short thriller but very very interesting, written in the 60s and it definitely shows at parts. that being said, reminded me why i always pick up any crichton i haven’t read.

cannot believe this was his first published book

n  This book was originally published in 1968.n

As a long-time member of the medical profession, I found the medical information fascinating. So much change in just a few short decades. I didn't need the footnotes, but to me, they came across as less informative and more arrogant. Instead of the footnotes, why not just use the appropriate words within the story? We get it, you were a doctor...you know the lingo.

The publishing date of this novel is also a bit confusing to me, as this was the era of women's liberation. You'd never know it based on these writings...the male characters are so sexist, it's dismaying. Even the main protagonist, Dr. John Berry, spent more than a little time looking at women's bottoms, and discussing how most physical issues suffered by women are either related to menstruation or a psychological issue. That was NOT fun to read.

There is a great deal of fascinating information about abortions, and what it was like for women (and the doctors who performed them), prior to their legalization in 1973.

Overall, I found this book to be pretty dry, lacking in drama, and with a cast of so many characters, it's hard to keep them all straight.

**2.5 stars**

Rosado mp3

Description: Written as Jeffery Hudson in 1968. A Case of Need is Michael Crichton's award-winning debut novel, written shortly after he completed his medical internship. Set against the ever-building pressure and pace of a large Boston medical center, the tensions flare-and explode-when a surgical operation tragically ends in death, raising countless questions. Was it accidental malpractice? A violation of the Hippocratic oath? Or cold-blooded murder?

This was Michael Crichton's debut book, written under a different pen name. It came across as a free Kindle book, so I couldn't resist. A good novel. It is outdated (it was released in 1968) but I found that interesting - the words used, the fact that abortion was illegal, needing pay phones, etc. I enjoyed the story. 3.7 stars from me.

This is the first book published by Michael Crichton (pseudonym Jeffery Hudson). I still miss his writing, and I had never read this book before so it was time for me to dive into his back list. I can't remember what alerted me to this book, but I was also intrigued to read more about the clandestine abortions that women had to seek out in the days before Roe v Wade.

This is definitely a book of its time when the safest communication was a pay phone, when a young white woman would rebel against a parent by dating or sleeping with a Negro, and when LSD was prevalent. It's difficult as a modern reader to encounter the racism, the misogyny, and the hatred towards abortionist doctors and pregnant women.

A Case of Need was a compelling read for me because of the subject matter of abortion and the impact on women, particularly in these times of rollbacks with healthcare in general. It's inconceivable
that we're still so close to a woman bearing all the responsibility for sexual encounters, to the point of the poor being either lucky enough or unfortunate enough to find back alley methods or to the wealthy being able to afford the privacy of confidential and convoluted reasons for a D&C. A Case of Need is scary for its portrayal of how little agency women have, particularly women without financial resources.

Crichton's writing is clumsy and rushed. He uses a lot of medical terminology with footnotes, so it is a slog to make it through all of the narrative. This was a book that meant a lot to me because of the subject matter but it's definitely not a favorite due to the level of writing skill. I'm still glad that I read it, but I would recommend this book only to other readers who are interested in exploring a "slice of life" rather than a well written book.

Different from the usual Crichton books

I really enjoyed the complexity of the plot and the development of the main character. It was a bit different from the Jurassic Park books, but very enjoyable reading.

This really isn’t the books fault, but the medicine is so antiquated it was hard to stay interested. They still used rabbits to determine pregnancy. That is fine also, but this doctor just running around and around trying to solve the puzzle made my head hurt. Also everyone and their dog talked to him (just because he was a doctor). Of course the book was written by a doctor and therefore very doctor centric. I mean the whole thing is kind of disgusting. I get that abortion was illegal when the book was written, but it just crawled under my skin. The “N” word and surgeons are Gods. I have to remind myself that this novel was written when those were reality. As a nurse in 2021 I think they were pompous fucking assholes. Doctors aren’t God and even if some of them still think they are it’s disgraceful. The story was fairly boring and had unintentional consequences for me for picking it up. It should stay on the shelf.

Exciting

A doctor is anxious to prove his colleague is innocent of killing a young girl in a botched abortion. As he tries to find who did the abortion many other medical professionals are implicated in this fantastic book with an unsuspected outcome. I recommend this book as a fascinating great read.

This is Michael Crichton's fourth book and the first that had a more serious vibe.
As I said in my previous reviews about Crichton's thrillers written under the pseudonym John Lange, while a medical student, they were written for financial reasons and were not high literature.

The reason for writing this book was a discussion he had with a senior doctor.
Crichton: Why does the medical profession not address the inequalities and health hazards of the present situation (abortion)
Senior Doctor: Abortion is illegal.
Crichton: I know. It's also medically dangerous and unfair.
Senior Doctor: Abortion is illegal.

He felt that behind this cryptically laconic answer, there were more things left unsaid so during Spring break he wrote this book in 10 days.

The following year (1968) the book was released under the new pseudonym Jeffery Hudson, which caused a stir in Boston (the place that the story takes place and the city Michael studied Medicine).

Everyone was saying who is this Hudson guy that knows so much about the Medical School?
Of course Crichton was joining the conversations acting his role pretty well.

Some months later and the book won the Edgar (Allan Poe) Award and Crichton was alarmed that by accepting the award it would reveal the true identity of Jeffery Hudson: Michael Crichton, a Boston Medical Student.
But in the end he received the award and thankfully for him nothing else happened.


By 1994, when he was already famous, he republished this book (the edition I read) and what I said above is included in his introduction.


And why does this book have a more serious vibe than the previous thrillers?
Because here he is touching a taboo subject, something which is still current even today, let alone in the sixties: Abortion

The story begins with a girl dying from uncontrollable bleeding. The reason is abortion.
Looking for answers a doctor becomes a medical Sherlock Holmes trying to find out the reasons behind this death and the cause of it (abortion). And since this is a taboo subject in the medical world a lot of people want the reasons behind this death to remain unknown, and they might try to silence the doctor too.

At the end of this edition there are appendices were Crichton discuss different procedures, arguments and ethics on abortion.

Crichton's experience as a medical student and as a writer of this book were probably the seeds for the medical series created by Crichton known as ER with George Clooney as a protagonist in the first season.


Read it also in Greek at βιβλιοαλχημείες

I like medical fiction....medical thrillers really, and this is just okay. It's more like he's SHOWING you a story instead of telling you a story.

It's very dated. Written in 1968, when abortion was illegal. The names are dated, the way they dress, some of the settings. Why would a random middle aged guy be allowed to sit in a girl's dorm alone to "question" her without suspicions being raised? Some of line of med and law is blurred.

It's an ok read. It passes quickly.

If you’re a doctor, you’ll probably love this book. After all, Crichton attended Harvard Medical School and is certainly knowledgeable of the medical practices and techniques in effect at the time of publication (1968). If you’re a determined layman, have a dictionary close at hand while you follow this plot. Just be aware, this isn’t a book for fast reading (if you really want to know what the terms that are used mean) and it's heavily footnoted and apendicized. But, don’t let that discourage you from enjoying this engrossing medical mystery.

The daughter of a prominent (and powerful) Boston physician dies from the after effects of a botched abortion and a pathologist’s closest friend, Dr. Art Lee, is arrested for murder. Thus begins the quest of who-REALLY-done-it, with Dr. John Berry seeming to be the only one willing to support his friend. It turns our there are a myriad of choices for suspects, many of whom are the dead girl's relatives. While there are no wild car chases or street shootouts, "A Case of Need" keeps you wondering about the conclusion. Give it a shot.

I am so happy to have Michael Crichton back in my life, I don't care how long ago this was written. For the time.....it was a very thought provoking book. The end notes were great and also thought provoking. One of my favorite authors, I'm so happy I found his early stuff. You can see where he was always thinking about big issues and how they affected people and government, etc. So happy!