Cutting for Stone eBook PDF

User Reviews

Alex

Rating: really liked it
But it was only now, near the end, and far too late, that the pieces suddenly - dreadfully - clicked into place. Like a long Tetris piece slamming down, making a whole block of mystery blink and vanish. Only now did he realize what suddenly seemed so obvious: everyone who had suggested this book to him – every single one – was a middle-aged woman. This book…it was about the importance of family.

A wave of cold horror washed over him.

It would take months of porn and comic books to counteract this book’s effect. Months.

Sara

Rating: really liked it
Many readers will tell you that Cutting for Stone is the epic story of two conjoined twins fathered by a brilliant British Surgeon and an Indian Nun. And it technically is. Narrated by Marion the first born twin we are told of every influence on his and his brother’s existence. More than the story being told however, the novel is an accurate portrayal of life in all it’s cruelty and wonder.

The twin’s mother dies in childbirth and their father abandons them minutes later. They are raised in a missionary medical hospital in Ethiopia. As they grow up they are forced to face their past and futures re-defining the meanings of destiny, love and family.

While reading you will notice the fine points are painstakingly researched as the story is and packed full of medical jargon and situations along with vivid descriptions of Ethiopian culture and history. My only reservation in recommending the book is the novels “hard moments” as almost every imaginable tragedy touches these brothers, and medical operations and oddities are very detailed. Squeamish readers may want to skim some of these passages.

All in all, this novel is elegantly told, superbly structured and the most original piece of fiction I’ve read in years. It’s deserving of every positive adjective I can throw at it; marvelous, and thrilling. You will want to own and lose yourself in this book again and again. Buy it now, and thank me later.

Swrp

Rating: really liked it
Engaging, exhilarating and also exhausting!

Indeed, a remarkable reading experience!!

(*look for Trigger/Content warnings before reading this book)

***

And because I love this life
I know I shall love death as well.
The child cries out when
From the right breast the mother
Takes it away, in the very next moment
To find in the left one
Its consolation.
~ Rabindranath Tagore, Gitanjali

These immortal lines by the great Bengali poet seem to form the ‘basis’ of the beautifully written Cutting for Stone.

"Every action of ours turned out to be dependent on the other."

The storyline is kind of based on the notion of Karma, the principle of cause and effect.

"Over night, in that hushed silence, the meskel flowers bloomed, turning the hillsides of Addis Ababa into gold."

Set mostly in Addis Ababa (“new flower”, the capital city), this is an epic saga of twin brothers, who are orphaned at birth as the mother dies due to post-childbirth complications and the father abandons them and leaves.

"We come unbidden into this life, and if we are lucky we find a purpose beyond starvation, misery, and early death which, lest we forget, is the common lot."

The story of conjoined twins, Marion and Shiva, who are orphaned at birth and grow up in the household of two doctors, Hema and Ghosh. Written by an Ethiopian-born Indian-American Physician-Professor-Author Abraham Verghese, this book contains a lot of medical references and multiple events that revolve around hospitals and the lives of doctors.

I will not use the knife, not even, verily, on sufferers from stone, but I will give place to such as are craftsmen therein.

The title Cutting for Stone is a phrase from the physicians’ oath of ethics, The Hippocratic Oath [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocr...].

"Why must I do what is hardest?"

"Because, Marion, you are an instrument of God. Don`t leave the instrument sitting in its case, my son. Play! Leave no part of your instrument unexplored. Why settle for 'Three Blind Mice' when you can play the 'Gloria'?"

The writing is beautiful and vivid. The author breathes life into all the characters and their pain, joy, love, passions and attitudes are described very well. There were a few times when it felt like to stop reading the book, all because it will be completed.

[George Butler, theguardian.com)
This book is written by a doctor and it is also narrated by a doctor. The handling of the story and the characters does feel similar to surgery – opened up to find the anomaly, in the course of the events a lot of blood is spilt over and lost and then stitched back to heal.

After reading the book, it did stand out as a concern that almost all the women characters seem to be suffering and going through difficult circumstances.

***
Notes/highlights from the book:

"What is the hardest thing you can possibly do?"

*

"Life, too, is like that. You live it forward, but understand it backward. It is only when you stop and look to the rear that you see the corpse caught under your wheel."

*

"We are all fixing what is broken. It is the task of a lifetime. We`ll leave much unfinished for the next generation."

*

"Wasn`t that the definition of home? Not where you are from, but where you are wanted?"

*

"Impending death had a way of unexpectedly unearthing the past so that it came together with the present in an unholy coupling."

*

"Departure or imminent death will force you to define your true tastes."

*

"God will judge us, by what we did to relieve the suffering of our fellow human beings. I don't think God cares what doctrine we embrace."

*

"I will always find you." I whispered.

"Maybe," she said, bringing her lips close to my ear. "But I might get better at hiding."

*

"It is an axiom of motorcycling that you must always look in the direction you want to go and never at what you are trying to avoid."

*

"It was selfish for me to talk about our births when they coincided with her death."

*

"The fragrance of eucalyptus stoking a home fire, the smell of wet grass, of dung fuel, of tobacco, of swamp air, and the perfume of hundreds of roses - this was the scent of Missing. No, it was the scent of a continent."

*

"Not only our actions, but also our omissions, become our destiny."

*

"Life is full of signs. The trick is to know how to read them."

*

"Why did it take an illness for me to recognize the value of time with him? It seems we humans never learn. And so we relearn the lesson every generation and then want to write epistles."

*

"You should`ve taken me straight from the womb to the tomb! Why the in-between part, why life, if it was just to suffer?"

*

" 'Begin at the beginning and go on until you come to the end,' the King said, very gravely, 'then stop'. Do you know who said that?"

*

"What treatment is offered by ear in an emergency?"
"Words of comfort, sir."

*

The master-word is Work. Stone bound it to his forehead. He wrote it on the tablet of his heart. He woke to it and fought sleep for it. Work was his meat, his drink, his wife, his child, his politics, his religion.

*

There is a point when grief exceeds the human capacity to emote, and as a result, one is strangely composed - she has reached that point.

*

"Every action of ours turned out to be dependent on the other."

Ayaz

Rating: really liked it
“My VIP patients often regret so many things on their deathbeds. They regret the bitterness they’ll leave in people’s hearts. They realize that no money, no church service, no eulogy, no funeral procession no matter how elaborate can remove the legacy of a mean spirit.” (Cutting for Stone, pg 434)

More than a few people who’ve read the novel mentioned to me that they wanted to discontinue reading the novel. And I understood what they meant, when I finished reading Cutting for Stone this last weekend.

I had trouble with the point of view. Unlike Frankie in Angela’s Ashes, Marion, the protagonist, is an adult all along, and mono-tonal. Mr. Verghese doesn’t give Marion the privilege of his own voice. Marion is smothered by adult language, betrayed by the medical jargon, which is overbearing ultimately, as well as weak writing—this last piece was a surprise to me. The idiom in some places puts me right in 2011 America, when in fact, we’re in Ethiopia for most part of the novel—mid 1900’s onward. Also, an overuse of similes was irritating, and kept dragging the writing down, but most importantly, the reader can’t get to Marion’s soul, because weak language confounds the reader. Moreover, the shifting points of view are shoddy, and in fact, weaken the intensity of emotion that existed briefly when Dr. Thomas Stone is trying to deliver the twins. By the way, this was the most poignant scene of the novel, and then the novel degenerates slowly and painfully for the 100’s of pages to come.

Probably the lowest point of the novel is the coincidence (you’ll find far too many coincidental meetings and appearances etc) of Genet and Marion meeting in the US. Marion is set up to be a romantic by the author, and had saved his virginity for Genet. But then enjoys a grotesque intercourse, which involves urine, blood and vaginal fluids. Marion is so turned on that he goes at it again. If I didn’t feel terrible for Genet by then, I certainly did at that point. I am not sure that Mr. Verghese wanted Marion to be narcissistic and sadistic (“I grabbed her shoulder and pulled her to me hard. I smelled her fever, and the scent of blood and sex and urine. I came again, pg.598)—but Mr. Verghese came pretty close here.

But the novel had unraveled for me earlier. Mr.Verghese simply has the hardest time developing female characters. They play stereotypical roles, except for Marion’s mother, who had the potential to be very interesting as a developed character, but the author, again “uses” her as a plot device (wish not to reveal how for those who’ve not read the novel yet). Hema, his adopted mother also has wonderful potential of becoming an interesting character, but remains flat throughout. The male characters dialogue is a notch better, but the dialogue throughout the novel is tiresome, and most characters sound like each other. There is some good dialogue from Marion’s adopted father, Ghosh and Dr. Deepak, but not enough to save the novel.

And poor Marion, remains a prisoner to a very brilliant individual as a novelist in Mr. Verghese, who tries desperately but fails to develop a nuanced protagonist--maybe the reason people wanted to put the novel down. I think if the novel was cut into half, it may have worked for me, given the good writing would have blossomed and caught the attention of the reader. Here’s one other passage I liked:

“ In America, my initial impression was that death or the possibility of it always seemed to come as a surprise, as if we took it for granted that we were immortal and that death was just an option.” (Cutting for Stone, pg 486)

Kasa Cotugno

Rating: really liked it
Recently in San Francisco I attended a reading by Abraham Verghese, who has written my favorite book of the year: CUTTING FOR STONE. I'd gotten it from the library, and after @150 pages was so in love with it that when I heard he was going to be at the store, I returned the library copy (there's a huge line waiting for it), and bought a copy just to have the pleasure of his signature. We actually had a little chat after the reading, while he happened by on his way to his car. He asked why I'd chosen his book in the first place, and I didn't have the answer, which occurred to me (like esprit d'escalier) until after he'd left: it's not the initial choosing of a book, but the journey the author takes you on that is important.

I think that Tom Wolfe's I AM CHARLOTTE SIMMONS was the book that changed my life, because when I was about 50 pages in, I realized I couldn't and therefore wouldn't finish that book despite having purchased it in hard cover. Life is too short, and besides, it doesn't honor an author if you are resenting him with every page just to reach the end. So, I actually don't finish some of the books I open. There aren't enough days left in my life to squander on books I'm not enjoying.

All that being said, I wish I'd thought of that when talking with this soft spoken, gentle man, and had been able to relay to him that the journey he was taking me on was so wonderful, I didn't care if I ever reached the destination. It is a vibrant, living story peopled with individuals to care about, sensual writing with more than a dash of humor and a frisson of suspense.

What I did have the chance to tell him was this: I was furious with an imbicile in the audience who, if you can actually believe this, whined "Why did you have to make it so long?" I told Dr. Verghese that it reminded me of that scene in Amadeus, when the emperor complains "there are too many notes," and Mozart, puzzled, says "It has just the right amount of notes."

Candi

Rating: really liked it
"Wasn’t that the definition of home? Not where you are from, but where you are wanted?"

This book is both brilliant and breathtaking. I absolutely loved it. Abraham Verghese is not only a distinguished physician, but an extremely talented writer. The prose is some of the very best I have encountered in a novel, and the story itself is hugely compelling. Verghese takes his time setting up the story and introducing the cast of characters that will be thoroughly developed throughout the course of the novel. I gobbled this stuff right up! It’s a book about home and belonging – both to your country and to your loved ones. Family is defined by those people to whom we feel the greatest connection, whether through blood or through the fulfillment of our greatest needs in life, including love, loyalty and dependability.

In Addis Ababa, near the soaring heights of the Entoto Mountains in Ethiopia, Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born to an Indian who is both nun and nurse and a British surgeon working together within the walls of Missing, a missionary hospital. Literally joined at birth, the twins also share a bond of brotherhood and loss that will be both strengthened and painfully tested throughout their lives. As the boys grow, they also learn the practice of medicine, both in its clinical form as well as its very compassionate service to human beings. This knowledge is gleaned through the most admirable of characters, Hema and Ghosh. I loved these two, but in particular Ghosh who is possibly one of my favorite literary personalities of all time! There is a plethora of medical descriptions here that I found quite fascinating. One is not required to have a medical-related degree to enjoy this book, but a curiosity and appreciation for the field of medicine will go a long way here. I have to issue a little word of warning here for those that may feel a bit squeamish when presented with some of the more graphic details of medicine. Although I may have flinched once or twice, that didn’t stop me from reading!

Due to family social ties to some very powerful forces within Ethiopia, Marion and Shiva find that they are not exempt from the effects of the political upheaval during the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie. When catastrophe lands on their own doorstep, the twins will learn even more about the true meaning of family. I found that I learned quite a lot about Ethiopian history and current events and it was all very illuminating. I gained a better understanding of the geography of this African country and absorbed some very vivid images like this one:

"I stepped out to the lawn. I remember the air that night, and how it was so brisk that it could revive the dead. The fragrance of eucalyptus stoking a home fire, the smell of wet grass, of dung fuel, of tobacco, of swamp air, and the perfume of hundreds of roses – this was the scent of Missing. No, it was the scent of a continent."

Heartbreaking and uplifting, Cutting for Stone is a treasure that I highly recommend. Medicine, foreign cultures, politics, coming-of-age, abandonment, betrayal, and love are all elements woven together to construct a real masterpiece of writing. The ending was both poignant and astonishing. I loved it.

"The world turns on our every action, and our every omission, whether we know it or not."

Petra X

Rating: really liked it
Update I didn't like the writing of this book at all, but now, after reading the Verghese's foreword to When Breath Becomes Air and being unable to get over the florid and verbose writing of that either and other people agreeing with that, I just wonder how so many people enjoyed the very similar writing in this book.
_____

I tried to read this book several times but it didn't hold my attention at all. I just couldn't get into it.

I realise that I am in a minority among friends for not swooning over the very brilliance of this book and the writing, oh the writing... but I didn't swoon. I slept.

Jen

Rating: really liked it
Breathless is how I’m feeling right now as I close this book. Magnificence is in the power of this story and the storyteller.

I was introduced to Verghese briefly as he wrote a prologue to the exquisitely written memoir , When Breath Becomes Air. Another of my favourites.

Yet, I was ill prepared for the visceral attack on my senses reading this epic story that takes place in Ethiopia.
A story of doctors and the lives of becoming one. The story of undeniable love for parents who weren’t biological, for Siamese brothers separated at birth. Just an awe inspiring story of life. It’s hardships; it’s gifts. It’s culture.

It made me feel alive and exported. A respect for the struggles in a 3rd world country. Respect for dedication of reaching difficult goals. Of accepting unconditional love even when it seems to be against you. And forgiveness at its core.
A story of brothers, fathers And mothers.

A gift is what this feels like.
5⭐️

Nataliya

Rating: really liked it
My favorite parts of this sizable tome were, of course, the medical jargon and the lyrically gory descriptions of diseases and surgeries.

I guess, by now I have finally and irreversibly crossed that thin line between sanity and medicine.

Yes, all the descriptions of diseases and surgeries, and the handy medical mneumonics were like music to my ears. Really. Reading Verghese's Cutting for Stone reminded me of the conversations that I tend to have with my friends in the medical field - they inevitably will deteriorate into the full-on medical jargon-fest. And they will become hard (and boring) to follow for the 'outsiders'. And I love it in a strange way. Insanity, like I said.

Tell me, in what other fiction book can you read about surgery for volvulus, vaginal fistula repairs, detailed C-section and transplant surgery description, and medical conditions that are becoming increasingly rare in the US and therefore are fascinating? Where else in fiction do you get a crash review course on different kinds of cardiac murmurs or vesicovaginal fistulae and the history of their repair? Right, I thought so. Medicine is so seamlessly integrated in the very structure of this novel that it becomes a character in its own right. Nicely done, Dr. Verghese.

“I'm ashamed of our human capacity to hurt and maim one another, to desecrate the body. Yet it allows me to see the cabalistic harmony of heart peeking out behind lung, of liver and spleen consulting each other under the dome of the diaphragm -- these things leave me speechless.”

Oh, but I guess you also care about the story, and not just about my dithyrambs about the medical jargon? Okay, okay. Here is the brief synopsis of 600-plus pages:

“Wasn't that the definition of home? Not where you are from, but where you are wanted.”

Twin boys Shiva and Marion (*) are born in a poor 'Missing' Hospital in Ethiopia to an Indian nun (who died in childbirth status post a horrific and vividly described Cesarean section) and a socially inept but talented British surgeon (who promptly exits the twins' lives mere minutes after their birth, having almost crushed their initially conjoined heads

(*) Marion is named after Marion Sims, the "father of American gynecology", who in the 19th century pioneered the operation for repair of vesicovaginal fistula (the abnormal communication between urethra and vagina with all the unpleasant and horrific consequences) - the operation that Shiva performs in this book.

Marion Sims' work became a subject of much controversy in the 20th century since he practiced his craft without anesthesia on slave women, with unknown consent of his subjects on some of whom he operated about 30 times.
The past of medicine is very often a very scary and cruel place.

The boys are adopted and raised by an eccentric couple of Indian doctors at Missing - Hema and Ghosh, who in an adorable and sweet way 'renew' their marriage each year. We witness them growing up around the hospital, learning medicine from a very tender age, living through periods of Ethiopian civil unrest, and, of course, girl troubles (Genet - the tragic girl who always tragically plays the tragic role in the brothers' tragic lives). Both brothers decide to pursue medicine - self-taught Shiva is a gynecologist while Marion (view spoiler). More tragedy ensues, forever changing the lives of the twins, and everyone learns the value of love and family through much sadness. And it's both a bit cheesy and melodramatic and touching.

“What we are fighting isn't godlessness--this is the most godly country on earth. We aren't even fighting disease. Its poverty. Money for food, medicines... that helps. When we cannot cure or save a life, our patients can at least feel cared for. It should be a basic human right.”

I also rather enjoyed the descriptions of practice of medicine in a poor Ethiopian society. You can't help but sadly laugh reading about money spent by the donors on sending Bibles to the hospital while the cash-strapped hospital desperately needs equipment and medications. The lack of resources leading to the necessity of excellent physical exam skills combined with some ingenuity was really interesting. And the stark contrasts between medicine in the US and Ethiopia were fascinating as well, reminding me of the stories I hear from the physicians who go to practice medicine in Africa for a while - surreal and fascinating and yet painfully real, with stark realities of poverty dictating medical care.

“God will judge us, Mr. Harris, by--by what we did to relieve the suffering of our fellow human beings. I don't think God cares what doctrine we embrace.”

Now, when stripped from the medicine component, the story itself did not fascinate me much. Mainly - because I did not care much for Marion, the narrator. His narrative voice is very monotone, as well as quite judgmental and, frankly, quite irritating. After hundreds and hundreds of pages listening to his voice, I still did not feel that I knew the character much. His neverending obsession with Genet was bordering on unhealthy and frightening. The subtle mystical elements of the connection between the twins Shiva and Marion are hinted at but never really followed through; we never really get to see much of it but are told without showing. Finally (view spoiler) did not have the expected emotional effect, either.

The pacing was uneven as well, with the story dragging through the long sections of the narrative. And a word of warning - the description of a certain intercourse in this book is one of the most nausea-inducing things that I've ever read. Way too many bodily fluids are involved for my comfort level - and I HAVE been on the receiving end of way too many bodily fluids as a work hazard. So yeah. Be warned.

The female characters were not very well-developed and weak. Genet felt caricaturish at times. Hema had potential, but did not quite live up to it. The rest of female characters are kinda just there. But in all honesty, male characters were not that much better. Marion and Shiva's surrogate father, Ghosh, is the only character who I felt actually came to life in this book. He is shown as intelligent, kind, and compassionate, and yet still flawed. He is the only character for whom I actually cared at all.

“Life, too, is like that. You live it forward, but understand it backward. It is only when you stop and look to the rear that you see the corpse caught under your wheel.”

--------------------------------------------
The verdict: 3 stars for the beautiful descriptions of medicine and a notable quotability factor, but not as much for the story itself. I am not sure whether it will appeal to a non-medical person - maybe if you have more of sentimentality than I do.

“According to Shiva, life is in the end about fixing holes. Shiva didn't speak in metaphors. fixing holes is precisely what he did. Still, it's an apt metaphor for our profession. But there's another kind of hole, and that is the wound that divides family. Sometimes this wound occurs at the moment of birth, sometimes it happens later. We are all fixing what is broken. It is the task of a lifetime. We'll leave much unfinished for the next generation.”

——————
Also posted on my blog.

Kate Merriman

Rating: really liked it
Beautifully written, engrossing novel plants you deeply in the passion of practicing medicine, winds you intimately into the cloth of Ethiopia. Verghese uses language so elegantly and paces his story so perfectly that I was totally transported.

I finished the book feeling homesick for Addis Ababa, although I have never been there.

When I signed up (in several places) to review early editions of books on my blog and in other viral / social media places (like Facebook), I had that little hope that I would be one of the first to discover a great new treasure and then be part of making sure the world knew about it.

I was sent the uncorrected proof courtesy of an offer from Alfred A. Knopf in the daily "Shelf Awareness" email newsletter. Thanks, Al.

The good news is - this early edition of Cutting for Stone is exactly that rare gem I was hoping to find!

The slightly less good news is - so many more high-profile reviewers are already raving about it, so Verghese probably doesn't need my help in the slightest.

Still, I feel lucky to be one of the first readers. It's hard to imagine another book unseating this as my favorite of 2009.

For me, it was right up there with East of Eden.

Now excuse me while I run out to eat a hearty meal at the one spot in all of Austin serving Injera and veggie Wott.

Matthew

Rating: really liked it
Great storytelling! I was captivated throughout.

The first time I heard about this book my brother-in-law and all of his medical school friends were reading it and couldn't say enough about how amazing it was. After reading it and seeing how much of it has to do with medicine and surgery, it makes perfect sense.

I really enjoyed getting to know all the characters and, seeing them deal with the social constructs of mid-20th century Ethiopia. Also, the author pulls no punches when it comes to the heart-wrenching twists and turns they all go through. Very amazing job done by Verghese.

I mention that there is a lot of medical content here. I recently read The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue and I am reminded a lot of that book. What it comes down to is the medical content makes up a large portion of the book and most of it is very graphic - the author does not lighten things up. I think it is good that the harsh realities are shared and it is very important to the story. But, if you are easily queasy or can only stand a little intense medical content here and there, proceed with caution or do not proceed at all.

I have something about this book that I have to get off my chest. It does not detract from my rating and it is not a criticism of the overall quality of the book. I am marking it with a spoiler because I think it gives too much away. (view spoiler)

Summary: A great book - be prepared for frustration and some stomach churning medical content

Elyse Walters

Rating: really liked it
FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm back again --(my friend Debbie told me I could 'edit' my own review')...

I want to say 'something' about this book again. I've given many 5 stars on books I've read ---which then makes THIS book a 5 ++++ star book!

Its exceptional! Every book club in the Bay Area was reading it at one time. The author 'always' had PACKED FULL rooms of people coming to hear him speak on this book. (I heard him speak twice).

Much could be discussed about this wonderful novel.

Note: There are two graphic scenes --(remember --a medical doctor wrote it) --- but this story takes you into a world where you loose yourself --

Also--the writing is breathtaking!

I've read all 3 of this authors books (the other two are 'non-fiction). I've liked them all ---

Yet--I also have a special heart for his other book called "The Tennis Player".

James

Rating: really liked it
3.5 of 5 stars to Abraham Verghese's novel, Cutting for Stone, which was a book club selection about 7 years ago. At first, I wasn't sure I'd like the book, as I expected it to be quite sad. And back then, I wasn't interested in reading sad or emotional books; however, this one was quite good and I waffled between a 3 and a 4. I settled on a 3 only because I felt it was a little too formal / stiff for the type of book it felt like it should have been -- still above average to me, as far as books go.

The basics: Twin brothers born in Ethiopia, Africa. The mother dies during childbirth and the father will need to raise them, but fate intervenes and they are separated. The book chronicles the separate life of the two boys and the connections between them. It's about the differences between America and Africa, love and fear, focus and desire. There are many surprises in the book, all leading you to root for certain things to happen in each of the relationships throughout the story.

I had never heard of the author before, and this is the only read I've tackled by him, so far. But he's got several other books and short stories. For me, it was a little too focused on the medical side of their personalities / careers / activities. Not in a bad way, just enough that it didn't burst at its seams as a superstar book. I also felt like it was a little light in the action at some points, but it certainly makes up for it in some major ways in the last third.

If you are interested in other cultures, different ways of doing things and what happens to twins when they aren't always near one another... it's a great read. I'd suggest reading a lot of reviews to decide if it's for you... as it's different than most books of its genres or sub-genre.

About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.

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Debra

Rating: really liked it
I read this book years ago and I still find myself recommending it at least monthly to someone. It is so beautifully written, so moving, so involving, so perfect. I loved every single page of this book.

Marion and Shiva Stone are twins born to a Nun (yes you read correctly) and a British Surgeon in Addis Ababa (I know right, Where? ). They are orphaned after their father's disappearance and their Mother's death in childbirth. The boys are then raised by Hema and Ghosh, the two Indian doctors with a unique relationship of their own. I actually really liked these two characters and how they installed a love of medicine for the boys. The twins are always joined, well by being twins and by their fascination of medicine. But things are not always smooth for them. You see, they love the same woman and Marion flees to the United States upon completion of Medical School. But the past is not always in the past. The past has a way of catching up with us. Sometimes tapping us on the shoulder, sometimes giving us a firm shove from behind. This is what happens to Marion. He learns that sooner or later the past will come back and he will need to deal with his past.

Lets talk medicine for a moment. I really liked how the Author, A Medical doctor himself, described the medical procedures in a way that did not A. Gross me out or B. confuse me. I think this is a gift in and of itself. I actually found them to be fascinating.

Love and Betrayal are a theme. There is also lust, envy, grief, emigration, friendship, disease, poverty, education, love, family, death, loneliness, basically everything that makes a book good.

I highly recommend this book!

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com

Dem

Rating: really liked it
I don’t think I am singing from the same hymn sheet as most people on good reads when it comes to my rating of Cutting for stone and while I did enjoy some aspects of the book, over all it was long drawn out and hard work.

I am not going to summarize the Novel as the blurb on the book sums it up pretty well.
The first 150 pages of this story I found very slow going and way too medically descriptive for my liking. Perhaps if I had more knowledge or liked programmes like ER or Grays Anatomy I would have connected with this book more.
It took 100 pages before the twins are actually born in the book and I thought this was made for tedious reading. Another issue I had from the beginning of the story was that I was unable to put faces to the characters and this was a big minus for me as I need to have images in my head of the characters in order to really enjoy a book. I think this was the first time in a novel where I have had this experience to such an extent.

However on the plus side from 300 pages onwards the book really picked up and Chapter 36 Prognostic Signs was one of my favourite chapters. I enjoyed the characters of Ghosh and Hema and for me they made this book come alive as their value on family and life was so touching.

Overall not a book I regret reading as I am sure it will provide good discussion but unfortunately not a book to sit on my real life book shelf.

Read for sit in book club read Feb Choice.

Detail

Cutting for Stone

Must be read