Goldblatt's Descent

by Michael Honig

A biting, brilliant, black tragicomedy of doctors, patients, lost hopes and last chances.

'But I just killed someone!'
'I don't know if I'd shout about it if I were you.' Malcolm Goldblatt paused. 'Look, you didn't kill him. It was waiting to happen. You just ... helped.'
'Malcolm, they'll strike me off!'
'They can't strike you off. You're still a House Officer. They haven't struck you on yet...'

Malcolm Goldblatt has one last chance. Life, or his own obstinacy, has dumped him at the door of Professor Andrea Small's medical unit, where he will have the privilege of ministering to the world's most unimportant disease. But in so many ways, this unit is like all the others that Goldblatt has worked on, from Dr Madic's ferocious aversion to work, to Dr Burton's knife-in-the-back ambition, right up to the monstrous vanities of the professor herself - and that's before he even meets the patients. Soon the familiar cycle of hope and despair threatens to drag him into its eddy, and with his finger never far from the self-destruct button, the temptation to press it for what will surely be the final time begins to feel less like professional suicide and more like salvation.

480 pages, Paperback

First published July 4, 2013

About the author

Michael Honig trained in medicine and worked at a number of London's teaching hospitals. He lives in London with his wife and son.

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book had so much promise but it just didn't do anything for me though

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perhaps this would have worked as a novella mixing the humour of the absurd with the poignancy of institutional failings transcribed into narrative, but at nearly 500 pages, the humour of cross-purposed dialogue and anxious misunderstanding feels forced and terribly repetitive. The dialogue wants to be witty, but based as it is in boundless character ineptitude, is inane and nothing more.

Beneath this fatal flaw of style, there was the creeping realisation that all of the female characters (including the head of the hospital) were prey to gendered stereotypes: they were insecure, anxious and always in need of the knowledge and guidance of the two competent male doctors. When, as a society, we are still battling for gender equality, our authors have a responsibility not to implicitly enforce such stereotypes.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike many of the reviewers, I enjoyed the book. Yes, there were some repetitive elements to it. It actually reminded me of my own work environment with senior management who wait for their subordinates to resolve issues which unfortunately they are not in a position to be able to, as it needs senior intervention, however the boss doesn't want to do anything as they are more interested in making themselves look good with their own stakeholders. After all it's not them who has to deal with the mess on a day to day basis, it's their staff - who the boss should be responsible for, but shoulder slop out of doing. Being outspoken doesn't always win you brownie points or get you anywhere, regardless of expertise and how good you are at your job.

[Siggy Arndt · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a healthcare worker this book will hit extremely close to home. I just finished reading it as the first book I've read for fun in nearly 10 years and it feels like divine intervention how this book found its way to me.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was just a bit too much informational detail about the downsides of the medical profession for me to totally enjoy this book.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book but wouldn’t call it brilliant.
If you are in the medical field you’d understand Goldblatts ups & downs & the type of people in the system.

[Bookwormthings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Savage

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Promising start but just way too long and the characters and the story don’t have the depth to support the length of narrative.

[Nigel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weighing in at just under 500 pages, this was a long slog that almost defeated me though I was glad I stuck with it. It often seems to be a polemic against the institutional woes of the NHS with the author having worked in a number of London teaching hospitals. It is distressing to see a good doctor ground down by the machinations of the system to say little of the woes of patients booked in for procedures. A salutary but depressing black comedy.

[Bene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised at how much I really enjoyed it. It was a really easy read filled with an interesting narrative and look at the medical profession.

[TXH · Rating 1 out of 5]

I HATED THIS. Possibly even more than House of God.