, reforme, implicându-se în proiecte științifice, având curajul să declare nefolositoare medicamentele și metodele de diagnostic utilizate pe vremuri și aplicând în practică (destul de reușit) altele noi. În carte sunt descrise atât de bine sentimentele unui medic la fiecare etapă a procesului de avansare și declin!
Mi-a plăcut devotamentul lui Christine. O femeie spirituală, soția perfectă, dedicată în întregime soțului, scopul lui devenind și scopul ei.
E o carte despre medicină și căile ei deloc ușoare, despre deontologia medicală, despre colegialitate, grijă, devotament.
Deși publicată acum 83 de ani, cartea continuă să fie dureros de actuală.
🩺 "Dacă persistăm, încercând doar să dovedim că toate merg de minune în meseria noastră, și că, în afară de meseria noastră, nu mai există nimic bun - atunci, într-adevăr, aceasta înseamnă moartea progresului științific."
🩺 "La drept vorbind suntem statici. Nu ne gândim niciodată la progres, la faptul că facem unele lucruri, dar în realitate nu facem nimic. De ani de zile, ne văicărim, înfierând condițiile mizerabile în care lucrează infirmierele noastre, salariile de foame pe care le primesc. Și am făcut ceva? Ele continuă să fie exploatate, și sunt plătite și azi în același fel."
Recomand!
Andrew constituie pesonajul complex (nici prea bun, nici prea rău; uneori blajin, alteori arogant); un medic în devenire, apoi unul care tinde spre perfecțiune, reforme, implicându-se în proiecte științifice, având curajul să declare nefolositoare medicamentele și metodele de diagnostic utilizate pe vremuri și aplicând în practică (destul de reușit) altele noi. În carte sunt descrise atât de bine sentimentele unui medic la fiecare etapă a procesului de avansare și declin!
Mi-a plăcut devotamentul lui Christine. O femeie spirituală, soția perfectă, dedicată în întregime soțului, scopul lui devenind și scopul ei.
E o carte despre medicină și căile ei deloc ușoare, despre deontologia medicală, despre colegialitate, grijă, devotament.
Deși publicată acum 83 de ani, cartea continuă să fie dureros de actuală.
🩺 "Dacă persistăm, încercând doar să dovedim că toate merg de minune în meseria noastră, și că, în afară de meseria noastră, nu mai există nimic bun - atunci, într-adevăr, aceasta înseamnă moartea progresului științific."
🩺 "La drept vorbind suntem statici. Nu ne gândim niciodată la progres, la faptul că facem unele lucruri, dar în realitate nu facem nimic. De ani de zile, ne văicărim, înfierând condițiile mizerabile în care lucrează infirmierele noastre, salariile de foame pe care le primesc. Și am făcut ceva? Ele continuă să fie exploatate, și sunt plătite și azi în același fel."
Recomand!
April 9, 2024
"You won't find it conform to the best traditions of romantic practice. There's no hospital, no ambulance, no X-rays, no anything. If you want to operate, you use the kitchen table. In a dry summer, the kids die like flies with infantile cholera."
These are the prospects of our protagonist, newly-qualified Dr Andrew Manson, as he arrives in 1924 in the fictitious Welsh mining town of Drineffy, as an assistant to an elderly Doctor Paige. Eager to improve the lives of his patients, who were mainly coal miners, Manson researches lung disease, silicosis in particular to great success, even receiving the prestigious MRCP (Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom).
But this is indeed nothing short of a horror story - a horror story about medical ethics. Or lack thereof.
I give extra points to Cronin for mentioning the whistling pneumothorax, with its treatment of collapsing an affected lung with nitrogen that was not universally accepted at the time - I am partial to this medical titbit as a part of Mann's The Magic Mountain.
I give triple extra points to Cronin for working on the correlation between coal dust inhalation and lung disease for Tredegar Medical Aid Society, which provided the novel free health care services to the locals and for his book being credited as instrumental in the creation of the UK's National Health Service.
Cronin once stated in an interview, "I have written in The Citadel all I feel about the medical profession, its injustices, its hide-bound unscientific stubbornness, its humbug ... The horrors and inequities detailed in the story I have personally witnessed. This is not an attack against individuals, but against a system."
The NHS was one of the first universal health care systems established anywhere in the world. A decade after Cronin writes his book that even affects the British government, a leaflet (see here) was sent to every household in June 1948 which explained that:
"It will provide you with all medical, dental and nursing care. Everyone — rich or poor, man, woman or child — can use it or any part of it. There are no charges, except for a few special items. There are no insurance qualifications. But it is not a “charity”. You are all paying for it, mainly as tax payers, and it will relieve your money worries in time of illness."
— Central Office of Information, for the Ministry of Health
These are the prospects of our protagonist, newly-qualified Dr Andrew Manson, as he arrives in 1924 in the fictitious Welsh mining town of Drineffy, as an assistant to an elderly Doctor Paige. Eager to improve the lives of his patients, who were mainly coal miners, Manson researches lung disease, silicosis in particular to great success, even receiving the prestigious MRCP (Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom).
But this is indeed nothing short of a horror story - a horror story about medical ethics. Or lack thereof.
I give extra points to Cronin for mentioning the whistling pneumothorax, with its treatment of collapsing an affected lung with nitrogen that was not universally accepted at the time - I am partial to this medical titbit as a part of Mann's The Magic Mountain.
I give triple extra points to Cronin for working on the correlation between coal dust inhalation and lung disease for Tredegar Medical Aid Society, which provided the novel free health care services to the locals and for his book being credited as instrumental in the creation of the UK's National Health Service.
Cronin once stated in an interview, "I have written in The Citadel all I feel about the medical profession, its injustices, its hide-bound unscientific stubbornness, its humbug ... The horrors and inequities detailed in the story I have personally witnessed. This is not an attack against individuals, but against a system."
The NHS was one of the first universal health care systems established anywhere in the world. A decade after Cronin writes his book that even affects the British government, a leaflet (see here) was sent to every household in June 1948 which explained that:
"It will provide you with all medical, dental and nursing care. Everyone — rich or poor, man, woman or child — can use it or any part of it. There are no charges, except for a few special items. There are no insurance qualifications. But it is not a “charity”. You are all paying for it, mainly as tax payers, and it will relieve your money worries in time of illness."
— Central Office of Information, for the Ministry of Health
September 14, 2024
Един класически роман показващ пациентите, възприемани като средство за финансови облаги в лекарските среди, още преди век. Много майсторски Кронин пресъздава професионалния път на лекаря, от начинаещ стажант до завеждащ собствена клиника, сблъсквайки се с несгодите на прохождащата медицина по онова време, нейния възход, трудности, морални дилеми, човешки противоречия. На моменти малко скучен, заради лекарската терминология, но показващ ни алчността на човешката душа, независимо от сферата на проявление.
February 11, 2018
Thành trì là cuộc chiến giữa những cám dỗ về tiền bạc, danh vọng với một bên là thành trì của lương tâm và đạo đức con người. Liệu có bao nhiêu thành trì có thể trụ vững?
Cốt truyện hay, tình tiết hấp dẫn. Thực sự ấn tượng với bốn nhân vật chính Andrew, Denny, Hope và Christine. Đây thật sự là một cuốn sách hay về nghề y.
P/s: Sách thư viện tuy cũ ơi là cũ nhưng lại có một mùi thơm riêng, cảm giác nó hơi ngọt ngọt. ;3
Cốt truyện hay, tình tiết hấp dẫn. Thực sự ấn tượng với bốn nhân vật chính Andrew, Denny, Hope và Christine. Đây thật sự là một cuốn sách hay về nghề y.
P/s: Sách thư viện tuy cũ ơi là cũ nhưng lại có một mùi thơm riêng, cảm giác nó hơi ngọt ngọt. ;3
November 26, 2024
класичний двобій людини з системою і так само знайома кожному битва легких грошей проти власних принципів.
December 30, 2014
Back in the day when I was a kid in hostel... The principal reason I treasured going back home for the holidays was to pounce on the mostly untouched private library of a crazy uncle. The books he owned, although withered with the passage of time, were absolute treasures to possess. The Citadel was one of those books.
My mother is a doctor and somehow this book - and it's subsequent movie adaptation - had stayed with her all her life since she'd been first introduced to it. Therefore it came highly recommended. Hence there was no hesitation as to what one was to do upon finding it in the library of aforementioned crazy uncle.
Considering the fact that it was written in 1937, it has a message that will perhaps be relevant as long as we have doctors to help us maintain good health and a long life. Dr. Manson is a character that many a good doctor might empathize with and his trajectory through the novel is as human as such portrayals go. In fact this book should be compulsory reading for anyone truly aspiring to fill in the big shoes of the men who are next only to God in the eyes of society.
My mother is a doctor and somehow this book - and it's subsequent movie adaptation - had stayed with her all her life since she'd been first introduced to it. Therefore it came highly recommended. Hence there was no hesitation as to what one was to do upon finding it in the library of aforementioned crazy uncle.
Considering the fact that it was written in 1937, it has a message that will perhaps be relevant as long as we have doctors to help us maintain good health and a long life. Dr. Manson is a character that many a good doctor might empathize with and his trajectory through the novel is as human as such portrayals go. In fact this book should be compulsory reading for anyone truly aspiring to fill in the big shoes of the men who are next only to God in the eyes of society.
July 14, 2009
This is the third time I have read this book and enjoy it more each time. Cronin is a master at character development and a pleasure to read. This book illustrates clearly the Thomas S. Monson quote, "Decisions determine destiny." Yet, the author's confidence in the basic goodness of most people leaves both the characters and the reader with hope and not despair.
October 29, 2011
من أروع..أفضل الروايات التى قرأتها
تأسرك فلا تستطيع أن تتركها حتى تنهيها
قصة الصراع بين الأنانية...والمثل العليا
رواية تترك في نفس قارئها أثرا باقيا لايمكن
أن يمحى وسر جمالها في العمق الذي أستطاع
المؤلف أن يصل اليه في رسم شخصياتها وتحليل
مشاعرهم والتسلسل بهذه المشاعر وبالأحداث
نفسها ,تسلسلا منطقيا واقعيا..هادئا وعنيفا
في الوقت نفسه..حتى تبلغ ذروة روعتها وقمة
جمالها في فصولها الأخيرة.
تأسرك فلا تستطيع أن تتركها حتى تنهيها
قصة الصراع بين الأنانية...والمثل العليا
رواية تترك في نفس قارئها أثرا باقيا لايمكن
أن يمحى وسر جمالها في العمق الذي أستطاع
المؤلف أن يصل اليه في رسم شخصياتها وتحليل
مشاعرهم والتسلسل بهذه المشاعر وبالأحداث
نفسها ,تسلسلا منطقيا واقعيا..هادئا وعنيفا
في الوقت نفسه..حتى تبلغ ذروة روعتها وقمة
جمالها في فصولها الأخيرة.
July 13, 2020
Meraviglioso, trama semplice non banale... Un piccolo grande gioiello di vita vera
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