Dr. Cook's Garden

by Ira Levin

As outlined: "in the Vermont village of Greenfield Center, there is a genial, benevolent and greatly loved old physician who is very proud of his community. It is peopled with fine, wholesome folk, and it appears that Heaven rewards the civic virtue by seeing to it that mostly only those who are wicked at heart die. And the good Dr. Cook, who is willing to go out on sick calls at any hour of the day or night, is determined it should stay in that fortunate condition. When a young physician, who had known and loved Dr. Cook for years, returns to the village for a visit, he is delighted to see his venerable friend and benefactor again. Then a problem of medical ethics arises to haunt him. It may, he concedes, be excusable for a doctor to kill off incurable patients and the hopelessly deformed. But he thinks it is going too far to do away with disagreeable people who happen to be a blot on the fair community." And it is his attempt to make his mentor see reason on this point that brings on the gripping climax of the play, in which the two doctors, young and old, are pitted against each other in a scene of unforgettable, breath-stopping suspense and high drama.

Genres: Plays, Drama, Fiction

72 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1998

About the author

Levin graduated from the Horace Mann School and New York University, where he majored in philosophy and English.

After college, he wrote training films and scripts for television.

Levin's first produced play was No Time for Sergeants (adapted from Mac Hyman's novel), a comedy about a hillbilly drafted into the United States Air Force that launched the career of Andy Griffith. The play was turned into a movie in 1958, and co-starred Don Knotts, Griffith's long-time co-star and friend. No Time for Sergeants is generally considered the precursor to Gomer Pyle, USMC.

Levin's first novel, A Kiss Before Dying, was well received, earning him the 1954 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. A Kiss Before Dying was turned into a movie twice, first in 1956, and again in 1991.

Levin's best known play is Deathtrap, which holds the record as the longest-running comedy-thriller on Broadway and brought Levin his second Edgar Award. In 1982, it was made into a film starring Christopher Reeve and Michael Caine.

Levin's best known novel is Rosemary's Baby, a horror story of modern day satanism and the occult, set in Manhattan's Upper West Side. It was made into a film starring Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes. Ruth Gordon won an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance. Roman Polanski, who wrote and directed the film, was nominated for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.

Other Levin novels were turned into movies, including The Boys from Brazil in 1978; The Stepford Wives in 1975 and again in 2004; and Sliver in 1993.

Stephen King has described Ira Levin as "the Swiss watchmaker of suspense novels, he makes what the rest of us do look like cheap watchmakers in drugstores." Chuck Palahniuk, in , calls Levin's writing "a smart, updated version of the kind of folksy legends that cultures have always used."

Ira Levin died from a heart attack at his home in Manhattan, on 12 November 2007. He was seventy-eight at the time of his death.

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+ Stars

Ira Levin never ceases to amaze me!

In an effort to read all of his work, I recently finished DR. COOK'S GARDEN, and Oh. My. Gosh. If you like Levin and you like dark, intense drama, this 61 page play is for you!

First directed on stage in New York City by Mr. Levin himself, the action all takes place in one afternoon in Dr. Cook's home/office in a small Vermont village, a town described as peaceful with no sin or crime, a town where everyone is content.

Enter 27 year old Jim Tennyson, now a doctor himself thanks to his beloved friend and benefactor, the aging Dr. Cook. He's come home for a short visit, but all does not go quite as expected......

Take an hour or so and find out what happens....What R stands for. If you decide to read the book summary, it gives away a bit....but definitely not all!

[Yas · Rating 4 out of 5]

روانیییی. نمایشنامه‌ای جنایی.

18.04.2025 Cafe Emils, Dresden, Germany
19.04.2025 Hotel Super 8
دومین نمایشنامه‌ای که با سمانه گویندگی کردیم:))

[Mrs.Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-1/2 stars
Excellent short play about corruption of power, great paired with "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson

[aLirEza nEjaTi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Ira Levin guy is cooking

[Amir Shayan]

ضفیف‌تر نسبت به شکار مرگ و اتاق ورونیکا، بازم خوب چون جناییه

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightfully creepy and thought-provoking all at once. A lesser known Levin work, but one that should get more credit, I think.

[Arman Heidaryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

۱. حاضری برای دفاع از کسایی که دوس داری، چی‌کار کنی؟ به چه اصولی پایبند باشی و چه مرزهای اخلاقی‌ای رو زیر پا بذاری؟ فک می‌کنی هدفی که داری، اعمالی که مرتکب میشی رو توجیح می‌کنه؟

۲. بعد از سال‌ها دوری، بالاخره دکتر جیم تنیسن به شهرِ دوران کودکی‌ش برگشته و قراره با دکتر کوک ملاقات کنه.
دکتر کوک همون کسیه که جیم رو بزرگ کرده، الگوی اون برای پزشک شدن بوده و الآن هم، مدت‌هاست که تنها پزشکِ شَهره. ولی قضیه از جایی پیچیده می‌شه که جیم، به یه‌سری از مسائل بزرگ‌وکوچیک مشکوک می‌شه و تصمیم می‌گیره که سر از کارِ دکتر کوکِ معروف در بیاره.

۳. یکی از مهم‌ترین الِمان‌هایی که در آثار آیرا لوین وجود داره، هیجانه؛ یه خط داستانی که پیش‌بینی کردنش خیلی سخت می‌شه و درنهایت می‌تونیم از لحاظ روانشناختی هم به اثر نگاه کنیم. این نویسنده تخصص داره که جزئیات کوچیک‌کوچیک رو توی متن بیاره و درنهایت از همون جزئیاتی که قبلا کاشته، نتیجه‌ی بزرگ بکشه بیرون.

امتیاز من به کتاب: ⭐️3.5

[Angela Gyurko · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 1967 patriarchal throwback broke ground when it premiered for its exposure of the evil lurking in "good people." The blatant misogyny and ableism is horrific, but it's a worthy read to appreciate what it took to move society forward over the past 50-ish years.

[آبتین گلکار · Rating 4 out of 5]

خوندنش خیلی چسبید. دوراهی اخلاقی جالبی رو مطرح کرده بود که آدم رو به فکر می‌ندازه

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, but there's not enough motivation explored or explained for what happens as lead up to what is covered in the play.

[Amirali Moussavi · Rating 4 out of 5]

شخصیت پردازی عالی و خلق موقعیت بیست‌. فقط پایان‌بندیش چندان برای من جذاب و گیرا نبود‌. برخلاف شکار مرگ

[Ivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting premise, great arguments.