Title: Ghastly and Ghoulish Tales from the ER: A Saga in Sixteen Parts
Author: Mitch Goldman
Publisher: Madlong Publication
ISBN: 979-8218498191
eBook ISBN: 979-8330393909
Genre: Fiction Literary, Medical Drama, Suspense
Availability: Paperback or eBook
Language: English
Paperback: 238 pages
Item Weight: 12.6 ounces
Dimensions: 6 x 0.54 x 9 inches
Review:
Dr. Percival Ulysses Cox once said, “You can’t be afraid of death. You’re in medicine, you gotta accept the fact that everything we do here – everything – is a stall. We’re just trying to keep the game going; that’s it. But, ultimately, it always ends up the same way.” And as harsh and bittersweet as that quote is, it rings true.
For those in the medical field, keeping patients alive is a constant dance with death. However, just because it’s always a career filled with sorrow doesn’t mean that levity isn’t wanted. In Mitch Goldman’s Ghastly and Ghoulish Tales from the ER: A Saga in Sixteen Parts, we get both the seriousness and goofiness of being a healthcare professional working in the ER.
As the full title suggests, the novel consists of sixteen parts, with the primary location at North Central Hospital’s Emergency Room. While the novel does have an ensemble cast that gets focus throughout the novel, we primarily follow Dean Miller and Bob Finkel, two ER doctors at North Central. Through their eyes, we get a glimpse of the good, the bad, the surprising, and the realness of working in an ER.
There are many good things to say about this book.
The characters, which is a strange thing to call the people in this book as this is based on true events, feel real in the sense that you don’t have to work in an ER to relate to them and the situations, barring the eternal battle between life and death, that they go through. From confrontations, sexual situations, and even losing your friend/coworker, it all feels true to life.
Goldman deftly captures each character’s unique voice, something that authors, especially when they are juggling multiple characters, struggle with. It also demonstrates how solid Goldman’s writing is throughout the book, to make me care about the characters and the situations they encounter throughout.
Another aspect of Goldman’s solid writing is the romance between a few characters. He does a great job of laying the groundwork for each relationship while keeping the hints of attraction simmering underneath the genuine friendship the couples have before the eventual coupling, thus making it not only feel deserved but natural as well.
Another aspect that I appreciate is how seamlessly the medical lingo is integrated into regular conversation. I’ve read a few stories where the characters show their expertise by throwing out all these big words while sounding so stilted and unnatural that it throws off the flow of the conversation Goldman can weave them in seamlessly without losing anything. Readers will appreciate that this book comes with a glossary that explains what is being said and the meaning. I found myself using it every couple of pages when I came across a word I wasn’t familiar with.
I also enjoyed how distinct each part felt from one another. One part could be solely focused on the characters slowly gearing up for the Saturday rush of patients in critical condition while another could be purely about the relationships the characters have with each other. It keeps the book feeling fresh and unpredictable. This also helps the book keep its balance between the lighter moments and the more harrowing moments that occur in the book.
In short, while there are many lessons that Ghastly and Ghoulish Tales from the ER can give us, one of the lessons I took from this book is that shows that while death is always looming over us, there are people who are doing everything they can to stave it off while also showing that the despite the trauma, the erratic hours, and the chaos working in an emergency room can bring, that it doesn’t erase the moments shared or the bonds made with the people around you.
With the strong character work, the emotional beats, the humor, the enlightening moments, and a perfect bookend, Ghastly and Ghoulish Tales from the ER earns an emphatic recommendation from me. ★★★★★ – Elijah B. (Explore Authors Magazine)
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