- Mass Market Paperback: 640 pages
- Publisher: Fawcett; Reprint edition (Aug 12 1987)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0449214265
- ISBN-13: 978-0449214268
- Product Dimensions: 17 x 10.7 x 3.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 363 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #245,004 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Library Journal
When nine-year-old Rob Cole felt the life force slipping from his mother's hand he could not foresee that this terrifying awareness of impending death was a gift that would lead him from the familiar life of 11th-century London to small villages throughout England and finally to the medical school at Ispahan. Though apprenticed to an itinerant barber surgeon, it is the dazzling surgery of a Jewish physician trained by the legendary Persian physician Avicenna that inspires him to accept his gift and to commit his life to healing by studying at Avicenna's school. Despite the ban on Christian students, Rob goes there, disguising himself as a Jew to gain admission. Gordon has written an adventurous and inspiring tale of a quest for medical knowledge pursued in a violent world full of superstition and prejudice. Recommended. Literary Guild alternate. Cynthia Johnson Whealler, Cary Memorial Lib., Lexington, Mass.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
'An exciting story.' -- THE TIMES
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
I can't believe that Americans don't know Noah Gordon,
By
This review is from: Physician (Mass Market Paperback)
READ THIS BOOK - YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED! As an American living in Germany, I learned of this unbelievable American author about 5 years ago. It was at this time that his book THE PHYSICAN was recommended to me as the best book these people had ever read. I heard this so many times in various different cities from people of different ages and backgrounds. Of course they had all read it in German and were all shocked that I had never heard of Noah Gordon. Over the course of the next year I searched for the book each time I was in the US and when I finally received my copy I devoured it. My mother joined me in Germany and I recommended it - she finished all 1200 or so pages in a week and loved it too! Since it's been so long since I read THE PHYSICIAN I hesitate to comment directly on the book (also because I'm a lousy writer and would never do it justice) but I will say I have since read every other Noah Gordon book I could get. I was never disappointed - THE SHAMAN was just as magical as THE PHYSICIAN. I'm writing now because the Germans have just given me the tip that Mr. Gordon has yet another winner, I think it's called THE LAST JEW?, in any case I'll be ordering the hardback immediately. My library wouldn't be complete without it.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Few misunderstandings to be clarified in an excellent book,
By GM "GM" (Maryland) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Physician (Mass Market Paperback)
"The physician" is a beautiful look into the life in those dusty old days (although just one thousand years ago, not really that far away, if you see what I mean). It is particularly looking at the life from the stand point of religious/cultural conflicts that divided the old societies, and more specifically through the eyes of a young westerner who carries a double burden of being a Christian while disguising as a Jewish student in the Moslem world. The story is taking place in Persia (Iran), and not the Arab part of the Islamic world; therefore the society is the most tolerant version of the Islamic world thanks to the Persian culture. The young English seeks to become a student of Avicena the great physician/philosopher of his time and many centuries to follow. However there is a problem.....only Moslems and Jews can go to medical school in Persia (Iran). He is left with no choice but disguising himself as a young European Jew to enter Persia and travel to Isfahan where Avicena trains new generation of physicians in a different way than anywhere else. This enables the talented writer to take the reader through a diverse experience of encounters and characters.The writer is biased by his western background, however. Throughout the story there are comments implying discriminations against Jews that sound odd to a Persian who is raised in one of the most tolerant cultures (lets not mix "cultures" with "political systems" that appear temporarily and tarnish the figure of a nation). The fact that only Moslem and Jewish Iranians would be accepted to the school speaks volumes. I am not sure (and this needs to be explored) if Armenians who are Christian and have always lived in peace in Persia were eligible too or not. My guess would be so; in other words it was the Christianity that represented the "militant" West that was not tolerated, not the religion itself (the mention of Armenians and their church in Isfahan in the book corroborates this notion). There are also occasional confusions about Avicena's Persian (Iranian) nationality which unfortunately is not uncommon; the fact that after adopting Islam as their religion and its political consequences, Persian scholars made their contribution mostly in Arabic writing (as Latin for the Christian world) for a larger exposure, and this at times causes confusion (but you wish not to a scholar like Gordon!). Also, Ala Shah (the king of Persia at the time of Avicena), belonged to the "Daylami" dynasty (not "Samanid", that was an earlier dynasty). Overall, the book is very attractive, and unique in many regards.
1.0 out of 5 stars
Did not have product in stock,
By
This review is from: The Physician (Paperback)
I received an email a week after placing my order saying that they cannot get the product from their supplier. I was very disappointed and had to cancelled my order. The seller did give a full refund and responded to questions in a timely manner. I would like to give a higher rating, but I did not get the product that I ordered.
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