I liked this more than I expected- and I didn’t expect much. I’ll confess, with my recently resurfacing squeamishness, the memoirs of a former Junior Doctor weren’t high on my list. But this incisive, insider vision of the NHS ended up being too hard to resist. While it wouldn’t have been something I’d necessarily seek out, I’m glad this cuttingly comedic story fell into my lap.
Because dark humour is up my street- and this has that by the (admittedly sometimes icky) bucketload. So, rather than telling my fellow borderline-germophobes not to read this, I’d probably suggest skipping the footnotes, because that’s where most of the “arghh my eyes” moments are 😉
Admittedly, I sometimes found the Kay’s experiences unrelatable at times, yet that did not detract from the importance of his narrative. Like I said, this does give valuable insight into the ghoulish state of the UK’s National Health Service, for which I am grateful. This touched on a lot of significant issues, from the obvious issues of overworking and understaffing to how people even end up on this track in the first place (I always find it of particular interest that unis prize candidates who can play the clarinet passably well rather than considering if the 18 in question has the resilience and empathy needed for the job). Needless to say, all of this did not exactly allay my fears of going to the doctor.
Because at the same time as sympathising with a lot of the people who work for the health service, I was also struck by the number of cretins in this world (the example that most springs to mind was the fool interrupting a genuine emergency for a drill and then demanding an apology when this doesn’t go down well). Just for that incident alone, I’d say this isn’t the kind of book that makes you all fuzzy-eyed about humanity.
And on that note, as promised, don’t expect a happy ending. This concludes on the most depressing of stories; this is not a comfortable book to read by any stretch of the imagination. Never before has a book title been so literal. I do not think I can invoke the spectre of it and do it justice. So, I will just leave you with the instruction to read the book and see for yourself:
Rating: 4/5 bananas
And that’s my prognosis! Have you read this? Do you plan to? Let me know in the comments!
That’s a superb post as always!! I particular liked all the things you listed .Great 💕
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Thanks so much! 😀 ❤
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Dark humour is often the only way we can cope with emotional and stress-filled aspects of our lives. This sounds like a good read, but one you’d have to be in the mood for.
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Yeah I agree- well said. Definitely think it’s the kind of book you need to be in the right mood for.
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Fab, love it!
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Thanks!
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Luv it💕💗
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Thank you!! ❤
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For some reason I thought this was fiction, not a memoir! LOL. I can see why you might be worried about the content. I’m glad it ended up having the right kind of humor for you. 🙂
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hehe that’s understandable. It did. Thank you!
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Scarier than fiction? The real world is always, by far. Sadly.
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Yeah for sure.
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Not a chance I’m going to read this now! I need my happy ending.
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That’s completely understandable.
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Oh-oh, glad I’m not being taken care of by British doctors… Though I have my doubts about those in my current country as well 😉
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haha I can understand that!
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I don’t need yet another title on my list of books to read, but I think I’ll add this one to my kindle. My husband is an ex Met policeman so I’m kind of inured to black humour – it’s how emergency services’ staff cope. Doctors and nurses – and others – aren’t gods. They’re human: they sometimes get things wrong. That said, they still know more than the rest of us about what they’re doing and took a long time to learn it.
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Ah that makes a lot of sense. And yeah that’s completely understandable and the book focuses on that a lot. haha true.
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I’ve studied in the NHS system in school, so this sounds interesting (but uncomfortable) to read.
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That’s interesting- then you might find this educational.
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I didn’t know if I was going to enjoy this book either because I don’t usually read a lot of memoirs but it was an excellent book, I read it so quickly too. Great post!
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Yeah I completely get what you mean. Thank you!
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Since dark humour is right up my street as well this one sounds promising! 😄💕
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Oh that’s great!! 🙂 ❤
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The book cover itself suggests a depressing story and one full of possible miserable twists. It’s great to know that you’ve enjoyed this, and hopefully someday, if I overcome my squeamishness, I might consider picking it up. Great review!
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yeah I think that about sums it up. That’s completely understandable. Thank you!
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I read this and immediately started recommending it to everyone around me. I’m not too squeamish so the content didn’t bother me as much. In fact, I found it hilarious. I honestly think there should be a copy in every NHS waiting room to remind patients that doctors are human and the NHS is in dire straits.
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Oh that’s good. Yeah I did find it hilarious too. And that’s a really good idea!
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I didn’t realize this was a memoir from looking at it!! I can see why it concerns you why different people are put on this track… you’d think their abilities for the job would matter most!
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Yeah for sure!!
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Don’t think this one is for me but glad you had a good time with it. Great review!
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Fair enough! Thank you!
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