Doctor in the swim

Doctor in the House #8

by Richard Gordon

novel

Genres: Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

Richard Gordon is the pen name used by Gordon Ostlere (born Gordon Stanley Ostlere on September 15, 1921), an English surgeon and anaesthetist. As Richard Gordon, Ostlere has written several novels, screenplays for film and television and accounts of popular history, mostly dealing with the practice of medicine. He is most famous for a long series of comic novels on a medical theme starting with Doctor in the House, and the subsequent film, television and stage adaptations. His The Alarming History of Medicine was published in 1993, and he followed this with The Alarming History of Sex.

Gordon worked as anaesthetist at St. Bartholomew's Hospital (where he was a medical student) and later as a ship's surgeon and as assistant editor of the British Medical Journal. He has published several technical books under his own name including Anaesthetics for Medical Students(1949); later published as Ostlere and Bryce-Smith's Anaesthetics for Medical Students in 1989, Anaesthetics and the Patient (1949) and Trichlorethylene Anaesthesia (1953). In 1952, he left medical practice and took up writing full time. He has an uncredited role as an anesthesiologist in the movie Doctor in the House.

The early Doctor novels, set in the fictitious St Swithin's, a teaching hospital in London, were initially witty and apparently autobiographical; later books included more sexual innuendo and farce. The novels were very successful in Britain in Penguin paperback during the 1960s and 1970s. Richard Gordon also contributed to Punch magazine and has published books on medicine, gardening, fishing and cricket.

The film adaptation of Doctor in the House was released in 1954, two years after the book, while Doctor at Sea came out the following year with Brigitte Bardot. Dirk Bogarde starred as Dr. Simon Sparrow in both. The later spin-off TV series were often written by other well-known British comic performers.

Reviews

[Darshna Rekha · Rating 5 out of 5]

After following Dr. Richard Gordon’s hilarious misadventures, I had certain expectations about Grimsdyke. In earlier books, he came across as a troublemaker, so I assumed this story would be all about his blunders—much like Bertie Wooster, always landing himself in ridiculous predicaments.

But Doctor in the Swim was a delightful and hilarious surprise. While Grimsdyke does find himself in absurd situations, it’s usually because he’s following his cousin’s schemes or getting dragged into Sir Lancelot’s excursions. He’s a mix of wit and chaos, stumbling through life but never entirely out of control. The fast-paced comedy keeps you hooked, and one of the funniest moments was in New York when Grimsdyke and Sir Lancelot mistook a cemetery for a hotel and earnestly tried to book a room 😂

And the best part? He finally meets his match in Lucy— sharp and brilliant.

This book is pure entertainment, and the best part is that it works as a standalone—no prior knowledge of the series needed. If you’re in the mood for lighthearted fun, this one’s worth picking up!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10