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Butcher
From one of our most accomplished storytellers, an extraordinary and arresting novel about a women’s asylum in the nineteenth century, and a terrifying doctor who wants to change the world.
In this harrowing story based on authentic historical documents, we follow the career of Dr. Silas Weir, “Father of Gyno-Psychiatry,” as he ascends from professional anonymity to national renown. Humiliated by a procedure gone terribly wrong, Weir is forced to take a position at the New Jersey Asylum for Female Lunatics, where he reigns. There, he is allowed to continue his practice, unchecked for decades, making a name for himself by focusing on women who have been neglected by the state—women he subjects to the most grotesque modes of experimentation. As he begins to establish himself as a pioneer of nineteenth-century surgery, Weir’s ambition is fueled by his obsessive fascination with a young Irish indentured servant named Brigit, who becomes not only Weir’s primary experimental subject, but also the agent of his destruction.
Narrated by Silas Weir’s eldest son, who has repudiated his father’s brutal legacy, Butcher is a unique blend of fiction and fact, a nightmare voyage through the darkest regions of the American psyche conjoined, in its startling conclusion, with unexpected romance. Once again, Joyce Carol Oates has written a spellbinding novel confirming her position as one of our celebrated American visionaries of the imagination.
‘Simply the most consistently inventive, brilliant, curious and creative writer going, as far as I’m concerned’ Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl
'A master storyteller' The Times
In this harrowing story based on authentic historical documents, we follow the career of Dr. Silas Weir, “Father of Gyno-Psychiatry,” as he ascends from professional anonymity to national renown. Humiliated by a procedure gone terribly wrong, Weir is forced to take a position at the New Jersey Asylum for Female Lunatics, where he reigns. There, he is allowed to continue his practice, unchecked for decades, making a name for himself by focusing on women who have been neglected by the state—women he subjects to the most grotesque modes of experimentation. As he begins to establish himself as a pioneer of nineteenth-century surgery, Weir’s ambition is fueled by his obsessive fascination with a young Irish indentured servant named Brigit, who becomes not only Weir’s primary experimental subject, but also the agent of his destruction.
Narrated by Silas Weir’s eldest son, who has repudiated his father’s brutal legacy, Butcher is a unique blend of fiction and fact, a nightmare voyage through the darkest regions of the American psyche conjoined, in its startling conclusion, with unexpected romance. Once again, Joyce Carol Oates has written a spellbinding novel confirming her position as one of our celebrated American visionaries of the imagination.
‘Simply the most consistently inventive, brilliant, curious and creative writer going, as far as I’m concerned’ Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl
'A master storyteller' The Times
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 21, 2024
884 people are currently reading
22724 people want to read
About the author
Joyce Carol Oates
847 books9,474 followersJoyce Carol Oates is an American writer. Oates published her first book in 1963, and has since published 58 novels, a number of plays and novellas, and many volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction. Her novels Black Water (1992), What I Lived For (1994), and Blonde (2000), and her short story collections The Wheel of Love (1970) and Lovely, Dark, Deep: Stories (2014) were each finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. She has won many awards for her writing, including the National Book Award, for her novel Them (1969), two O. Henry Awards, the National Humanities Medal, and the Jerusalem Prize (2019).
Oates taught at Princeton University from 1978 to 2014, and is the Roger S. Berlind '52 Professor Emerita in the Humanities with the Program in Creative Writing. From 2016 to 2020, she was a visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where she taught short fiction in the spring semesters. She now teaches at Rutgers University, New Brunswick.
Oates was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2016.
Pseudonyms: Rosamond Smith and Lauren Kelly.
Oates taught at Princeton University from 1978 to 2014, and is the Roger S. Berlind '52 Professor Emerita in the Humanities with the Program in Creative Writing. From 2016 to 2020, she was a visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where she taught short fiction in the spring semesters. She now teaches at Rutgers University, New Brunswick.
Oates was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2016.
Pseudonyms: Rosamond Smith and Lauren Kelly.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 973 reviews
June 5, 2024
Some earlier physicians were doctors, bona fide surgeons; others claimed to be doctors but were inept butchers. When it came to medical science in the early 1800’s, Dr. Silas Weir, led his own research into the field of “gyno-psychiatry”. WHAT?
This is a fact based story as well as fiction so buckle up and be prepared to be horrified.
We follow Silas' life through his son’s POV. The earlier days, when the apprenticing doctor Weir, was exiled from his family and town for taking needless & reckless risks. A few years later, a distant uncle anointed Silas the Director for the Trenton Asylum for Female Lunatics. Here is where the mad scientist began his experiments. No code of ethics; no governance; Often no anesthetic. Here he had the freedom to test and document his research to ensure publication. Driven by arrogance, ignorance and pride.
This was a compelling yet horrific account of women imprisoned for reasons only a man could determine and treated inhumanely by a man. Weir may have made some significant contributions to the medical field with tools that were never patented, however, given the brutality these women suffered at the expense of his god complex, he was a sadistic torturer who went into a field that he was repulsed by.
JCO, you got my full attention with this one.
4.25⭐️
This is a fact based story as well as fiction so buckle up and be prepared to be horrified.
We follow Silas' life through his son’s POV. The earlier days, when the apprenticing doctor Weir, was exiled from his family and town for taking needless & reckless risks. A few years later, a distant uncle anointed Silas the Director for the Trenton Asylum for Female Lunatics. Here is where the mad scientist began his experiments. No code of ethics; no governance; Often no anesthetic. Here he had the freedom to test and document his research to ensure publication. Driven by arrogance, ignorance and pride.
This was a compelling yet horrific account of women imprisoned for reasons only a man could determine and treated inhumanely by a man. Weir may have made some significant contributions to the medical field with tools that were never patented, however, given the brutality these women suffered at the expense of his god complex, he was a sadistic torturer who went into a field that he was repulsed by.
JCO, you got my full attention with this one.
4.25⭐️
May 29, 2024
How does she do it? At age 85, with dozens of novels to her credit, Joyce Carol Oates knocks it out of the ballpark with Butcher, which may be based loosely on J. Marion Sims, the infamous “father of modern gynecology,” who experimented on enslaved women in the 1800s.
Based on actual historical documents, Oates focuses on the career of the fictionalized Dr. Silas Weir, who heads the New Jersey Asylum for Female Lunatics. He is a strange choice for a director: he feels an outright repugnance for female “private parts,” which he views as a “hellish spectacle for the eye.” Nor does this so-called Christian possess any love for the downtrodden, the mentally ill, or the mostly Irish indentured servants of the Asylum.
Oates writes in a Victorian gothic tone, which adds to the authenticity of this novel. It takes a strong stomach to read about the grotesque medical experiments he performs on these unwitting women. For an author who has never shied away from the brutal side of human nature, Oates pulls no punches in this book. It’s even darker because it is based on what really happened in the 1800s to women who were treated worse than chattel.
Still, this book is impossible to put down, particularly in Dr. Weir’s interactions with the young Irish indentured servant, Brigit, an angelic-looking, mute albino. After transforming her life by curing her fistula – an opening in the vaginal wall that creates a constant seepage of urine, causing women to become pariahs – he takes her under his wing as his nurse assistant.
The splendidly advanced themes – particularly at these times with the erosion of women’s rights and the victimization of the disenfranchised – are haunting. As we readers sink deeper into the depravity and downright evil of Dr. Weir’s soul, we get a greater sense of what twisted misogyny can do. Yet Oates never crosses the line by making Dr. Weir a caricature; rather, she also reveals the lost promise of a man who hungered to develop innovative treatments for problems like fistula after childbirth and is partially a product of his times.
I was fascinated by Butcher, and it will stick with me. A big thanks to Alfred A. Knopf, publisher, for enabling me to become an early reviewer in exchange for an honest review.
Based on actual historical documents, Oates focuses on the career of the fictionalized Dr. Silas Weir, who heads the New Jersey Asylum for Female Lunatics. He is a strange choice for a director: he feels an outright repugnance for female “private parts,” which he views as a “hellish spectacle for the eye.” Nor does this so-called Christian possess any love for the downtrodden, the mentally ill, or the mostly Irish indentured servants of the Asylum.
Oates writes in a Victorian gothic tone, which adds to the authenticity of this novel. It takes a strong stomach to read about the grotesque medical experiments he performs on these unwitting women. For an author who has never shied away from the brutal side of human nature, Oates pulls no punches in this book. It’s even darker because it is based on what really happened in the 1800s to women who were treated worse than chattel.
Still, this book is impossible to put down, particularly in Dr. Weir’s interactions with the young Irish indentured servant, Brigit, an angelic-looking, mute albino. After transforming her life by curing her fistula – an opening in the vaginal wall that creates a constant seepage of urine, causing women to become pariahs – he takes her under his wing as his nurse assistant.
The splendidly advanced themes – particularly at these times with the erosion of women’s rights and the victimization of the disenfranchised – are haunting. As we readers sink deeper into the depravity and downright evil of Dr. Weir’s soul, we get a greater sense of what twisted misogyny can do. Yet Oates never crosses the line by making Dr. Weir a caricature; rather, she also reveals the lost promise of a man who hungered to develop innovative treatments for problems like fistula after childbirth and is partially a product of his times.
I was fascinated by Butcher, and it will stick with me. A big thanks to Alfred A. Knopf, publisher, for enabling me to become an early reviewer in exchange for an honest review.
April 28, 2024
It's true, most of my surgeries were performed without anaesthesia, for the practical reason that, in the early years of my Directorship, anaesthesia was scarcely known. Also, it is scientific fact, as I have explained to Brigit, that female organs have fewer nerve endings than other parts of the body, no doubt to make the rigours of childbirth less painful.
JCO is an extraordinary writer and not least for maintaining the quality of her fiction across so many years. In lots of ways this feels like it couldn't have been written by anyone else: a dark story of misogyny, medical 'research', 'knowledge' of the female body and 'madness' in mid-nineteenth century America.
Dr Silas Weir is one of JCO's monsters: both obsessed and horrified by the nascent science of gynaecology and still in thrall to ancient medical knowledge going back to Aristotle and Galen which related female psychology and maladies to hysteria originating in the idea of the 'wandering womb'. As Director of a 'lunatic asylum' in Trenton, New Jersey (old stomping ground for JCO's fiction), Weir has unlimited access to abandoned women on whom he can experiment to 'prove' his medical theories and procedures, as well as indentured workers who he can make into complicit helpers.
As usual, JCO has done her research and the first person narrative of Weir is based on authentic doctors' papers. Weir's story is a complicated mix of arrogance, fear and a desperate attempt to win Freudian approval from his distant father. His acute misogyny, his lack of knowledge, his contempt for his patients, and his more indictable flaws (desire for the albino Irish Brigit; a gentle slide into laudanum and whisky, more violent appetites that he represses but which slip through his self-justificatory narrative) are offset against some genuine attempts at pushing the boundaries of scientific knowledge, however inadequate the foundation.
JCO cleverly widens the scope of the book's points by setting it against debates about chattel slavery and comparing them to the situation of indentured workers such as Brigit. She also, eventually, gives us alternative views from women, including Brigit whose poetic, lyrical style of writing contrasts to the clinical prose of Weir.
There are, inevitably, horrific operation scenes which, importantly, JCO doesn't shy away from and she makes clear the connections between cultural constructions of femininity and the problematic, for many men, female body and associated sexuality which both come under patriarchal ownership:
I was likely the sole surgeon in New Jersey trained to treat vaginismus, at the request of frustrated husbands, who brought me their hysterically 'frigid' wives, to undergo a delicate surgery widening the mouth of the vagina, while at the same time severing nerves in the surrounding flesh, to kill sensation; this, often combined with a clitorectomy of which the wife was unaware.
So definitely a Gothic version of real medical history awash with blood, agony and disturbing ideas. But this remains a fascinating story of the history of women's medicine and 'madness', and the extent to which they were framed via out of date, unscientific and misogynistic schemes of thinking for so long.
Thanks to 4th Estate for an ARC via NetGalley
October 9, 2024
Woo. This book. The synopsis describes it as harrowing. YES. Definitely harrowing. Intense. Eye-opening. Eye-popping, really. Dark. Sinister. Revolting. Terrifying. My first book (I think?) by beloved author Joyce Carol Oates was all of those things. She balances the horror of it all with some of the best, kindest characters you could imagine, but the main tone of the story is bleak and disheartening.
Dr. Silas Weir is the “father of gyno-psychiatry,” with a quite limited education (standard at the time) who eventually performs experimental surgeries on women, no matter the pain, or even the outcome, whether the patient would survive.
The story is mostly narrated by Dr. Weir’s son, who has denounced his father’s behavior and career. There are also snippets from other characters, including Brigit, one of the most endearing, a servant who was once a patient, and later becomes Dr. Weir’s right-hand assistant.
The author pulls no punches with this story. It’s a tough read as a result. It’s a thorough review of how oppressed women were during this time in history, especially how women from different economic backgrounds were additionally put down and disparaged by the “medical” community, talked about as if they were even less worthy than other women of any agency over their own bodies. Butcher is not an easy or hopeful read. It’s the history laid bare for all to see.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Dr. Silas Weir is the “father of gyno-psychiatry,” with a quite limited education (standard at the time) who eventually performs experimental surgeries on women, no matter the pain, or even the outcome, whether the patient would survive.
The story is mostly narrated by Dr. Weir’s son, who has denounced his father’s behavior and career. There are also snippets from other characters, including Brigit, one of the most endearing, a servant who was once a patient, and later becomes Dr. Weir’s right-hand assistant.
The author pulls no punches with this story. It’s a tough read as a result. It’s a thorough review of how oppressed women were during this time in history, especially how women from different economic backgrounds were additionally put down and disparaged by the “medical” community, talked about as if they were even less worthy than other women of any agency over their own bodies. Butcher is not an easy or hopeful read. It’s the history laid bare for all to see.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
July 21, 2024
Pretty disappointed by this one as I was certain it would be a new favourite. I mean, a book about a terrifying doctor working in a women’s asylum in the nineteenth century?? Who is able to continue his practice unchecked by focusing on women neglected by the state? True nightmare fuel. And my favourite time period as well!! Alas, no. The start was very promising and I was inhaling the novel at an alarming rate. Then… it got incredibly repetitive and kinda boring? I was dragging myself through the last pages, which was such a shame after such a strong premise/incredible start! Sad about this one. 3 stars.
October 13, 2024
https://kansasbooks.blogspot.com/2024...
Después de un comienzo arrollador, tengo que admitir que a medida que iba avanzando más le iba viendo las costuras a esta novela y ya hacía la mitad ya fui consciente que el tono no iba a cambiar. Por mucho que adore a JCO, esta novela no se encuentra entre lo mejor que haya escrito: repetitiva y hasta aburrida, el problema que he tenido con ella puede estar en que no he reconocido su estilo aquí, aunque si la temática que es muy atractiva. Sin entrar en profundizar en el argumento, aquí la autora se ha limitado más bien a contar y repetir hasta la saciedad las técnicas del medico carnicero que además convierte en narrador durante la mayor parte de la novela. Los pequeños atisbos de las mujeres que forman parte de la historia, me han parecido pobremente esbozados.
El flujo de conciencia tan característico en ella, loco y vibrante, aquí casi brilla por su ausencia. Un libro regulero de la Oates, es un libro bueno para cualquier otro autor que narre lo mismo, pero así y todo me ha aburrido soberanamente este Carnicero. El problema no es la historia sino en cómo elige narrarla, apenas dejando nada a la imaginación. Y lo siento porque viene de quien viene...
Qué pena... pero al igual que llegado un punto yo puse el piloto automático para acabarla, tengo la sensación de que a JCO le pasó lo mismo...
"Aunque padre consideraba la vagina un agujero infernal de suciedad y corrupción y que los genitales femeninos eran unos órganos repugnantes en cuanto a su diseño, función y estética, por interdicción del Señor, por allí nacimos nueve de nosotros, por los lomos de padre y la matriz de nuestra querida madre..
La fémina, esa mantis depredadora. Bajo la finura y los corsés, ¡vaya diablos!"
November 20, 2024
¡Hola, lectores!
¿Alguna vez se han preguntado hasta dónde es capaz de llegar alguien en nombre de la ciencia? Pues eso es justo lo que explora Joyce Carol Oates en “Carnicero”, una novela que te deja con la boca abierta y el corazón encogido.
Esta historia nos lleva de la mano de Jonathan Weir, hijo del famoso (o más bien infame) doctor Silas Weir, un médico del siglo XIX que se convirtió en pionero de la llamada “ginopsiquiatría”. Pero no se dejen engañar por el término elegante; lo que hacía este hombre era, básicamente, experimentar con mujeres indefensas en un psiquiátrico. Sí, un horror absoluto.
Lo que más me impactó de la novela es cómo Oates logra que, mientras estás horrorizada por los experimentos y las atrocidades de Weir, no puedas dejar de leer. ¿Cómo lo hace? Bueno, parte del truco está en las múltiples voces que componen la historia: la de Jonathan, que intenta descifrar quién era realmente su padre; las memorias del propio doctor, que dan escalofríos; y sobre todo, la voz de Brigit, una de sus pacientes, que te rompe el alma.
Algo que me dejó reflexionando mucho es cómo el libro no solo habla de ciencia y medicina, sino también del lugar de las mujeres en la sociedad de la época (y en la historia, en general). Las pacientes de Weir eran vistas como desechables, “morralla y quincalla”, como él mismo decía. Y en esa brutalidad, Oates nos recuerda lo fácil que es deshumanizar a alguien cuando tienes poder sobre él.
El estilo de Oates es envolvente, aunque a veces un poquito denso (aviso: hay descripciones médicas que son gráficas y fuertes). Pero cada palabra tiene un propósito: meterte en ese mundo oscuro y que te preguntes, como lectora, hasta dónde justificamos las acciones de alguien en nombre del progreso.
En resumen, “Carnicero” es una novela que no te deja indiferente. Es dura, incómoda y desgarradora, pero también necesaria. Si te gustan las historias que te sacuden y te hacen reflexionar, no dejes de leerla. Eso sí, prepárate para salir de tu zona de confort. Gracias a Oates por regalarnos este viaje al pasado que, en el fondo, dice mucho del presente.
¿Alguna vez se han preguntado hasta dónde es capaz de llegar alguien en nombre de la ciencia? Pues eso es justo lo que explora Joyce Carol Oates en “Carnicero”, una novela que te deja con la boca abierta y el corazón encogido.
Esta historia nos lleva de la mano de Jonathan Weir, hijo del famoso (o más bien infame) doctor Silas Weir, un médico del siglo XIX que se convirtió en pionero de la llamada “ginopsiquiatría”. Pero no se dejen engañar por el término elegante; lo que hacía este hombre era, básicamente, experimentar con mujeres indefensas en un psiquiátrico. Sí, un horror absoluto.
Lo que más me impactó de la novela es cómo Oates logra que, mientras estás horrorizada por los experimentos y las atrocidades de Weir, no puedas dejar de leer. ¿Cómo lo hace? Bueno, parte del truco está en las múltiples voces que componen la historia: la de Jonathan, que intenta descifrar quién era realmente su padre; las memorias del propio doctor, que dan escalofríos; y sobre todo, la voz de Brigit, una de sus pacientes, que te rompe el alma.
Algo que me dejó reflexionando mucho es cómo el libro no solo habla de ciencia y medicina, sino también del lugar de las mujeres en la sociedad de la época (y en la historia, en general). Las pacientes de Weir eran vistas como desechables, “morralla y quincalla”, como él mismo decía. Y en esa brutalidad, Oates nos recuerda lo fácil que es deshumanizar a alguien cuando tienes poder sobre él.
El estilo de Oates es envolvente, aunque a veces un poquito denso (aviso: hay descripciones médicas que son gráficas y fuertes). Pero cada palabra tiene un propósito: meterte en ese mundo oscuro y que te preguntes, como lectora, hasta dónde justificamos las acciones de alguien en nombre del progreso.
En resumen, “Carnicero” es una novela que no te deja indiferente. Es dura, incómoda y desgarradora, pero también necesaria. Si te gustan las historias que te sacuden y te hacen reflexionar, no dejes de leerla. Eso sí, prepárate para salir de tu zona de confort. Gracias a Oates por regalarnos este viaje al pasado que, en el fondo, dice mucho del presente.
January 7, 2025
—— 𝟻 ✰ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ. 🪓
📖: 𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐨𝐲𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥 𝐎𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬
ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ★★★★★
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: 📻 ᴍᴀᴅ ᴡᴏᴍᴀɴ ♪ ᴛᴀʏʟᴏʀ ꜱᴡɪꜰᴛ
ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
🪓 ᴍᴇᴅɪᴄᴀʟ ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀʏ
🪓 ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀɪᴄᴀʟ ꜰɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ
🪓 “ɪ ꜱᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛ ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴꜱ’ ʀɪɢʜᴛꜱ & ᴡʀᴏɴɢꜱ”
✏️﹏ Phew. Butcher is a horrifying & uncomfortable read to say the least. Although despite how disturbing it is, it's also just as intriguing with an incredible story being told. However, I would not recommend this to everyone due to the graphic/sensitive subject matter. That being said, this book is a little hard for me to rate; I can't necessarily say it was enjoyable given the content, but I was invested & did not want to stop reading. Butcher shed light on women who were imprisoned for reasons (“hysteria” being one of the most common) only a man could determine. It showed the oppression of women during this time period, especially women from different economic backgrounds & race, the lack of care they received as well as no voice as to what could be done to their bodies. As someone who works in the medical field, I was enraged by what these women experienced. Reading this book during the election hit a little too close to home with women’s rights over their own bodies still being up for debate. We have come so far, but we still have such a long way to go & this book encourages me not to rest on our fight. So yeah this ended up being the perfect rage read for me & refueled my hatred towards the patriarchy. If you think you can stomach the tough material, it’s a story with brilliant writing & wonderful storytelling with a very satisfying ending. ♀♡
❝ 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞, 𝐈 𝐨𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐬 𝐀𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐢𝐫. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞, 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐬 𝐀𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬 & 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧. ❞
📖: 𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐨𝐲𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥 𝐎𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬
ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ★★★★★
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: 📻 ᴍᴀᴅ ᴡᴏᴍᴀɴ ♪ ᴛᴀʏʟᴏʀ ꜱᴡɪꜰᴛ
ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
🪓 ᴍᴇᴅɪᴄᴀʟ ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀʏ
🪓 ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀɪᴄᴀʟ ꜰɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ
🪓 “ɪ ꜱᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛ ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴꜱ’ ʀɪɢʜᴛꜱ & ᴡʀᴏɴɢꜱ”
*ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀɪɢɢᴇʀ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ
❝ 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 & 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬.
𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬. ❞
✏️﹏ Phew. Butcher is a horrifying & uncomfortable read to say the least. Although despite how disturbing it is, it's also just as intriguing with an incredible story being told. However, I would not recommend this to everyone due to the graphic/sensitive subject matter. That being said, this book is a little hard for me to rate; I can't necessarily say it was enjoyable given the content, but I was invested & did not want to stop reading. Butcher shed light on women who were imprisoned for reasons (“hysteria” being one of the most common) only a man could determine. It showed the oppression of women during this time period, especially women from different economic backgrounds & race, the lack of care they received as well as no voice as to what could be done to their bodies. As someone who works in the medical field, I was enraged by what these women experienced. Reading this book during the election hit a little too close to home with women’s rights over their own bodies still being up for debate. We have come so far, but we still have such a long way to go & this book encourages me not to rest on our fight. So yeah this ended up being the perfect rage read for me & refueled my hatred towards the patriarchy. If you think you can stomach the tough material, it’s a story with brilliant writing & wonderful storytelling with a very satisfying ending. ♀♡
❝𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭,
𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡.❞
August 30, 2025
Kobieta pisze taką książkę mając 85 lat, a ludzie mają czelność typować murakamiego jako laureata Nobla get the fuck out of my face
February 22, 2024
Joyce Carol Oates has never been one to pull punches in her fiction and Butcher goes harder than she’s ever gone before. Silas Weir is the single most horrific character I’ve encountered in the world of fiction, which is a total bummer because he’s based on a real person. This book will challenge you, disgust you, and reinforce how thankful you are that science and modern medicine have come a long way.
June 18, 2024
Holy f*cking shit.
Joyce, wtf. 😳
This is an amazing book, possibly not for everyone 😳
I quite literally had a nightmare and nothing scares me.
So… 👀 yeah. Probably too close to home in regard to some of those asylums for “hysterical” woman but I’m leaving that thread alone because I’ll never stop yapping at you.
This book was incredibly visual for me (good or bad, I’m not sure yet lol).
I recommend it with caution to whatever your trigger warnings may be.
Joyce, wtf. 😳
This is an amazing book, possibly not for everyone 😳
I quite literally had a nightmare and nothing scares me.
So… 👀 yeah. Probably too close to home in regard to some of those asylums for “hysterical” woman but I’m leaving that thread alone because I’ll never stop yapping at you.
This book was incredibly visual for me (good or bad, I’m not sure yet lol).
I recommend it with caution to whatever your trigger warnings may be.
September 8, 2025
Historia dura.
EEUU donde la esclavitud era legal, las mujeres eran tratadas peor que animales.
Un doctor intenta hacerse un sitio en la vida experimentando con mujeres. Les hace cosas horribles, doloroso y cero ético.
Por medio de una enfemera/paciente se conocen las atrocidades y como luchan por conseguir la abolición.
EEUU donde la esclavitud era legal, las mujeres eran tratadas peor que animales.
Un doctor intenta hacerse un sitio en la vida experimentando con mujeres. Les hace cosas horribles, doloroso y cero ético.
Por medio de una enfemera/paciente se conocen las atrocidades y como luchan por conseguir la abolición.
November 11, 2024
Novela inspirada en hechos reales y que se centra en el doctor Silas Weir, un médico del siglo XIX, que dirigió un manicomio para mujeres en Nueva Jersey. Una persona que lo único que quería era reconocimiento, que siente repugnancia por las “partes privadas” femeninas, un cristiano que no siente ni padece por los enfermos mentales y que le llevo a cometer actos atroces.
Una novela en la que la autora no se anda con rodeos, donde se cuenta con detalle muchas operaciones a mujeres que fueron “objeto” ya que no tenían recursos y además fueron sometidas sin ningún consentimiento.
La mayor parte de la historia está narrada por el hijo del Doctor el cual denunció la conducta y la carrera de su padre, también hay algún capitulo que esta contado por una de las chicas que uso para experimentos y luego fue su ayudante.
Un ambiente muy turbio, muy negro, opresivo, en la que podemos destacar muchos temas morales, el poder de ciertas personas, la ciencia. Un análisis exhaustivo de la opresión que sufrieron las mujeres durante la época.
Aviso que hay que tener estomago para leer ciertas partes, que es un libro denso y con partes técnicas pero que a mi me engancho desde el principio y que animo a dar una oportunidad sabiendo a lo que te enfrentas.
Una novela en la que la autora no se anda con rodeos, donde se cuenta con detalle muchas operaciones a mujeres que fueron “objeto” ya que no tenían recursos y además fueron sometidas sin ningún consentimiento.
La mayor parte de la historia está narrada por el hijo del Doctor el cual denunció la conducta y la carrera de su padre, también hay algún capitulo que esta contado por una de las chicas que uso para experimentos y luego fue su ayudante.
Un ambiente muy turbio, muy negro, opresivo, en la que podemos destacar muchos temas morales, el poder de ciertas personas, la ciencia. Un análisis exhaustivo de la opresión que sufrieron las mujeres durante la época.
Aviso que hay que tener estomago para leer ciertas partes, que es un libro denso y con partes técnicas pero que a mi me engancho desde el principio y que animo a dar una oportunidad sabiendo a lo que te enfrentas.
December 23, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★
”For all the Brigits—the unnamed as well as the named, the muted as well as those whose voices were heard, the forgotten as well as those enshrined in history.”
Butcher tells the story of Silas Weir, “Father of Gyno-Psychiatry”, as he ascends from professional anonymity to national renown. Humiliated by a procedure gone terribly wrong, Weir is forced to take a position at the New Jersey Asylum for Female Lunatics, where he reigns.
⟡•—— ・ ₊˚🩸♱‧₊˚. ・ ——•⟡
Oates forged a striking brew of horror, insanity, hopelessness and imprisonment, crafting, in a very raw manner, a commentary on an era where patriarchy brutally dictated societal norms placed on women, highlighting the devastating impact of male control.
Depicted as a weak-minded individual, Silas Weir is mocked and distrusted both in his familiar relationships and in his professional career. Although painted in a somewhat naive light in the beginning of the novel, he is quick to turn into a cruel and torturous barbarian in possession of narcissistic tendencies. Never questioning himself and lacking empathy for the women held against their will in his asylum, he only shows cruelness to patients, immigrants, slaves and workers. Weir’s actions serve as a reminder of the pervasive and unchecked power men historically held and still hold over women.
The author doesn’t shy away from the descriptive ways in which men wield their power over our female characters who are, although resilient, ensnared within a culture that both devalues and exploits them.
Feminist overtones permeate the plot and the tension between men and women isn’t just a backdrop - it’s the very essence of the novels heart.
”For all the Brigits—the unnamed as well as the named, the muted as well as those whose voices were heard, the forgotten as well as those enshrined in history.”
Butcher tells the story of Silas Weir, “Father of Gyno-Psychiatry”, as he ascends from professional anonymity to national renown. Humiliated by a procedure gone terribly wrong, Weir is forced to take a position at the New Jersey Asylum for Female Lunatics, where he reigns.
⟡•—— ・ ₊˚🩸♱‧₊˚. ・ ——•⟡
Oates forged a striking brew of horror, insanity, hopelessness and imprisonment, crafting, in a very raw manner, a commentary on an era where patriarchy brutally dictated societal norms placed on women, highlighting the devastating impact of male control.
Depicted as a weak-minded individual, Silas Weir is mocked and distrusted both in his familiar relationships and in his professional career. Although painted in a somewhat naive light in the beginning of the novel, he is quick to turn into a cruel and torturous barbarian in possession of narcissistic tendencies. Never questioning himself and lacking empathy for the women held against their will in his asylum, he only shows cruelness to patients, immigrants, slaves and workers. Weir’s actions serve as a reminder of the pervasive and unchecked power men historically held and still hold over women.
The author doesn’t shy away from the descriptive ways in which men wield their power over our female characters who are, although resilient, ensnared within a culture that both devalues and exploits them.
Feminist overtones permeate the plot and the tension between men and women isn’t just a backdrop - it’s the very essence of the novels heart.
August 31, 2025
Mas bien un 4,5
"Más de una vez lo descubrí mirándose las manos rojas y relucientes antes de lavárselas con un gesto de admiración y sorpresa"
Me ha parecido una lectura brutal, de esas que te llevan a un lugar muy oscuro de la historia y que lamentablemente se sustentan en lo real. De las que se sienten aún más cuando eres mujer, te atraviesa ese dolor, más allá del libro es un tema potente y que da para pensar y debatir, imposible que pase desapercibido. En un momento se me hizo un tanto repetitivo y por eso no es 5 estrellas completas para mí, pero aún así me ha parecido una historia muy buena, que entrega de todo un poco, desde la ambición hasta la sobrevivencia, pasando por experimentos en mujeres, dolor extremo tanto físico como psicológico, el silencio, la angustia, injusticias, entre mucho más, realmente es un libro brutal en todos los sentidos.
"Más de una vez lo descubrí mirándose las manos rojas y relucientes antes de lavárselas con un gesto de admiración y sorpresa"
Me ha parecido una lectura brutal, de esas que te llevan a un lugar muy oscuro de la historia y que lamentablemente se sustentan en lo real. De las que se sienten aún más cuando eres mujer, te atraviesa ese dolor, más allá del libro es un tema potente y que da para pensar y debatir, imposible que pase desapercibido. En un momento se me hizo un tanto repetitivo y por eso no es 5 estrellas completas para mí, pero aún así me ha parecido una historia muy buena, que entrega de todo un poco, desde la ambición hasta la sobrevivencia, pasando por experimentos en mujeres, dolor extremo tanto físico como psicológico, el silencio, la angustia, injusticias, entre mucho más, realmente es un libro brutal en todos los sentidos.
June 8, 2024
“One by one we were summoned to him. Through glittering eyeglasses examined by him. A crude instrument, to open us up to the Red-Handed Butcher's eyes.”
Joyce Carol Oates’ writing is always beyond perfect, so when I saw this at the bookstore I didn’t hesitate to purchase.
This book features a surgeon who conducts medical experiments on women who had been sent to the New Jersey Asylum for Female Lunatics.
Although a surgeon conducting disturbing experiments on women’s bodies in the late 1800s - he was consumed with the notion that mental health symptoms could be alleviated with certain gynecological procedures. Over time, the surgeon Silas Weir, becomes so emboldened in his approach, thoughts, reasoning, and treatment of women in his care-acting not only as a surgeon but deeming himself the ‘father of gyno-psychiatry.’
Joyce Carol Oates’ writing is always beyond perfect, so when I saw this at the bookstore I didn’t hesitate to purchase.
This book features a surgeon who conducts medical experiments on women who had been sent to the New Jersey Asylum for Female Lunatics.
Although a surgeon conducting disturbing experiments on women’s bodies in the late 1800s - he was consumed with the notion that mental health symptoms could be alleviated with certain gynecological procedures. Over time, the surgeon Silas Weir, becomes so emboldened in his approach, thoughts, reasoning, and treatment of women in his care-acting not only as a surgeon but deeming himself the ‘father of gyno-psychiatry.’
November 9, 2024
Brutal. A veces más un ensayo que una novela, pero un retrato bestial de cómo la medicina del siglo XIX ha concebido a la mujer y su cuerpo, desde la visión más narcisista y delirante del ego masculino.
So much delulu.
So much delulu.
February 4, 2025
A friend once described Joyce Carol Oates to me like this;
"even when she's not writing about rape, she's writing about rape."
I have been utterly terrified of Ms. Oates for years despite never having read one of her books. My one experience? The short story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? possibly one of the more traumatizing reading experiences I (or anyone who's read it I assume) have ever had.
I had her labeled in the back of my mind as "not for me" and there she stayed.
Needless to say I may be rethinking the label.
Is she clearly demented? Oh absolutely. Am I still terrified? You bet your butt I am. Was this book horrifying and beautiful and moving and disgusting and pretty much clutched in my white knuckled hands from start to finish while I whispered "dear god" and "wow I think I'm gonna throw up" on several occasions? Also yes.
I shudder to think about how much medical and scientific advancement might owe to men like Dr. Silas Weir. He calls himself the father of "gyno-psychiatry" which is as appalling as it sounds. He sees himself as an instrument of god, his name destined to reverberate through the halls of infamy as a genius among men.
His work, his experiments at the New Jersey Asylum for Female Lunatics will leave countless women dead and others maimed beyond all recognition all in the name of science. But in the 19th century no one much cares what happens to the women relegated to Dr. Weir's care. What use could society have for women who disobey their fathers or husbands, won't do their wifely duties, dare to express feelings or opinions or god forbid a desire for independence? What better fate could they ask for then to surrender their bodies, their minds, their souls to Dr. Weir's ambition?
Written as a memoir compiled by his long estranged son it weaves between Dr. Weir's own terrifying, deceitful voice and that of his favorite subject, the orphaned child Brigit who becomes victim, witness and even enabler to his vicious, insane "work."
This is a staggering book. It is a deeply disturbing book. It a mysterious and beautiful one too.
I was staggered when I finished this and my fingers already itch to white knuckle my way through another of Ms. Oates dark, dreaming, deeply disturbing stories.
"even when she's not writing about rape, she's writing about rape."
I have been utterly terrified of Ms. Oates for years despite never having read one of her books. My one experience? The short story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? possibly one of the more traumatizing reading experiences I (or anyone who's read it I assume) have ever had.
I had her labeled in the back of my mind as "not for me" and there she stayed.
Needless to say I may be rethinking the label.
Is she clearly demented? Oh absolutely. Am I still terrified? You bet your butt I am. Was this book horrifying and beautiful and moving and disgusting and pretty much clutched in my white knuckled hands from start to finish while I whispered "dear god" and "wow I think I'm gonna throw up" on several occasions? Also yes.
I shudder to think about how much medical and scientific advancement might owe to men like Dr. Silas Weir. He calls himself the father of "gyno-psychiatry" which is as appalling as it sounds. He sees himself as an instrument of god, his name destined to reverberate through the halls of infamy as a genius among men.
His work, his experiments at the New Jersey Asylum for Female Lunatics will leave countless women dead and others maimed beyond all recognition all in the name of science. But in the 19th century no one much cares what happens to the women relegated to Dr. Weir's care. What use could society have for women who disobey their fathers or husbands, won't do their wifely duties, dare to express feelings or opinions or god forbid a desire for independence? What better fate could they ask for then to surrender their bodies, their minds, their souls to Dr. Weir's ambition?
Written as a memoir compiled by his long estranged son it weaves between Dr. Weir's own terrifying, deceitful voice and that of his favorite subject, the orphaned child Brigit who becomes victim, witness and even enabler to his vicious, insane "work."
This is a staggering book. It is a deeply disturbing book. It a mysterious and beautiful one too.
I was staggered when I finished this and my fingers already itch to white knuckle my way through another of Ms. Oates dark, dreaming, deeply disturbing stories.
June 21, 2025
⭐ 4,5/5
No sé bien cómo calificar este libro. Estuve entre ponerle 4 o 5 estrellas.
Cuenta la historia de un médico obsesionado con experimentar para comprobar sus teorías sobre las enfermedades en las mujeres. Mujeres que, según él, son inferiores, incapaces de sentir dolor, casi infra humanas, bestias. Siente una mezcla de curiosidad y asco hacia el sexo femenino.
La autora escribe como si estuviera metida en la mente del doctor. Usa un lenguaje rebuscado, pomposo, que te ayuda a imaginarlo, un tipo desagradable, al que odias, pero del que igual quieres seguir leyendo. También aparecen las voces de otros personajes, lo que le da a la novela más realismo. Aunque es ficción, está escrita como si fuera un diario, y está basada en médicos reales, según lo que la misma autora señala.
Las escenas de los experimentos son crudas. Si no estás acostumbrada(o) a leer este tipo de cosas, o eres muy sensible, puede que te afecte o te den ganas de abandonar el libro.
El final me pareció perfecto. Aunque quería más, me hubiera encantado que ese epílogo siguiera un poco más.
Definitivamente voy a leer más de esta autora.
No sé bien cómo calificar este libro. Estuve entre ponerle 4 o 5 estrellas.
Cuenta la historia de un médico obsesionado con experimentar para comprobar sus teorías sobre las enfermedades en las mujeres. Mujeres que, según él, son inferiores, incapaces de sentir dolor, casi infra humanas, bestias. Siente una mezcla de curiosidad y asco hacia el sexo femenino.
La autora escribe como si estuviera metida en la mente del doctor. Usa un lenguaje rebuscado, pomposo, que te ayuda a imaginarlo, un tipo desagradable, al que odias, pero del que igual quieres seguir leyendo. También aparecen las voces de otros personajes, lo que le da a la novela más realismo. Aunque es ficción, está escrita como si fuera un diario, y está basada en médicos reales, según lo que la misma autora señala.
Las escenas de los experimentos son crudas. Si no estás acostumbrada(o) a leer este tipo de cosas, o eres muy sensible, puede que te afecte o te den ganas de abandonar el libro.
El final me pareció perfecto. Aunque quería más, me hubiera encantado que ese epílogo siguiera un poco más.
Definitivamente voy a leer más de esta autora.
June 4, 2024
3.5 stars
The title is definitely apt. The doctor in this novel, who runs a female asylum, is a butcher of women and girls. This book seems to be loosely based on the real-life figure, James Marion Sims. Known as the “father of modern gynecology,” he performed cruel and heinous experiments on enslaved Black women. In this book, our main character is known as the “father of gyno-psychiatry” and has no issue butchering people of a lower station than him, particularly women who are indentured servants or deemed “lunatics.” His experimental and inhumane surgeries often led to death, which is no surprise. Like Sims, Dr. Weir also favored performing surgeries without anesthesia, which is absolutely barbaric.
Dr. Weir is also quite delusional. He thinks of himself as a genius guided by God, but he’s just a foolish man looking to make a name for himself. He’s a monster and I felt bad for the patients who were abused and taken advantage by him. There are some particularly graphic and brutal surgeries, especially in the second half of the novel. I was wincing at some of the rationale Dr. Weir had for his experiments and surgeries. I do think this novel was a tad long, but overall it was a powerful read highlighting how awful some doctors were back in the day.
The title is definitely apt. The doctor in this novel, who runs a female asylum, is a butcher of women and girls. This book seems to be loosely based on the real-life figure, James Marion Sims. Known as the “father of modern gynecology,” he performed cruel and heinous experiments on enslaved Black women. In this book, our main character is known as the “father of gyno-psychiatry” and has no issue butchering people of a lower station than him, particularly women who are indentured servants or deemed “lunatics.” His experimental and inhumane surgeries often led to death, which is no surprise. Like Sims, Dr. Weir also favored performing surgeries without anesthesia, which is absolutely barbaric.
Dr. Weir is also quite delusional. He thinks of himself as a genius guided by God, but he’s just a foolish man looking to make a name for himself. He’s a monster and I felt bad for the patients who were abused and taken advantage by him. There are some particularly graphic and brutal surgeries, especially in the second half of the novel. I was wincing at some of the rationale Dr. Weir had for his experiments and surgeries. I do think this novel was a tad long, but overall it was a powerful read highlighting how awful some doctors were back in the day.
October 19, 2024
It must be said that while I’ve read a few of JCO’s novels, I’m not a rabid fan although I do appreciate her prolific achievements. BUTCHER stitched together, into one main character, the practices, experiments and surgeries of three physicians during the 19th century. The horrors committed on women in a lunatic asylum resulted in the development of gynecology. The main character, Silas Weir M.D., is best described as a pompous ass without regard, empathy or consideration for his helpless victims. Needless to say, this novel is not for the faint of heart.
December 14, 2024
È stato un po’ come entrare in una canzone di Emilie Autumn. Joyce Carol Oates non sbaglio un colpo.
June 6, 2025
Dr. Silas Aloysius Weir träumt schon länger davon, sich einen Ruf als Arzt zu erwerben. Doch sein Start in die Medizin verläuft zunächst alles andere als vielversprechend. Frauenkörper und Blut stoßen ihn ab. Seine fachliche Ausbildung lässt zu wünschen übrig. Wie also schaffte er es, dennoch zum langjährigen Direktor einer Heilanstalt für Geisteskranke und zum „Begründer der Gynäkopsychiatrie“ zu werden?
„Der Schlächter“ ist ein Roman von Joyce Carol Oates.
Der Roman ist aufgebaut wie eine Biografie mit unterschiedlichen Beiträgen: Auf die fiktive „Anmerkung des Herausgebers“ und einen kurzen Prolog folgen sechs Teile, von denen der letzte als Epilog bezeichnet wird. Die Handlung umfasst im Groben die Zeit von 1835 bis ungefähr die 1890er-Jahre und spielt im östlichen Gebiet der heutigen Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika, überwiegend in Pennsylvania.
Im Mittelpunkt des Romans steht mit Dr. Silas Weir eine zwar grundsätzlich fiktive Persönlichkeit, die allerdings auf realen historischen Personen basiert, wie die Dankesworte der Autorin enthüllen. Obwohl der „Schlächter“ sicherlich ein klassischer Antiheld und kein angenehmer Charakter ist, ist die Figur komplex angelegt und verfügt über viel psychologische Tiefe. Dadurch wirkt der Protagonist authentisch.
Der Inhalt der Geschichte ist überaus heftig, insbesondere wenn man sich vor Augen führt, dass Teile der Handlung auf tatsächlichen Begebenheiten beruhen. Der Roman lässt in die Abgründe der Medizin im 19. Jahrhundert und insbesondere der frühen Gynäkologie blicken. Brutale Experimente und operative Eingriffe werden schonungslos und detailreich geschildert. Verstümmelungen, lebensgefährliche Verletzungen, verschiedene Formen von Gewalt und andere Grausamkeiten gegenüber den Patientinnen sind an der Tagesordnung. Vor allem Frauen ärmerer Herkunft werden zu unfreiwilligen Versuchskaninchen im Rahmen einer methodisch fragwürdigen Forschung.
Immer wieder deutlich wird das frauenverachtende, misogyne Denken, das nicht nur dem Protagonisten zuzuschreiben ist. Die Lesart, dass Frauen zu emotional, zu hysterisch, aufgrund ihrer hormonellen Situation ohne Kontrolle über Verhalten und ihr Auftreten seien, kommt wiederholt zum Ausdruck. Bei der Lektüre wird erschreckend klar, dass solche Mythen zum Teil bis in die heutige Zeit überlebt haben. Auch die Tatsache, dass selbst heutzutage noch immer zu wenig Wissen über Zusammenhänge über den weiblichen Körper vorliegen, unterstreicht dieser Roman dadurch, dass er aufzeigt, wie absurd die ersten medizinischen Annahmen waren. Zudem macht die Geschichte die Schattenseiten des Patriarchats eindrucksvoll deutlich. In der feministischen Debatte liefert dieser Roman mithin eine Menge Stoff.
Erzählt wird aus unterschiedlichen Perspektiven. Dieses kreative Konzept gefällt mir. Dass nicht alle oder vielleicht sogar die wenigsten Erzählstimmen als zuverlässig angesehen können, verleiht der Geschichte Pfiff. Leider dominieren die Tagebucheinträge („Aus der Chronik eines Arztlebens“) und damit die Perspektive von Silas Weir sehr stark, was auf den rund 440 Seiten zu Redundanzen und langatmigen Passagen führt. Darüber hinaus hat meinen Lesegenuss geschmälert, dass mir Teile der Handlung als zweifelhaft bis unglaubwürdig erscheinen.
Auf der sprachlicher Hinsicht ahmt der Roman die Ausdrucksweise des 19. Jahrhunderts nach. Dies funktioniert auch in der deutschen Übersetzung von Silvia Morawetz, die ich als angenehm unauffällig empfunden habe.
Das etwas mysteriöse Covermotiv macht neugierig. Der martialische Titel ist zwar ein wenig überspitzt, geht für mich aber dennoch in Ordnung.
Mein Fazit:
„Der Schlächter“ ist eine aufschlussreiche, schockierende Lektüre, die der Leserschaft starke Nerven abverlangt. Mit ihrem Roman zu den Anfängen der Gynäkologie und Psychiatrie ist Joyce Carol Oates ein ungewöhnlicher und trotz seiner Schwächen lesenswerter Roman gelungen.
„Der Schlächter“ ist ein Roman von Joyce Carol Oates.
Der Roman ist aufgebaut wie eine Biografie mit unterschiedlichen Beiträgen: Auf die fiktive „Anmerkung des Herausgebers“ und einen kurzen Prolog folgen sechs Teile, von denen der letzte als Epilog bezeichnet wird. Die Handlung umfasst im Groben die Zeit von 1835 bis ungefähr die 1890er-Jahre und spielt im östlichen Gebiet der heutigen Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika, überwiegend in Pennsylvania.
Im Mittelpunkt des Romans steht mit Dr. Silas Weir eine zwar grundsätzlich fiktive Persönlichkeit, die allerdings auf realen historischen Personen basiert, wie die Dankesworte der Autorin enthüllen. Obwohl der „Schlächter“ sicherlich ein klassischer Antiheld und kein angenehmer Charakter ist, ist die Figur komplex angelegt und verfügt über viel psychologische Tiefe. Dadurch wirkt der Protagonist authentisch.
Der Inhalt der Geschichte ist überaus heftig, insbesondere wenn man sich vor Augen führt, dass Teile der Handlung auf tatsächlichen Begebenheiten beruhen. Der Roman lässt in die Abgründe der Medizin im 19. Jahrhundert und insbesondere der frühen Gynäkologie blicken. Brutale Experimente und operative Eingriffe werden schonungslos und detailreich geschildert. Verstümmelungen, lebensgefährliche Verletzungen, verschiedene Formen von Gewalt und andere Grausamkeiten gegenüber den Patientinnen sind an der Tagesordnung. Vor allem Frauen ärmerer Herkunft werden zu unfreiwilligen Versuchskaninchen im Rahmen einer methodisch fragwürdigen Forschung.
Immer wieder deutlich wird das frauenverachtende, misogyne Denken, das nicht nur dem Protagonisten zuzuschreiben ist. Die Lesart, dass Frauen zu emotional, zu hysterisch, aufgrund ihrer hormonellen Situation ohne Kontrolle über Verhalten und ihr Auftreten seien, kommt wiederholt zum Ausdruck. Bei der Lektüre wird erschreckend klar, dass solche Mythen zum Teil bis in die heutige Zeit überlebt haben. Auch die Tatsache, dass selbst heutzutage noch immer zu wenig Wissen über Zusammenhänge über den weiblichen Körper vorliegen, unterstreicht dieser Roman dadurch, dass er aufzeigt, wie absurd die ersten medizinischen Annahmen waren. Zudem macht die Geschichte die Schattenseiten des Patriarchats eindrucksvoll deutlich. In der feministischen Debatte liefert dieser Roman mithin eine Menge Stoff.
Erzählt wird aus unterschiedlichen Perspektiven. Dieses kreative Konzept gefällt mir. Dass nicht alle oder vielleicht sogar die wenigsten Erzählstimmen als zuverlässig angesehen können, verleiht der Geschichte Pfiff. Leider dominieren die Tagebucheinträge („Aus der Chronik eines Arztlebens“) und damit die Perspektive von Silas Weir sehr stark, was auf den rund 440 Seiten zu Redundanzen und langatmigen Passagen führt. Darüber hinaus hat meinen Lesegenuss geschmälert, dass mir Teile der Handlung als zweifelhaft bis unglaubwürdig erscheinen.
Auf der sprachlicher Hinsicht ahmt der Roman die Ausdrucksweise des 19. Jahrhunderts nach. Dies funktioniert auch in der deutschen Übersetzung von Silvia Morawetz, die ich als angenehm unauffällig empfunden habe.
Das etwas mysteriöse Covermotiv macht neugierig. Der martialische Titel ist zwar ein wenig überspitzt, geht für mich aber dennoch in Ordnung.
Mein Fazit:
„Der Schlächter“ ist eine aufschlussreiche, schockierende Lektüre, die der Leserschaft starke Nerven abverlangt. Mit ihrem Roman zu den Anfängen der Gynäkologie und Psychiatrie ist Joyce Carol Oates ein ungewöhnlicher und trotz seiner Schwächen lesenswerter Roman gelungen.
June 3, 2025
Esta terrorífica lectura ha sido la elegida para compartir con mi querida Loca de los libros, una tradición ritual que llevamos compartiendo desde hace algunos años y de la que disfrutamos no sólo por las lecturas que descubrimos sino por el intercambio de impresiones que vamos haciendo según vamos avanzando.
Joyce Carol Oates nos presentará al Doctor Silas Weir , padre de la "ginopsiquiatría". Esta historia basada en hechos reales y cuyo personaje es la mezcla de varios petsonajes que existieron nos hará partícipes de su ascenso como director de un centro psiquiátrico de mujeres. Durante parte del siglo XIX, que es en la fecha en la que se sitúa el marco de la historia, se creía que la mayoría de los problemas que tenían las mujeres eran principalmente de locura e histeria y cuya solución consistía , primero en internarlas, y posteriormente "curarlas" mediante la extirpación de piezas dentales o partes del cuerpo, la mayoría de las veces sin ningún tipo de anestesia.
Este escalofriante relato narrado en formato de diario en primera persona nos hará partícipes de los mumtiples abusos que se realizaban en pos de la ciencia. Relata actividades y prácticas terroríficas de una manera tan despersonalizada que en ocasiones lo leía igual, como si estuviera leyendo datos, de esta manera de metió en mi mente la autora.
Veremos la transformación de este doctor que se nos presenta como un chico torpón, vergonzoso y timorato hasta su apodo final Carnicero Manos Rojas, un ser cuya meta en la vida era hacerse un nombre y obtener reconocimiento. Una persona con tan baja autoestima que la única manera que tenía para destacar era estar por encima de los más débiles, en este caso las mujeres del psiquiátrico las cuales ni tenían nombre para él, salvo "sujeto N°1 o sujeto N° 2"
Una historia no apta para todo el mundo, ya que trata temas delicados y tiene escenas que en más de una ocasión hacían que se me arrugara el estómago.
Joyce Carol Oates nos presentará al Doctor Silas Weir , padre de la "ginopsiquiatría". Esta historia basada en hechos reales y cuyo personaje es la mezcla de varios petsonajes que existieron nos hará partícipes de su ascenso como director de un centro psiquiátrico de mujeres. Durante parte del siglo XIX, que es en la fecha en la que se sitúa el marco de la historia, se creía que la mayoría de los problemas que tenían las mujeres eran principalmente de locura e histeria y cuya solución consistía , primero en internarlas, y posteriormente "curarlas" mediante la extirpación de piezas dentales o partes del cuerpo, la mayoría de las veces sin ningún tipo de anestesia.
Este escalofriante relato narrado en formato de diario en primera persona nos hará partícipes de los mumtiples abusos que se realizaban en pos de la ciencia. Relata actividades y prácticas terroríficas de una manera tan despersonalizada que en ocasiones lo leía igual, como si estuviera leyendo datos, de esta manera de metió en mi mente la autora.
Veremos la transformación de este doctor que se nos presenta como un chico torpón, vergonzoso y timorato hasta su apodo final Carnicero Manos Rojas, un ser cuya meta en la vida era hacerse un nombre y obtener reconocimiento. Una persona con tan baja autoestima que la única manera que tenía para destacar era estar por encima de los más débiles, en este caso las mujeres del psiquiátrico las cuales ni tenían nombre para él, salvo "sujeto N°1 o sujeto N° 2"
Una historia no apta para todo el mundo, ya que trata temas delicados y tiene escenas que en más de una ocasión hacían que se me arrugara el estómago.
May 5, 2025
This is the first book I have read by this author, and what a baptism of fire!
Silus Weir, the least successful in his family, chooses a path which he expects to see him revered in the medical community, but which leads to him performing barbaric surgery solely on woman, most frequently on the inmates of the female Asylum of which he is director.
I had to take a break at times, as the descriptions of surgeries were absolutely brutal.
If you have not been put off by the above, you will no doubt enjoy this book - it is well written and inventive, and, terrifyingly, there is some basis in fact.
Silus Weir, the least successful in his family, chooses a path which he expects to see him revered in the medical community, but which leads to him performing barbaric surgery solely on woman, most frequently on the inmates of the female Asylum of which he is director.
I had to take a break at times, as the descriptions of surgeries were absolutely brutal.
If you have not been put off by the above, you will no doubt enjoy this book - it is well written and inventive, and, terrifyingly, there is some basis in fact.
August 11, 2025
J’ai tellement aimé ce livre, j’ai tellement aimé détester Silas Weir. Il y a une portée historique et féministe tellement forte, dérangeante et frustrante. Du grand Carol Oates selon moi!!!
July 11, 2024
This was a HARD read. I had to stop many times.
For context, I do work in the medical field and reading this shook me.
This history is way way way too close to us in time for me to feel anywhere close to comfortable. With the world the way it currently is, women not having complete rights over their body — how is this STILL up for debate????? — and medicine standards being set mostly by white men… this book is still extremely relevant. It’s relevant to me not just as a woman but as someone who is half Asian, half white.
While I’m grateful for the courses that actively try to discuss minorities, women’s health, and being a part of a diversity committee, I still see glimpses of the horror in this book in much more subtle ways: the mindset, comments, “jokes”, and the unspoken glances, or raised eyebrows of male counterparts.
We still have such a long way to go and this book reminds me not to rest because we have not come nearly far enough.
For context, I do work in the medical field and reading this shook me.
This history is way way way too close to us in time for me to feel anywhere close to comfortable. With the world the way it currently is, women not having complete rights over their body — how is this STILL up for debate????? — and medicine standards being set mostly by white men… this book is still extremely relevant. It’s relevant to me not just as a woman but as someone who is half Asian, half white.
While I’m grateful for the courses that actively try to discuss minorities, women’s health, and being a part of a diversity committee, I still see glimpses of the horror in this book in much more subtle ways: the mindset, comments, “jokes”, and the unspoken glances, or raised eyebrows of male counterparts.
We still have such a long way to go and this book reminds me not to rest because we have not come nearly far enough.
June 28, 2025
Este libro me ha dejado herida, molesta y porque no decirlo enfadada.
Os recomiendo leer este libro? Es fuerte, con lo cual recomendaría elegir bien el momento. Pero sin duda es una lectura necesaria y está maravillosamente escrito.
Te invita a la reflexión, a ver la realidad de los inicios, la parte oscura de la ciencia, los experimentos.
Destacar el papel de la protagonista, que finalmente es la que nos da el contexto real, es la representación de la verdad.
Os recomiendo leer este libro? Es fuerte, con lo cual recomendaría elegir bien el momento. Pero sin duda es una lectura necesaria y está maravillosamente escrito.
Te invita a la reflexión, a ver la realidad de los inicios, la parte oscura de la ciencia, los experimentos.
Destacar el papel de la protagonista, que finalmente es la que nos da el contexto real, es la representación de la verdad.
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June 23, 2024This morning I realized that my life will be better if I stop right now and return this book. I made it about a quarter of the way.
This is my second JCO and the second I have not finished. It must be me.
I just read The Yellow Wallpaper and I love Virginia Woolf, both have some connection to the main character of this book.
This is my second JCO and the second I have not finished. It must be me.
I just read The Yellow Wallpaper and I love Virginia Woolf, both have some connection to the main character of this book.
July 3, 2025
Kanske det bästa jag läst hittills i år! Fiktion om verkliga händelser i "den moderna gynopsykiatrins framväxt" i gotiska miljöer, framfört av idel opålitliga berättare. Djupt och egensinnigt om beroendeställning, skuld, rättfärdigande. Man tänker på dr Henry Cotton, Jane Eyre, Karin Johannisson, dagens och gårdagens incels. Oates skapar rena besvärjelser genom det täta upprepandet av vissa ord: indentured, providence, interim. Kommer att bära med mig den här länge!
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