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Doctor in the House #4
Doctor in Love
Doctor in Love [paperback] Gordon, Richard [May 29, 1975]
189 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
5 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
Richard Gordon
260 books43 followersRichard Gordon is the pen name used by Gordon Ostlere (born Gordon Stanley Ostlere on September 15, 1921), an English surgeon and anaesthetist. As Richard Gordon, Ostlere has written several novels, screenplays for film and television and accounts of popular history, mostly dealing with the practice of medicine. He is most famous for a long series of comic novels on a medical theme starting with Doctor in the House, and the subsequent film, television and stage adaptations. His The Alarming History of Medicine was published in 1993, and he followed this with The Alarming History of Sex.
Gordon worked as anaesthetist at St. Bartholomew's Hospital (where he was a medical student) and later as a ship's surgeon and as assistant editor of the British Medical Journal. He has published several technical books under his own name including Anaesthetics for Medical Students(1949); later published as Ostlere and Bryce-Smith's Anaesthetics for Medical Students in 1989, Anaesthetics and the Patient (1949) and Trichlorethylene Anaesthesia (1953). In 1952, he left medical practice and took up writing full time. He has an uncredited role as an anesthesiologist in the movie Doctor in the House.
The early Doctor novels, set in the fictitious St Swithin's, a teaching hospital in London, were initially witty and apparently autobiographical; later books included more sexual innuendo and farce. The novels were very successful in Britain in Penguin paperback during the 1960s and 1970s. Richard Gordon also contributed to Punch magazine and has published books on medicine, gardening, fishing and cricket.
The film adaptation of Doctor in the House was released in 1954, two years after the book, while Doctor at Sea came out the following year with Brigitte Bardot. Dirk Bogarde starred as Dr. Simon Sparrow in both. The later spin-off TV series were often written by other well-known British comic performers.
Gordon worked as anaesthetist at St. Bartholomew's Hospital (where he was a medical student) and later as a ship's surgeon and as assistant editor of the British Medical Journal. He has published several technical books under his own name including Anaesthetics for Medical Students(1949); later published as Ostlere and Bryce-Smith's Anaesthetics for Medical Students in 1989, Anaesthetics and the Patient (1949) and Trichlorethylene Anaesthesia (1953). In 1952, he left medical practice and took up writing full time. He has an uncredited role as an anesthesiologist in the movie Doctor in the House.
The early Doctor novels, set in the fictitious St Swithin's, a teaching hospital in London, were initially witty and apparently autobiographical; later books included more sexual innuendo and farce. The novels were very successful in Britain in Penguin paperback during the 1960s and 1970s. Richard Gordon also contributed to Punch magazine and has published books on medicine, gardening, fishing and cricket.
The film adaptation of Doctor in the House was released in 1954, two years after the book, while Doctor at Sea came out the following year with Brigitte Bardot. Dirk Bogarde starred as Dr. Simon Sparrow in both. The later spin-off TV series were often written by other well-known British comic performers.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 25, 2022
This book was well-received and was considered hilarious when it was first published in 1957. But in the twenty first century, we will find this book slow and lugubrious. Few of my friends found this book ok and one time readable. Sadly, it didn't work out for me.
February 7, 2017
This novel has got to have one of the best opening paragraphs in literature. Although it's not Iain Banks's '[I]t was the day my grandmother exploded...' it still had a brilliant and funny opening paragraph, especially for medical doctors:
Thence on, I had no doubt that I was going to read a great novel. Further,
And I actually feel the same way toward pediatric patients. I prefer dealing with older patients, because it wastes me less time since they could verbalize their problems. I usually cause children to cry because I really don't want to butter them up before slaughter - I want to be as fast as possible.
The humor remained on point throughout the novel. It was dry and a bit mordant, but it was my type of humor.
Finally, the protagonist's perspective on love reminded me a lot about myself. Sometimes, I'm still ignorant with regard to my feelings, but I always try to detach myself from them and analyze them rationally - like what he does in the following paragraph:
To other people, it's just an amusing book. But to a medical practitioner, especially to a misanthrope like me, it may very well be an autobiography. For cynical and intelligent medical doctors, this is an absolute must-read. :)
'It is a fact well known to the medical profession that doctors marry either nurses, other doctors, or barmaids. During the most marriageable years these are the only women they meet. Indeed, at the age when other young men's fancies first lightly turn to thoughts of matrimony they are unable to marry at all, being still supported by an allowance from home. It is a small consolation to reflect that the further you ascend the evolutionary scale the longer you find the young depend on the parent, which makes medical students the highest form of animal life known to science.'
Thence on, I had no doubt that I was going to read a great novel. Further,
'She was academically sound and clinically practical; she had the knack of managing patients old enough to be her grandfather or young enough to be her boy-friend; and she had a flair for sick children, which pleased me particularly because I have long held that this branch of medicine is the equivalent of veterinary science, and could never join in the mother's delight when the little patient tries to eat the doctor's tie and pukes down his shirt front.'
And I actually feel the same way toward pediatric patients. I prefer dealing with older patients, because it wastes me less time since they could verbalize their problems. I usually cause children to cry because I really don't want to butter them up before slaughter - I want to be as fast as possible.
The humor remained on point throughout the novel. It was dry and a bit mordant, but it was my type of humor.
Finally, the protagonist's perspective on love reminded me a lot about myself. Sometimes, I'm still ignorant with regard to my feelings, but I always try to detach myself from them and analyze them rationally - like what he does in the following paragraph:
'I didn't feel ill - on the contrary, I was in a state known clinically as 'euphoria' in which the subject goes about in an unshakable condition of hearty benevolence. But I was beginning to suffer from anorexia and insomnia - I couldn't eat or sleep - and I kept finding myself undergoing mild uncinate fits, in which the patient lapses into a brief state of dreaminess instead of attending to the business in front of him. Then there were my bursts of paroxysmal tachycardia. My pulse would suddenly shoot up alarmingly, whenever - for instance - I had to find Nikki to discuss some clinical problem. I put this down to nervousness springing from my naturally shy character. But the whole symptom-complex was highly disturbing to a mildly introspective young man.'
To other people, it's just an amusing book. But to a medical practitioner, especially to a misanthrope like me, it may very well be an autobiography. For cynical and intelligent medical doctors, this is an absolute must-read. :)
July 6, 2008
I was passing by the flea market when I stubmled across this book. It did not seem to be highbrow but the Penguin on the cover enticed me to page through the book and I finally decided to pick it up. The prose is indeed witty although I am not sure if all those exhilirating and amusing stories have actually happened in the real life of Dr. R. Gordon. What is really funny about the story is that there are so many things in common between different cultures as the whole thing could have somehow happened in Tehran! If you are a confirmed bachelor; no matter where you are living, the book is certainly yours.
May 6, 2015
Of all the Doctor in the House series, this was my least favourite. I read these books as a tweenager and might have been too young at the time to appreciate lurvve!
September 28, 2017
Uproariously funny. Would love to read the rest in the series but so hard to find online and in the status to purchase! If anyone has one for sale let me know!!
February 27, 2018
A great quick read with gentle humour. The 'Doctor' books always cheer me up with their old fashioned sense of fun.
January 24, 2025
Probably two and a half stars. I did like most of it, but I can't quite bring myself to give three stars to a book if I had to resort to skim reading to finish.
This is a 1970's story, written by a very popular and quite prolific English author. Gordon apparently had a long running 'doctor' series and as someone who had been a doctor and had worked in English hospitals that breed of humour worked very well.
Later, the doctor does indeed fall in love and that was when my interest guttered and sparked: Marriage/bridesmaid/wedding comedy has never been my thing in any form. It seems to be a licence to go over the top in a neon clowns outfit and a licence to print money/books/films.
Aside from that last bit, I really enjoyed the nice writing and the interesting narrative, the excellent and humour-full characters. I would read more by this author (just pausing to check there are no wedding tropes involved), and if you like period English humour this might very well be the book for you despite my apparently unenthusiastic allotment of stars.
This is a 1970's story, written by a very popular and quite prolific English author. Gordon apparently had a long running 'doctor' series and as someone who had been a doctor and had worked in English hospitals that breed of humour worked very well.
Later, the doctor does indeed fall in love and that was when my interest guttered and sparked: Marriage/bridesmaid/wedding comedy has never been my thing in any form. It seems to be a licence to go over the top in a neon clowns outfit and a licence to print money/books/films.
Aside from that last bit, I really enjoyed the nice writing and the interesting narrative, the excellent and humour-full characters. I would read more by this author (just pausing to check there are no wedding tropes involved), and if you like period English humour this might very well be the book for you despite my apparently unenthusiastic allotment of stars.
February 3, 2025
This is the third book I’ve read in the Doctor in the House series, and once again, it was an absolute laugh riot.
There were several moments where I was convinced that the doctor would remain a bachelor until the very last page—but I was proven wrong, and I must say, he couldn’t have done better. The journey of navigating the unknowns of finding a partner, followed by the chaos of wedding preparations, felt all too familiar. It’s amusing how even the smallest mishaps can spiral into reasons to call everything off—at least for a while. Perhaps the absurdity of wedding traditions exists just to test our patience (and our relationships).
A lighthearted and entertaining read, perfect for when life hands you lemons.
There were several moments where I was convinced that the doctor would remain a bachelor until the very last page—but I was proven wrong, and I must say, he couldn’t have done better. The journey of navigating the unknowns of finding a partner, followed by the chaos of wedding preparations, felt all too familiar. It’s amusing how even the smallest mishaps can spiral into reasons to call everything off—at least for a while. Perhaps the absurdity of wedding traditions exists just to test our patience (and our relationships).
A lighthearted and entertaining read, perfect for when life hands you lemons.
July 20, 2021
Excellent old-fashioned British humour at its best. Recommended to anyone who likes writing style of James Herriot (veterinary stories), Bill Bryson (Notes from a Small Island), or Stephen Clarke ("Merde" series). I´ve only found this book by accident and now I am going to search for more by this author intentionally, I guess that just about says it all :)
January 17, 2018
I mean it wasn’t awful, better than doctor at sea but not as good as doctor at large. Gordon may be remembered as a comedy genius but I think that’s more nostalgia than enduring talent. A book of its time but not of this time
November 8, 2018
Great Book. Enjoyed light humor. Nothing nasty.
April 10, 2021
Funny in the vein of the carry on films. I’m so glad I happened upon these books in my local charity shop.
July 28, 2011
I know these are a bit out-dated now but they are very funny easy to read books! Well worth trawlling The Book Barn for them as they only cost me a quid each for in hardback and lovely illustrated dust jackets.
February 20, 2016
Not at all like Doctor in Love . very slow and lacks humour.
November 2, 2022
Very old school, but funny none the less.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews