My rating 4.7

The historical novel “The Physician (Cole Family Trilogy # 1) by Noah Gordon is a well-written novel set in the 11th century that draws you to read it to the very end. The writer with his distinctive writing leads us with ease to the world of the Dark Ages where people are dying from diseases that are curable today. Doctors were quite ignorant at the time because knowledge of medicine was at a very low level. All faith that time did not allow the study of human anatomy and whoever would only think to do that was finishing on a bonfire as a witch or would be most cruelly killed. Every doctor, barber-surgeon had to be careful about how he treated his patients. After all, their lives depended on little things, because they could be called witches for the slightest mistake. The story follows little boy Rob Cole who in early childhood during the deaths of his mother and father discovers his gift to sense when someone is going to die. The gift itself is very dangerous and if anyone knew about it they could declare it a witch. That is why he is silent and does not tell anyone about it. After the death of his parents, his siblings are sent for adoption, and he is a barber-surgeon who takes him for his apprentice. During his apprenticeship he learns some basic things but when he knows a Jewish doctor who says he can cure cataracts on his eye it intrigues him. When he learned that a Jewish doctor was teaching at the Persian College of Medicine run by Ibn Sina. But the only problem is that they don't admit Christians to that college, but if that prevents Rob who wants to become a real doctor, you will have to find out in the book. I would recommend the book to all lovers of historical novels.

Ab und zu fehlende Charaktertiefe. Unsinnig schnell überspringende Szenen. Aber detaillierte Darstellung von Religion, Tradition und Kultur!
Kein Happy Happy End aber schön!

Esta es una de mis novelas históricas favoritas de todos los tiempos, ya no recuerdo cuántas veces la he leído y me sigue pareciendo fascinante.

La trama comienza con la infancia y adolescencia del protagonista, en la Inglaterra del siglo XI, que lucha por sobrevivir y salir adelante. Se convierte en el aprendiz de un cirujano-barbero, Barber, y recorren los pueblos haciendo espectáculos, vendiendo elixires y "curando" a la gente. Es absolutamente grandioso todo lo que se aprende de la vida y la cultura de la Edad Media. Las descripciones son tan vividas que sientes asco, dolor, amor, miedo.

No conforme con esto, el protagonista, Rob J. Cole, viaja a Persia, y aprendemos mucho de las religiones y las diversas culturas (judíos, musulmanes, cristianos). Vemos cómo trataban las enfermedades en aquella época: era pecado dibujar cuerpos humanos o abrir un cadáver, la gente se moría de apendicitis, luego vino la peste; no tenían ningún tipo de concepto de lo que era la higiene.

El protagonista nos guía por su propio aprendizaje de la medicina, las religiones y las culturas, y de paso nosotros vamos aprendiendo con él. Además, descubrimos algunos personajes que existieron realmente, y son fascinantes, como Avicena, quien fue médico, filósofo, científico y escribió cerca de 300 libros sobre diferentes temas, algunos de ellos a los 12 años. A los 16 años ya dirigía a médicos famosos.

Lo más interesante de todo es que, a veces, como Occidentales, nos creemos el ombligo del mundo y los inventores de todo, pero aquí se abre ante nuestros ojos una potente cultura, que estaba a años luz de la cultura Occidental de aquella época, y cargada de una sensualidad y exotismo totalmente deslumbrantes.

Es una historia que cautiva, absorbe y transporta. Sin duda está en el Olimpo de las novelas históricas.

A long rambling tale that contained numerous historical inaccuracies, especially in how the Qur'an views Christianity and Judaism. As this is very much the essence of the story (Rob J is a healer who disguises himself as a Jew so he can go to Persia and study doctoring skills) it places doubt in what other errors exist. It also portrays Muslims to be drunks, and their minarets are modelled on the female breast. Please no more....

I was captivated by this book. Although, as the author states in the acknowledgements, there is not a great deal known about details of the practice of medicine during the Middle Ages, I found what was written was interesting. The daily life of those living during this time is realistically presented. I'm certainly glad I don't have to endure the hardships, dirt & foods they had. The long journey that Rob J Cole made to Persia to study medicine was a little unbelievable, but during that period merchants did travel in the known world. The part of the book that takes place in Asia was more difficult for me to read as the names are so strange. I enjoyed the interaction of the Jewish people--I'm fascinated by Jewish history & culture.
If you are interested in historical fiction, especially about the middle ages, I highly recommend the book.

Bardzo klimatyczne, wciągające i przyjemne w czytaniu (oprócz tych fragmentów, które były nieprzyjemne). Tylko jakoś tak dziwnie i znienacka się skończyło.

A relatively interesting travelogue and discussion of medical knowledge in the 11th century. Rob Cole, the hero travels from England to Persia to gain better training than he could get in England. His dangerous travels through Europe to Persia are described in rich detail. Along the way he meets a sheep farmer and daughter. He considers marrying her and decides not to. (He will meet up with her later and marry her.) He cannot be admitted to the Persian schools as a Christian so he manages to disguises himself as a Jew. He makes 3 friends, one who is a Muslim, and they have many adventures including going to India for the Shah (who is a "friend" of sorts). He has improbably luck and experiences. The descriptions of medical knowledge in the Middle East was interesting especially compared to what was known in most of Europe. There is a very good section on battling the plague. The three main characters are fairly well developed and interesting. Some the conclusions are predictable/
My issues with the book are 1) tries to cover too much. It seemed that the author wanted to share all the research he had on the period of time from an advance method of making swords to various prayers. 2) Has several love making sections that are totally unnecessary in detail. It seemed that the author felt obligated to include them. 3) much of it is written in 3rd person ("he did so and so and then that happened") style which can be boring. I skipped or skimmed some sections because of this.
I read it for a book club. I would say it is a decent read but I have not readily read more of this series.

This book is a long read but as a lover of historical fiction it is unusual and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is set in various places throughout the world. The plot and settings are quite unique in my personal opinion and for me, the author's best book. The hero becomes a barber (an unqualified doctor) and travels the world from a beginning of a life in poverty and abuse to better himself and his talents.

En el corazón de la Edad Media, en pleno siglo XI, época de taifas en Al-Andalús, asedios y saqueos daneses en las Islas Británicas y expansionismo territorial y cultural del ignoto y exótico Oriente Medio, Noah Gordon construye una historia de superación personal y vocación profesional, de prodigiosa multiculturalidad y vívida religiosad.

La novela es, en la práctica, casi pura ficción; el rigor histórico es escaso, fruto de unos registros científicos remotos y de la oscuridad consustancial a la Alta Edad Media, de forma que el autor apela a la imaginación y a la fórmula "bestseller", con escenarios y situaciones inverosímiles, de fácil consumo y con potencialidad comercial, sin perjuicio de personajes históricos: Avicena, Galeno, Al-Razi...

El libro, en líneas generales, está bien, la prosa es rica y diversa, con calidad, y Noah Gordon tiene oficio, embriaga y atrapa a lector. A mí, sin embargo, me ha decepcionado, será el "hype" desbocado, o que intuía una obra de la magnitud de "Los Pilares de la Tierra". Ni idea.
Al final escasa trascendencia, novela correcta; pero olvidable. Ideal, eso sí, para generar afición y hábito lector en gente adulta. Dudaba entre las 3-4 estrelas, pero tengo que ser coherente con mis sentimientos durante la lectura: 3,5 estrellas y el redondeo hacía abajo.

Lo mejor del libro es el inicio y el intérvalo de aprendizaje en Persia (el viaje a través de Europa con la caravana judía es para degollarse, qué sopor), esto es, la etapa bisoña del protagonista en la que explora la geografía inglesa y el periodo de novicio en el que estudia el arte de la medicina.

Destaco, además, el sugestivo retrato religioso de la época: el cisma de Oriente, la diáspora hebrea, la pugna entre la ciencia y el dogma de fe, la crueldad del sistema religioso-jurídico arábico; y, asimismo, las divergencias y similitudes entre unas religiones (católica, judía y musulmana) que, prima facie, se presentan distintas, se aborrecen y excluyen, para confluir finalmente en un desdén compartido por la vida humana y en una aplicación hipócrita de sus propios postulados.

También es maravillosa la pasión que Noah Gordon plasma en Rob Jeremy Cole, el protagonista, por la curación, por la empatía con el sufrimiento ajeno, la perseverancia para la consecución de nuestros sueños y el amor por la enseñanza y la cultura.

Nuotykiai (skirtingos kultūros, religijos, tradicijos, maistas, rūbai, kt.) ir gydytojo pašaukimas. XI a. nuo Anglijos iki Persijos ir atgal, na ir dar iki Škotijos.
Vaikystėje dievinau Londono, Verno, Kiplingo knygas, geros nuotykinės knygos nebuvau skaičiusi jau kokius 25+ metus. Tai gal vertinimą kiek nostalgija paveikė.

4.5 stars
Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this magnum opus ...
Can't vouch for or discredit the historical and medical accuracy, but took everything for its face value and immersed into the adventure of a young boy from slums of 11th century England who loses his parents and siblings to death and adoption and had to join in as an apprentice to a barber surgeon who initiated him into the basics of medicine ... He goes on to achieve his quest to become a physician facing many hardships with non chalan and even pretending to change his religion and faith . It is only towards the end of the mammoth tale that I see him well settled .
Loved the forays into Rural Britain , Constantinople and Persia .

Viena iš geriausių knygų kokių esu skaitęs. 760 puslapių knyga nė kiek neprailgo. Norisi tik būtų dar ilgesnė. Gerai kad dar laukia dar dvi papildomos dalys. 6* žvaigždutės.