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The Impartial Knife: A Doctor in Cyprus
PETER PARIS is the pseudonym for a young aspiring doctor just graduated from a London hospital who decided to start practice where he was most needed - in the Nicosia General Hospital in Cyprus. From the wealth of his experiences, he has written a fast, lively and extremely thoughtful book about Cyprus during the last year of the British occupation. Mr. Paris saw life in the rough there as he tried to keep alive the victims of both Turkish and Greek terrorists. His love and appreciation of the people - both Greek and Turkish Cypriots - gave him a perspective on this strategic little island that is England's nearest base to Russia. This is a doctor and a humanitarian speaking. His writing, both thoughtful and often wryly amusing, vividly evokes the life of the people and their war-torn island.
215 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 1961
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July 23, 2013
This is the memoir of a young British doctor, straight out of medical school, who arrives in Cyprus in the spring of 1958 (while Cyprus was still a British colony) to work at the Nicosia hospital. He's green and not only does he have to learn to put medicine into practice but also to come to terms with the diverse culture and attitudes of the three communities on the island, Greeks, Turks and British.
These are the days of EOKA and inter-communal clashes but also a time when diseases like thalassemia are rampant on the island, all of which keep the hospital very busy and provide the author with ample material. There are some delightful episodes, some very dramatic ones, all well narrated.
Although a self-professed Hellenophile, he manages to look at all three sides with a fairly critical eye, identifying both positive and negative traits and behaviours in all parties concerned. He does so for the most part without arrogance or the sense of superiority one might expect of a member of the colonial power. In fact he's often quite critical of British attitudes towards the natives. But ultimately he's a product of his upbringing and times, which inevitably colour his conclusions and predictions in the last chapter despite its many prescient comments and accurate observations.
Overall an enjoyable and informative read particularly for those interested in the history and society of the island in that period.
These are the days of EOKA and inter-communal clashes but also a time when diseases like thalassemia are rampant on the island, all of which keep the hospital very busy and provide the author with ample material. There are some delightful episodes, some very dramatic ones, all well narrated.
Although a self-professed Hellenophile, he manages to look at all three sides with a fairly critical eye, identifying both positive and negative traits and behaviours in all parties concerned. He does so for the most part without arrogance or the sense of superiority one might expect of a member of the colonial power. In fact he's often quite critical of British attitudes towards the natives. But ultimately he's a product of his upbringing and times, which inevitably colour his conclusions and predictions in the last chapter despite its many prescient comments and accurate observations.
Overall an enjoyable and informative read particularly for those interested in the history and society of the island in that period.
Displaying 1 of 1 review