He has also said my ambition was to write a big sweeping novel into which you could disappear, travel away as though in a spaceship, disappear, meet exciting people, and return to find that only a couple of days. Oct 17, 2011 cutting for stone is primarily set at a mission hospital in ethiopia, although india and new york city are featured almost as extra characters in the story. The novel opens with sister mary praise leaving india to travel to africa as a. However, the book s title cutting for stone may indicate the danger and risk inherent in familiar love.
March 10, 2009 physician abraham vergheses debut novel, cutting for stone, is a big, sprawling story of an ethiopian surgeon, his family and his craft. Cutting for stone by abraham vergese book club discussion. The writing is vivid and thrilling, and the story completely absorbing, with its pregnant indian nun, demon. What does cutting for stone reveal about the emotional lives of doctors. Born of indian parents, verghese grew up in revolutionary ethiopia near addis abba. Each character is so fully developed from start to finish that the reader becomes deeply involved with each and every one. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese free download. Phyllis in the ancient greek hippocratic oath for physicians there was a line about not cutting for stone gall stone, kidney stone, etc because of themore in the ancient greek hippocratic oath for physicians there was a line about not cutting for stone gall stone, kidney stone, etc because of the danger to the patient.
Cutting for stone by abraham verghese fantastic fiction. This first novel was preceded by two nonfiction books. Cutting for stone is the first straightforward novel set in and largely about africa that ive read in a good long timethe kind richard russo or cormac mccarthy might write, the kind that shows how history and landscape and accidents of birth and death conspire to create the story of a single life. Cutting for stone, set in addis ababa, ethiopia, spans the course of a century in the lives of the denizens of missing hospital, centered on conjoined and separated upon birth twins shiva and marion stone. The books climax unfortunately marks a further major misstep on vergheses part. Cutting for stone ebook by abraham verghese rakuten kobo. Contrast the attitudes of hema, ghosh, marion, shiva, and thomas stone toward their work. Cutting for stone the phrase is from the hippocratic oath is about twins.
All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws. Cutting for stones medical content increases as marion goes on to an internship in new york, and robs the novel of a little of its magic. Haunting, moving, richly detailed summary from publisher. Sign me up to get more news about literary fiction books. This is one of those books you dont want to see end and that will leave you hungry for more. With a cultural backdrop of addis ababa, ethiopia, and a f ocus on the art of surgery, the reader is immersed into a different realm of medicine.
Author abraham verghese, md, macp, is the professor for the theory and practice of medicine at stanford university school of medicine. A gripping piece of fiction that follows the story of the stone family over the years. Verghese, marion praise stone, the novels protagonist, is also a doctor with south indian roots, born and brought up in ethiopia, who eventually immigrates to the united states in the wake of political unrest. The indian nun, sister mary joseph praise, was a trained nurse who had met the british surgeon thomas stone on a sea voyage ministering to passengers dying of typhus. Abraham verghese is also the author of the tennis partner, a new york times notable book, and my own country, a national book critics circle finalist. At the time when there were born, there was a union that didnt bring any good, positive site. Dec 12, 2010 i had low expectations for cutting for stone. When the pull quote on the cover is from usa today, well, its not a big selling point. In the ancient greek hippocratic oath for physicians there was a line about not cutting for stone gall stone, kidney stone, etc because of the danger to the patient. Marion and shiva stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful indian nun and a brash british surgeon. Reading guide for cutting for stone by abraham verghese.
Dont be discouraged there are a few books out there that can guide you through the whole process and. It is impossible to fully explore the incredible depth of cutting for stone within a few paragraphs. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese book club discussion. Cutting for stone the phrase is from the hippocratic oath is about twins born joined at the head, in a mission hospital in addis ababa half a century ago. The book includes a deep description of both medical procedures and. This is a long, ambitious novel, dickensian in its scope, detailing the not only the life of marion stone, but the struggling charity hospital in which he is raised, and the turmoil of ethiopia in the 1960s and 1970s. Verghese breathes such life into his characters that there is a poignant familiarity to them, one that lingers and haunts long after the dream is over. Dec 30, 2009 cutting for stone by abraham verghese, 9780099443636, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Cutting for stone 2009 is a novel written by ethiopianborn indianamerican medical doctor and author abraham verghese. Orphaned by their mothers death and their fathers disappearance, bound together by a preternatural.
Cutting for stone by abraham verghese reading guidebook. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese, 9780099443636, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. It is a beautiful novel because it succeeds in creating endearing personalities. Hes also senior associate chair of the department of internal medicine. Jun 02, 2009 stone is the shared name of the three main characters but cutting for stone is the name verghese bestows upon the equally important character that medicine and surgery personify in the novel. I will not cut for stone, runs the text of the hippocratic oath, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest. Read cutting for stone by abraham verghese available from rakuten kobo. Those words provide an epigraph partway through abraham vergheses first novel, cutting for stone, and also explain the surname of its narrator, marion stone, along with his twin brother, shiva. A sweeping, emotionally riveting first novel an enthralling. The twins, sons of two of the hospitals healthcare providers, grow up in the upheaval of 1960s ethiopia, in the midst of military. Stitching up the surgeons life fiction the guardian. Complete summary of abraham vergheses cutting for stone. A sweeping, emotionally riveting first novel an enthralling family saga of africa and america, doctors and patients, exile and home.
Marion and shiva stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful indian nun and a brash british surgeon at a mission hospital in addis ababa. A sweeping, emotionally riveting novel with over one million copies soldan enthralling family saga of africa and americ. Most of the books on faceting that are available to the beginner are few at best. But beyond rhetoric the title does not resonate emotionally throughout different levels of. Blood is thicker than water, and more copious, in this expansive novel. The author of many books take for granted that the reader understands terms like refractive index, dispersion, cleavage planes, birefringence, pleochroism, mohs hardness, toughness, crystallography, etc. Abraham verghese story, cutting for stone, takes us to ethiopia during haile selassies rule when poverty foments revolution and betrayal by subjects who want better living and working conditions for its citizens. A passionate, unique love affair sets cutting for stone in motion, and yet this romance remains a mysteryeven to the key playersuntil the very conclusion of the novel. In what ways is cutting for stone an oldfashioned storyand what does it share with the great novels of the nineteenth century. Cutting for stone is the complex story of the praise family, focusing on twin brothers marion and shiva as they negotiate the hidden histories of their past while working hard to make medical advances for the future. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese, paperback barnes. Stone is the shared name of the three main characters but cutting for stone is the name verghese bestows upon the equally important character that medicine and surgery personify in the novel. Cutting for stone is a gorgeous epic tale, suffused with unforgettable grace, humanity and compassion.
From the bestselling author of the circle and what is the what, a heartpounding true story that weaves together the history of coffee, the struggles of everyday yemenis living through civil war and the courageous journey of a young man a muslim and a u. Jan 26, 2010 cutting for stone is a work of literature as noble and dramatic as that ancient practice medicine that lies at the heart of this magnificent novel. In cutting for stone, renowned physician abraham verghese has given us a remarkable reading experience that explores the lives of a memorable cast of characters, many of them doctors. The babies, marion and shiva stone, are raised by hema and ghosh, the. It incorporates love, lust, trust, betrayal, commitment, emigration, faith, poverty, life, death, hope, dreams, fears, and just about every other big theme you can imagine.
Feb 06, 2009 a violent surfacing of adolescence which has little in common with tarkingtons earlier, broadly comic, seventeen has a compulsive impact. Verghese is of indian descent but was born and raised in ethiopia, went to medical school in india, and has lived and worked. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese reading guidebook club. Cutting for stone is a beautifully written comingofage novel weaving family, hospital and house staff, patients, community, disease, and country into a complex tapestry. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese book cover, description, publication. The writing is vivid and thrilling, and the story completely. Cutting for stone s medical content increases as marion goes on to an internship in new york, and robs the novel of a little of its magic. It is a saga of twin brothers, orphaned by their mothers death at their births and forsaken by their father. Moving from addis ababa to new york city and back again, cutting for stone is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal, medicine and ordinary miraclesand two brothers whose fates are forever intertwined. Readers will put this novel down at books end knowing that it will stick with them for a long time to. Those words provide an epigraph partway through abraham vergheses first novel, cutting for stone, and also explain the surname of its narrator, marion stone. The novel opens with sister mary praise leaving india to travel to africa as a nurse. Cutting for stone quotes showing of 264 the key to your happiness is to own your slippers, own who you are, own how you look, own your family, own the talents you have, and own the ones you dont.
Almost all of the characters in cutting for stone are living in some sort of exile, selfimposed or forced, from their home countryhema and ghosh from india, marion from ethiopia, thomas from india and then ethiopia. How does the relationship between sister mary joseph praise and thomas stone affect the lives of shiva and marion, hema and ghosh, matron and everyone else at missing. A sweeping, emotionally riveting novel with over one million copies soldan. The story in cutting for stone seems to be modeled after at least a few of dr. Verghese said that his aim in writing cutting for stone was to tell a great story, an oldfashioned, truthtelling story. As you follow his life you will fall in live with his story and come to feel as if you know the characters personally. The book includes a deep description of both medical procedures and explores the human side of medical practices. Feb 08, 2009 those words provide an epigraph partway through abraham vergheses first novel, cutting for stone, and also explain the surname of its narrator, marion stone, along with his twin brother. Cutting for stone is a sweeping family saga which draws you in and transports you to a small missionary hospital in ethiopia. An epic novel that spans continents and generations, cutting for stone is an unforgettable story of. Throughout the month of march, npr books will be running an online discussion about abraham vergheses novel cutting for stone.
Ive been telling everybody to read this superb novel from abraham verghese. May 08, 2009 cutting for stone the phrase is from the hippocratic oath is about twins born joined at the head, in a mission hospital in addis ababa half a century ago. Cutting for stone questions and answers discover the community of teachers, mentors and students just like you that can answer any question you might have on cutting for stone. Cutting for stone this story is talking about two brothers marion and shiva stone, they were twins. Marion and shiva stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a. Recommending new books each month to spark lively conversation. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese reading guide.
Books similar to cutting for stone cutting for stone. The book s climax unfortunately marks a further major misstep on vergheses part. Almost all of the characters in cutting for stone are living in some sort of exile, selfimposed or forced, from their home country hema and ghosh from india, marion from ethiopia, thomas from india and then ethiopia. Cutting stone by janet burroway and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. An epic novel that spans continents and generations, cutting for stone is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal, compassion and redemption, exile an epic novel that spans continents and generations, cutting for stone is an unforgettable story of love and betrayal, compassion and redemption, exile and home that unfolds across five decades in india, ethiopia, and america. This is a long, ambitious novel, dickensian in its scope, detailing the not only the life of marion stone, but the struggling charity hospital in which he is raised, and.
If you like cutting for stone you might like similar books hotel on the corner of bitter and sweet, state of wonder, the invention of wings, the poisonwood bible, snow flower and the secret fan. Cutting for stone is a best book club book for discussion, a sweeping first novel and enthralling family saga of africa and america, doctors and patients, exile and home. Yet cutting for stone is all the better for vergheses encyclopaedic knowledge and affection for its content. Every now and then a book comes along that speaks to us in such a way that when we finish it, we want to flip right back to page 1 and start all over again. The main story line focuses on a set of twin brothers marion and shiva, their enmeshment in each others lives, an eventual fissure in the relationship and their ultimate reunion. John burnham schwartz, author of the commoner and reservation road cutting for stone is a tremendous accomplishment.
Best books to read when getting started in faceting. But beyond rhetoric the title does not resonate emotionally throughout different levels of meaning in the novel. Vergheses skill at intertwining so many stories is awesome and prohibits simple description of the novel as a whole. A sweeping, emotionally riveting novel with over one million copies soldan enthralling family saga of africa and america, doctors and patients, exile and home. Nobody big except me is the dream world of holden caulfield and his first person story is down to the basic, drab english of the precollegiate. Cutting for stone by abraham verghese in fb2, rtf, txt download ebook. It is refreshing on every level from the setting ethiopia to its characters indian medical workers, twin boys borne of a nun to a complex web of storylines that covers every emotional base. Cutting for stone honors the extraordinary, complex work of surgeons and physicians, but it also allows us to see them as ordinary men and women. Cutting the stone, also called the extraction of the stone of madness or the cure of folly, is a painting by hieronymus bosch, displayed in the museo del prado in madrid, completed around 1494 or later. Find out how you can take part in the club, both on the web and in. But it has lingered on the bestseller list for weeks. Such is the case with cutting for stone by abraham verghese.
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