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Testimony of Two Men
Someday the town of Hambledon might forget the lies they told about their brilliant young doctor. But they could never forgive the truths he told about them.
From this compelling story of a doctor at war with the world he has been taught to heal, Taylor Caldwell has fashioned a novel of an unforgettable, angry idealist -- a novel in which the drama of new medical frontiers becomes part of a sweeping chronicle of love, death, desire, and redemption.
From this compelling story of a doctor at war with the world he has been taught to heal, Taylor Caldwell has fashioned a novel of an unforgettable, angry idealist -- a novel in which the drama of new medical frontiers becomes part of a sweeping chronicle of love, death, desire, and redemption.
704 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1968
About the author
Taylor Caldwell
148 books504 followers Also known by the pen names Marcus Holland and Max Reiner.
Taylor Caldwell was born in Manchester, England. In 1907 she emigrated to the United States with her parents and younger brother. Her father died shortly after the move, and the family struggled. At the age of eight she started to write stories, and in fact wrote her first novel, The Romance of Atlantis, at the age of twelve (although it remained unpublished until 1975). Her father did not approve such activity for women, and sent her to work in a bindery. She continued to write prolifically, however, despite ill health. (In 1947, according to TIME magazine, she discarded and burned the manuscripts of 140 unpublished novels.)
In 1918-1919, she served in the United States Navy Reserve. In 1919 she married William F. Combs. In 1920, they had a daughter, Mary (known as "Peggy"). From 1923 to 1924 she was a court reporter in New York State Department of Labor in Buffalo, New York. In 1924, she went to work for the United States Department of Justice, as a member of the Board of Special Inquiry (an immigration tribunal) in Buffalo. In 1931 she graduated from SUNY Buffalo, and also was divorced from William Combs.
Caldwell then married her second husband, Marcus Reback, a fellow Justice employee. She had a second child with Reback, a daughter Judith, in 1932. They were married for 40 years, until his death in 1971.
In 1934, she began to work on the novel Dynasty of Death, which she and Reback completed in collaboration. It was published in 1938 and became a best-seller. "Taylor Caldwell" was presumed to be a man, and there was some public stir when the author was revealed to be a woman. Over the next 43 years, she published 42 more novels, many of them best-sellers. For instance, This Side of Innocence was the biggest fiction seller of 1946. Her works sold an estimated 30 million copies. She became wealthy, traveling to Europe and elsewhere, though she still lived near Buffalo.
Her books were big sellers right up to the end of her career. During her career as a writer, she received several awards.
She was an outspoken conservative and for a time wrote for the John Birch Society's monthly journal American Opinion and even associated with the anti-Semitic Liberty Lobby. Her memoir, On Growing Up Tough, appeared in 1971, consisting of many edited-down articles from American Opinion.
Around 1970, she became interested in reincarnation. She had become friends with well-known occultist author Jess Stearn, who suggested that the vivid detail in her many historical novels was actually subconscious recollection of previous lives. Supposedly, she agreed to be hypnotized and undergo "past-life regression" to disprove reincarnation. According to Stearn's book, The Search of a Soul - Taylor Caldwell's Psychic Lives, Caldwell instead began to recall her own past lives - eleven in all, including one on the "lost continent" of Lemuria.
In 1972, she married William Everett Stancell, a retired real estate developer, but divorced him in 1973. In 1978, she married William Robert Prestie, an eccentric Canadian 17 years her junior. This led to difficulties with her children. She had a long dispute with her daughter Judith over the estate of Judith's father Marcus; in 1979 Judith committed suicide.
Also in 1979, Caldwell suffered a stroke, which left her unable to speak, though she could still write. (She had been deaf since about 1965.) Her daughter Peggy accused Prestie of abusing and exploiting Caldwell, and there was a legal battle over her substantial assets.
She died of heart failure in Greenwich, Conn
Taylor Caldwell was born in Manchester, England. In 1907 she emigrated to the United States with her parents and younger brother. Her father died shortly after the move, and the family struggled. At the age of eight she started to write stories, and in fact wrote her first novel, The Romance of Atlantis, at the age of twelve (although it remained unpublished until 1975). Her father did not approve such activity for women, and sent her to work in a bindery. She continued to write prolifically, however, despite ill health. (In 1947, according to TIME magazine, she discarded and burned the manuscripts of 140 unpublished novels.)
In 1918-1919, she served in the United States Navy Reserve. In 1919 she married William F. Combs. In 1920, they had a daughter, Mary (known as "Peggy"). From 1923 to 1924 she was a court reporter in New York State Department of Labor in Buffalo, New York. In 1924, she went to work for the United States Department of Justice, as a member of the Board of Special Inquiry (an immigration tribunal) in Buffalo. In 1931 she graduated from SUNY Buffalo, and also was divorced from William Combs.
Caldwell then married her second husband, Marcus Reback, a fellow Justice employee. She had a second child with Reback, a daughter Judith, in 1932. They were married for 40 years, until his death in 1971.
In 1934, she began to work on the novel Dynasty of Death, which she and Reback completed in collaboration. It was published in 1938 and became a best-seller. "Taylor Caldwell" was presumed to be a man, and there was some public stir when the author was revealed to be a woman. Over the next 43 years, she published 42 more novels, many of them best-sellers. For instance, This Side of Innocence was the biggest fiction seller of 1946. Her works sold an estimated 30 million copies. She became wealthy, traveling to Europe and elsewhere, though she still lived near Buffalo.
Her books were big sellers right up to the end of her career. During her career as a writer, she received several awards.
She was an outspoken conservative and for a time wrote for the John Birch Society's monthly journal American Opinion and even associated with the anti-Semitic Liberty Lobby. Her memoir, On Growing Up Tough, appeared in 1971, consisting of many edited-down articles from American Opinion.
Around 1970, she became interested in reincarnation. She had become friends with well-known occultist author Jess Stearn, who suggested that the vivid detail in her many historical novels was actually subconscious recollection of previous lives. Supposedly, she agreed to be hypnotized and undergo "past-life regression" to disprove reincarnation. According to Stearn's book, The Search of a Soul - Taylor Caldwell's Psychic Lives, Caldwell instead began to recall her own past lives - eleven in all, including one on the "lost continent" of Lemuria.
In 1972, she married William Everett Stancell, a retired real estate developer, but divorced him in 1973. In 1978, she married William Robert Prestie, an eccentric Canadian 17 years her junior. This led to difficulties with her children. She had a long dispute with her daughter Judith over the estate of Judith's father Marcus; in 1979 Judith committed suicide.
Also in 1979, Caldwell suffered a stroke, which left her unable to speak, though she could still write. (She had been deaf since about 1965.) Her daughter Peggy accused Prestie of abusing and exploiting Caldwell, and there was a legal battle over her substantial assets.
She died of heart failure in Greenwich, Conn
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
July 23, 2019
Set in 1901 in a small town near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, protagonist Dr. Jon Ferrier has been acquitted of the murder of his wife but has been convicted in the “court of public opinion.” Her death involved a botched abortion. Due to the continued gossip, innuendo, and lies being spread about him, he has decided to sell his practice and move away. Dr. Robert Morgan has bought the practice and is accompanying Dr. Ferrier on his rounds to become acquainted with the patients. The plot revolves around the resolution to the death of Dr. Ferrier’s young wife, Mavis, as well as a new series of accusations against him.
The primary strength of this novel lies in the characterization. The author develops the core ensemble of main characters in depth. Jon is a disillusioned idealist. He is cynical, caustic, angry, outspoken, and, at times, violent, but treats his truly ill patients with the utmost kindness, generosity, and compassion. He is not particularly likeable. Jon’s brother, Harald, is an artist that values materialism and leads a life of conflict avoidance. When Robert arrives, he is naïve and trusting, believing the best of people, but he gradually becomes aware of the existence of powerful people with nefarious plans. Jenny is an object of affection for all three men. She has been the topic of gossip regarding her virtue. Jon and Harald’s mother, Marjorie, is a keeper of a secrets and is trying to protect both sons. The supporting characters are provided enough depth to understand their motives. Some are motivated by money and power; others by honor and justice. These people seem complex and true-to-life.
The narrative transports the reader to the early twentieth century through vivid descriptions of the architecture, interior design, and fashions of the era. Some of these descriptive passages are rather lengthy. The storyline is particularly effective in showing the challenges to those in the medical profession during a time of significant change, highlighting the difficulties in transitioning from traditional to scientific methods in the medical profession. The traditional doctors did not wash their hands between patients, or when delivering babies, and many people died of infection. This is a time when asepsis was becoming the norm but had not yet been adopted by all medical professionals.
The author explores the nature of humankind, good and evil, and whether a person is capable of significant change. It shows the power of words to injure people. Testimony of Two Men uses the evolution of modern medicine as a backdrop for a story about human failings, disillusionment, faith, power, desire, jealousy, love, and betrayal. It is not a traditional romance or mystery, but contains elements of each. It was published in 1968, but the themes are timeless.
The primary strength of this novel lies in the characterization. The author develops the core ensemble of main characters in depth. Jon is a disillusioned idealist. He is cynical, caustic, angry, outspoken, and, at times, violent, but treats his truly ill patients with the utmost kindness, generosity, and compassion. He is not particularly likeable. Jon’s brother, Harald, is an artist that values materialism and leads a life of conflict avoidance. When Robert arrives, he is naïve and trusting, believing the best of people, but he gradually becomes aware of the existence of powerful people with nefarious plans. Jenny is an object of affection for all three men. She has been the topic of gossip regarding her virtue. Jon and Harald’s mother, Marjorie, is a keeper of a secrets and is trying to protect both sons. The supporting characters are provided enough depth to understand their motives. Some are motivated by money and power; others by honor and justice. These people seem complex and true-to-life.
The narrative transports the reader to the early twentieth century through vivid descriptions of the architecture, interior design, and fashions of the era. Some of these descriptive passages are rather lengthy. The storyline is particularly effective in showing the challenges to those in the medical profession during a time of significant change, highlighting the difficulties in transitioning from traditional to scientific methods in the medical profession. The traditional doctors did not wash their hands between patients, or when delivering babies, and many people died of infection. This is a time when asepsis was becoming the norm but had not yet been adopted by all medical professionals.
The author explores the nature of humankind, good and evil, and whether a person is capable of significant change. It shows the power of words to injure people. Testimony of Two Men uses the evolution of modern medicine as a backdrop for a story about human failings, disillusionment, faith, power, desire, jealousy, love, and betrayal. It is not a traditional romance or mystery, but contains elements of each. It was published in 1968, but the themes are timeless.
June 26, 2017
I'm giving it a 3- I think that I read it for the first time about 40 years ago, and it was one of my favourite books for many years. Re-reading it as an adult was a different story- it's still a good (if long) story, but I can see more faults than I used to. It certainly has a point of view, with very long preaching sections to emphasize it. It's difficult to find characters that aren't remarkably self-righteous about everything. I still do love the medical storyline- it was not an easy switch for the medical community in the U.S. to move to science-based rather than 'traditional' methods.
But it's problematic, and I don't think that it's aged well. No African Americans in Pennsylvania, 'the poor' are depicted as morally deficient (with a few exceptions), the women are generally trivialized (with a very few exceptions)...if it was written in 1900 those attitudes might be explainable, but it was written in 1969. By the time I was done reading and went to look up Caldwell's wikipedia it was no surprise at all to learn that she wrote for the John Birch society, and was anti-semetic, and anti-equality. I wish that I hadn't re-read it as an adult.
But it's problematic, and I don't think that it's aged well. No African Americans in Pennsylvania, 'the poor' are depicted as morally deficient (with a few exceptions), the women are generally trivialized (with a very few exceptions)...if it was written in 1900 those attitudes might be explainable, but it was written in 1969. By the time I was done reading and went to look up Caldwell's wikipedia it was no surprise at all to learn that she wrote for the John Birch society, and was anti-semetic, and anti-equality. I wish that I hadn't re-read it as an adult.
August 12, 2014
I have been a voracious reader since childhood and I read this after viewing the miniseries of this book on TV. I don't really remember the miniseries all that well but I did end up reading the book after viewing the TV program while I Was a youngster in the 70s. This particular miniseries was never made into a DVD as far as I know. However, over the years I must have reread this book 100s of times. This is my #1 favorite book for all time. The story of the complex protagonist Jonathan Ferrier was compelling. I also enjoyed the medical history as well.
Caldwell really brings the setting of the story to life with her phenomenal descriptions of everything from the people , to outdoor scenery, to clothing and furniture. I feel that I am right there in the middle of the story seeing what the characters in the book are seeing and experiencing with their senses. Caldwell is truly the outstanding painter of "word pictures" and that is just what I like and demand from my period reading material.
She does an outstanding job of transporting the reader to the U.S. at the turn of the 20th century.
Caldwell really brings the setting of the story to life with her phenomenal descriptions of everything from the people , to outdoor scenery, to clothing and furniture. I feel that I am right there in the middle of the story seeing what the characters in the book are seeing and experiencing with their senses. Caldwell is truly the outstanding painter of "word pictures" and that is just what I like and demand from my period reading material.
She does an outstanding job of transporting the reader to the U.S. at the turn of the 20th century.
June 28, 2008
This is one of my all-time favorites. Read this so many years ago and re-read it every so often. Set in the early 1900's, it tells the story of Jonathan Ferrier, the once-respected doctor of a small Pennsylvania town. His reputation is now in shreds due to the death of his young and very beautiful wife Mavis as the result of a botched abortion, for which Jonathan was arrested and tried. Acquitted of the crime, he is haunted by the past and in the process of selling his practice to a new doctor as the story opens. Politics, family drama and doomed romance are woven together with some history of the early days of "modern" medicine, when washing your hands between surgeries or patients was a "new-fangled" and possible foolish practice.
January 24, 2016
Loved this book. I have my old copy which is yellowed, pages are dog-eared, notes in the margin. How it changed my life as a young girl. It's the book where I thought, "I might write a novel."
February 4, 2010
Prod Desc: Someday the town of Hambledon might forget the lies they told about their brilliant young doctor. But they could never forgive the truths he told about them. From this compelling story of a doctor at war with the world he has been taught to heal, Taylor Caldwell has fashioned a novel of an unforgettable, angry idealist -- a novel in which the drama of new medical frontiers becomes part of a sweeping chronicle of love, death, desire, and redemption.
I was introduced to the wonderful writing of Taylor Caldwell while still in high school. From this book, I went on to read many more of her books. The sign of a really well-written story is when you can recall it from memory many years' later. I can so do with many of Calwell's book, and none more than this one.
The book is filled with wonderful characters. Jonathan Ferrier fighting to modernize medical practices in his town and fought, and even vilified, by the old guard. The story contains the conflict of brothers, betrayal, and love.
This is a story in which one becomes completely immersed and is superbly told, start to end. If you've not experienced this fine author, I highly recommend giving her a try.
TESTIMONY OF TWO MEN - Ex
Caldwell, Taylor - Standalone
Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1968, US Hardcover - LOC 68-13137
I was introduced to the wonderful writing of Taylor Caldwell while still in high school. From this book, I went on to read many more of her books. The sign of a really well-written story is when you can recall it from memory many years' later. I can so do with many of Calwell's book, and none more than this one.
The book is filled with wonderful characters. Jonathan Ferrier fighting to modernize medical practices in his town and fought, and even vilified, by the old guard. The story contains the conflict of brothers, betrayal, and love.
This is a story in which one becomes completely immersed and is superbly told, start to end. If you've not experienced this fine author, I highly recommend giving her a try.
TESTIMONY OF TWO MEN - Ex
Caldwell, Taylor - Standalone
Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1968, US Hardcover - LOC 68-13137
March 23, 2010
Very nice to see this book so highly regarded here. It was the first novel by Taylor Caldwell that I read, back in 1972, I believe. I've re-read it twice since then. It's a powerful story with the author's traditional emotional and scenic detail, a fascinating story peopled with fascinating characters and relationships. Regrettably it's out-of-print at this time, along with almost all of Caldwell's other works. With the current interest in historical novels, I'd like to see some of her books made available again, especially this one.
01/19/10: Nice to see that Chicago Review Press will be reissuing TESTIMONY OF TWO MEN on April 1st - though paperback and hardcover copies of this book can often be found in used bookstores, it's been unavailable to the general public for far too long. And as Caldwell's books weren't considered particularly 'literary' when originally published, it's fitting that Chicago Review Press is the publisher.
3/12/10: I've been in one of those moods where I seem to flit from book to book without being engaged by anything, but a few evenings ago I picked up TESTIMONY OF TWO MEN on impulse, and that situation seems to be resolved for now! Despite remembering many of the particulars of the story, and how it all turns out, this remains a compelling read.
3/23/10: I finished my re-read of TESTIMONY OF TWO MEN this afternoon - I'll stand by my previous comments about the book's quality and emotional depth, though I honestly don't think some judicious editing would have hurt - some information was repeated several times, and occasionally Caldwell's eye for detailed descriptions caused the pace to flag (I've never encountered another author who used the word "and" as much as Caldwell), and some of the characters' speeches occasionally became long-winded and didactic (they no doubt reflected the author's views) - has anyone noticed that many of Caldwell's characters seem to be able to quote at length from political speeches, and scholarly and religious works? These quibbles aside, TESTIMONY OF TWO MEN, along with CAPTAINS AND THE KINGS, remains one of Caldwell's most readable - and re-readable - novels.
01/19/10: Nice to see that Chicago Review Press will be reissuing TESTIMONY OF TWO MEN on April 1st - though paperback and hardcover copies of this book can often be found in used bookstores, it's been unavailable to the general public for far too long. And as Caldwell's books weren't considered particularly 'literary' when originally published, it's fitting that Chicago Review Press is the publisher.
3/12/10: I've been in one of those moods where I seem to flit from book to book without being engaged by anything, but a few evenings ago I picked up TESTIMONY OF TWO MEN on impulse, and that situation seems to be resolved for now! Despite remembering many of the particulars of the story, and how it all turns out, this remains a compelling read.
3/23/10: I finished my re-read of TESTIMONY OF TWO MEN this afternoon - I'll stand by my previous comments about the book's quality and emotional depth, though I honestly don't think some judicious editing would have hurt - some information was repeated several times, and occasionally Caldwell's eye for detailed descriptions caused the pace to flag (I've never encountered another author who used the word "and" as much as Caldwell), and some of the characters' speeches occasionally became long-winded and didactic (they no doubt reflected the author's views) - has anyone noticed that many of Caldwell's characters seem to be able to quote at length from political speeches, and scholarly and religious works? These quibbles aside, TESTIMONY OF TWO MEN, along with CAPTAINS AND THE KINGS, remains one of Caldwell's most readable - and re-readable - novels.
March 29, 2019
I have been reading Taylor Caldwell's books for many years and I am so glad she wrote as many books as she did. I do not know if I will ever get to the end but I love her books. There is always some little nugget to be gotten as you read and the history that she writes about has always put me right in the middle of her story and it is just like I am there. I especially loved testimony of two men and I was thrilled to find some of her books for kindle that I had not already read. I think everyone should treat themselves to one of Taylor Caldwell's book they will never regret it!!!!
July 13, 2019
3.5 stars
This is my first book by Caldwell and I was a bit disappointed. There are some interesting aspects of character here, but I found most of the characters to be unlikeable. Jonathan could have been a very interesting character and he is complex but his constant misanthropic comments about human nature got on my nerves very quickly. I wasn't impressed with the other characters either, especially Jenny, as it seemed like she was trying to be passed off as just shy and isolated but she came off as a very unpleasant and mean-spirited person. So the sympathy we are supposed to feel for her just isn't there.
I also found a lot of information dumps related to history that were pure tangents to the main plot. I'm all for historical context and ambiance but when historical discussions go on for pages and pages and pages, that becomes too much for my taste. I love history but I want it in the form of being part of the story and not tangental discussions that dominate the book's plot.
Overall, some interesting things in this book but I'm not sure I'll try another Caldwell book.
This is my first book by Caldwell and I was a bit disappointed. There are some interesting aspects of character here, but I found most of the characters to be unlikeable. Jonathan could have been a very interesting character and he is complex but his constant misanthropic comments about human nature got on my nerves very quickly. I wasn't impressed with the other characters either, especially Jenny, as it seemed like she was trying to be passed off as just shy and isolated but she came off as a very unpleasant and mean-spirited person. So the sympathy we are supposed to feel for her just isn't there.
I also found a lot of information dumps related to history that were pure tangents to the main plot. I'm all for historical context and ambiance but when historical discussions go on for pages and pages and pages, that becomes too much for my taste. I love history but I want it in the form of being part of the story and not tangental discussions that dominate the book's plot.
Overall, some interesting things in this book but I'm not sure I'll try another Caldwell book.
December 20, 2018
Testimony of Two Men is another remarkable novel by Taylor Caldwell. Her protagonist, a relatively young physician, is filled with rage that he was accused of the murder of his wife, even though he was officially found not guilty in court. How much can he take, or should a man be able to take? Due to his unresolved rage at having been betrayed and confused about his feelings toward his elusive beloved, he tends to treat almost everyone badly. He doesn't develop a sense of the tolerance (rather than disdain) for his fellow humans until the end, and that somewhat rapidly. Fearing his reputation has been destroyed, he ambivalently decides to move from the city he loves to begin some kind of new life. Because he is a truth-teller, which people generally do not like but distantly admire, he instills resentment in the powerful who know him. They intend to expel him. The primary antagonist, a man of political power and fiscal means, leads the passive others in the pursuit of the protagonist's downfall. Some would consider the protagonist valorous, but I am not so sure he is valorous as opposed to recalcitrant. He has flaws, some of which he sees in others. This is a morality tale detailing truth v. dissimulation. It is very true to life. Recommended
January 2, 2020
I like Taylor Caldwells books but this one was just ok. It didn't start to get interesting until the middle of the book and by then I just wanted to finish reading it so I could go on to the next. After a long drawn out story the ending came very quickly and I din't care for it. I am interested in what others thought of this story.
May 30, 2021
I always loved this book after watching the movie. Excellent!
September 4, 2020
Recommended for all American Millennials... also for those whose menfolk and womenfolk fought, died and were wounded in America's unnecessary wars or wars fought for the wrong reasons (Chapter 6)... and for those who appreciate a good novel and the nuances of the English prose and the poetry of its Impact... "Never underestimate the nightmares of men." (Jonathan Ferrier~Chapter 20) in reference to America's Divine Destiny ~ that of empire building, a euphemism for 'meddling' with other nations and calling it 'delivering them from Oppression' (also Chapter 17).
1901... in the small town of Hambledon, near Philadelphia there lived a beautiful girl in a castle on an island shaped~like a heart aptly named Heart's Ease. It was built by a pretentious man who had more money than sense... who had it constructed, contrary to popular belief, not for his wife but for his daughter as a foolish indulgence as well as an ivory tower to keep her incandescent beauty and innocence selfishly to himself... for he told his daughter that she must not despair if people stayed away from her because she was plain. He was proved 'right' when Jenny grew taller than most of her schoolmates... making her more awkward and more shyly reticent than usual. Jenny was sixteen when Pete Heger died and then her silly mother married Harald Ferrier (her third husband) a man many years her junior. Myrtle herself, since she was older than both her husbands died of a stroke when Jenny was almost twenty... her doctor was Harald's older bother... and from then on, Jenny's attitude towards the brothers changed.
If there was a Beauty (albeit an unaware one), there was also a Beast... his name was Jonathan Ferrier, the older bother of Jenny's stepfather and a most dedicated physician, for his only concern were the health and well~being of his patients. Jon's stubborn nature and overt disdain for any human weakness like hypocrisy and his sledgehammer uncompromising attitude and in publicly denouncing those he called "quacks" for their refusal to adapt sterilization measures as safeguards against germs and microbes and thus against infecting their patients... this earned him several enemies from his own colleagues (the older ones) of the medical profession as well as from his own patients... their family and relatives. So when he was falsely accused of a botched abortion that killed his wife, his ugly reputation in the tiny town of Hambledon condemned him as a Monster thus prompting his lawyer to seek a change of venue to the city of Philadelphia. He was acquitted but his enemies did not forget nor most of the town. Jonathan Ferrier was the symbol of the emerging nation of the United States of America ~ full of Promise... Idealistic... Unforgiving of human weakness but also flawed by those same weaknesses... also severely Misunderstood... his good qualities were what the Founding Fathers envisioned for their fledgling nation. Is America... her ideals and directions... still the same Today as in the start of the 2oth century despite advances in all levels that would constitute a nation? Stark truths and reality here as well as some unforgettable Impactful quotes.
1901... in the small town of Hambledon, near Philadelphia there lived a beautiful girl in a castle on an island shaped~like a heart aptly named Heart's Ease. It was built by a pretentious man who had more money than sense... who had it constructed, contrary to popular belief, not for his wife but for his daughter as a foolish indulgence as well as an ivory tower to keep her incandescent beauty and innocence selfishly to himself... for he told his daughter that she must not despair if people stayed away from her because she was plain. He was proved 'right' when Jenny grew taller than most of her schoolmates... making her more awkward and more shyly reticent than usual. Jenny was sixteen when Pete Heger died and then her silly mother married Harald Ferrier (her third husband) a man many years her junior. Myrtle herself, since she was older than both her husbands died of a stroke when Jenny was almost twenty... her doctor was Harald's older bother... and from then on, Jenny's attitude towards the brothers changed.
If there was a Beauty (albeit an unaware one), there was also a Beast... his name was Jonathan Ferrier, the older bother of Jenny's stepfather and a most dedicated physician, for his only concern were the health and well~being of his patients. Jon's stubborn nature and overt disdain for any human weakness like hypocrisy and his sledgehammer uncompromising attitude and in publicly denouncing those he called "quacks" for their refusal to adapt sterilization measures as safeguards against germs and microbes and thus against infecting their patients... this earned him several enemies from his own colleagues (the older ones) of the medical profession as well as from his own patients... their family and relatives. So when he was falsely accused of a botched abortion that killed his wife, his ugly reputation in the tiny town of Hambledon condemned him as a Monster thus prompting his lawyer to seek a change of venue to the city of Philadelphia. He was acquitted but his enemies did not forget nor most of the town. Jonathan Ferrier was the symbol of the emerging nation of the United States of America ~ full of Promise... Idealistic... Unforgiving of human weakness but also flawed by those same weaknesses... also severely Misunderstood... his good qualities were what the Founding Fathers envisioned for their fledgling nation. Is America... her ideals and directions... still the same Today as in the start of the 2oth century despite advances in all levels that would constitute a nation? Stark truths and reality here as well as some unforgettable Impactful quotes.
March 16, 2022
Ugh! It was a bit of a struggle getting through this one. It is the story of Dr. Jonathan Ferrier, who, while being the most competent doctor in the small town of Hambledon, Pennsylvania, he is also the biggest jerk.
Apparently, all of the other doctors never wash their hands, perform surgeries drunk or self-medicated, and rarely ever get a diagnosis right.
Jonathan has hired a new, young doctor to take over his practice because he is leaving Hambleton after standing trial for murder. His wife died after receiving an abortion. When it is proven that he wasn’t in town during the incident, he is acquitted, but extremely bitter toward the town’s residents.
Parts of the story are interesting, but Jonathan hates women, people of color, patients, colleagues, his brother, his mother, etc. It gets exhausting and takes away from the story.
600 hundred frustrating, off putting pages.
2 stars.
Apparently, all of the other doctors never wash their hands, perform surgeries drunk or self-medicated, and rarely ever get a diagnosis right.
Jonathan has hired a new, young doctor to take over his practice because he is leaving Hambleton after standing trial for murder. His wife died after receiving an abortion. When it is proven that he wasn’t in town during the incident, he is acquitted, but extremely bitter toward the town’s residents.
Parts of the story are interesting, but Jonathan hates women, people of color, patients, colleagues, his brother, his mother, etc. It gets exhausting and takes away from the story.
600 hundred frustrating, off putting pages.
2 stars.
January 22, 2022
I liked the complexity of the characters- particularly Jonathan- and really loved the sleuth-type medical cases that he and Robert come across. However, the writing is really over the top- erudite seemingly for the sake of erudition- I had to look up a couple words, which is crazy rare for me. There's also a LOT of (i think) unnecessary description, long philosophizing, and moralizing. In addition, I really struggled not to get downright pissed off during/after an attempted rape scene, in which EVERYONE involved thinks/says something to perpetuate rape culture (she really wanted it, he couldn't help himself because he's a man, "she'll come around," etc.
Also a very long read, and a fairly slow one.
Also a very long read, and a fairly slow one.
Read
March 16, 2023The story was intriguing and the writing breathtaking at times. There were many passages where I thought I'd surely give the novel five stars just based on the beauty of the words alone. But ultimately, my emotional connection to the characters waned in the end and I just didn't feel as compelled or invested enough to award that final star. Still a read I don't regret. The thoughtful commentary on human behavior and judgement both inward and outward was reason enough.
November 24, 2011
I might have more to say about this novel later. For now I'll say it's a great story about a larger-than-life physician trying to survive being moral (when he isn't being outrageously cynical) in an immoral world. Jonathan Ferrier is like all the positive characters in The Fountainhead rolled into a ball and kicked across the county.
November 3, 2019
My review won't do it justice. Suffice it to say, that last 2 days that I've swallowed this book, I had felt the happiest I felt in the past year. But where will I find Jonathan to marry - that is the real question? A historical novel disguised as a love story - I must say - there is not a book of Taylor Caldwell that didn't make me believe in God.
November 8, 2008
Gripping reading. I found the characters fascinating and the insight into the nature of people really exciting.
Didn't enjoy parts of the book - once or twice (not often), it was a little slow; also I felt some of the violence and sex described was unnecessarily crude or graphic.
Didn't enjoy parts of the book - once or twice (not often), it was a little slow; also I felt some of the violence and sex described was unnecessarily crude or graphic.
February 26, 2017
I didn't love it, but didn't hate it.
June 18, 2018
One of my favorites. I’ve read it probably 4 times over the years since I first read it in the early 1980s.
November 28, 2019
Buddy read with Linda.
December 24, 2022
Penetrating
Great tale with good variety of characters, all imperfect as they must be. Lots of pessimism about nature of man, a ray of hopefulness.
Great tale with good variety of characters, all imperfect as they must be. Lots of pessimism about nature of man, a ray of hopefulness.
May 16, 2024
Rereading as an audiobook.
December 20, 2018
Testimony of Two Men is another remarkable novel by Taylor Caldwell. Her protagonist, a relatively young physician, is filled with rage that he was accused of the murder of his wife, even though he was officially found not guilty in court. How much can he take, or should a man be able to take? Due to his unresolved rage at having been betrayed and confused about his feelings toward his elusive beloved, he tends to treat almost everyone badly. He doesn't develop a sense of the tolerance (rather than disdain) for his fellow humans until the end, and that somewhat rapidly. Fearing his reputation has been destroyed, he ambivalently decides to move from the city he loves to begin some kind of new life. Because he is a truth-teller, which people generally do not like but distantly admire, he instills resentment in the powerful who know him. They intend to expel him. The primary antagonist, a man of political power and fiscal means, leads the passive others in the pursuit of the protagonist's downfall. Some would consider the protagonist valorous, but I am not so sure he is valorous as opposed to recalcitrant. He has flaws, some of which he sees in others. This is a morality tale detailing truth v. dissimulation. It is very true to life. Caldwell also reminds us of the spotty history of medical people and their relatively low status until recent times. She is a social critic whose insights are as salient now as they once were. Recommended
February 16, 2022
I loved this book when I was in high school, but now, 50 years later, it doesn't go down quite as easily. It was originally written in 1968, and the depiction of the he-man figure is less appealing now then it was then. Given that it was set in 1901, it does hold up well. The central character is a type I always find interesting and engaging: an extremely smart person, always right (which others cannot tolerate), and a crusader against pain and wrong doing. His rigid moral code puts him at odds with most people around him, and he garners enemies rapidly. His complete inability to understand people arises out of the damage left from believing his mother never loved him. He's sensitive and impassioned and driven, but he's also a bully. Not all as charming as I used to think.
The three men who want to marry Jenny, the central female character, are all extremely stupid about women in general and Jenny in particular. None of them sees her as a real person--each has an idealized view of her that fits his particular idea of what he wants in a woman. Got very annoying at times. Jonathan does, however, change and grow some over the course of the novel, and the plot is still well-contrived and dynamic. It's still a good read; just be prepared to make some allowances for its time.
The three men who want to marry Jenny, the central female character, are all extremely stupid about women in general and Jenny in particular. None of them sees her as a real person--each has an idealized view of her that fits his particular idea of what he wants in a woman. Got very annoying at times. Jonathan does, however, change and grow some over the course of the novel, and the plot is still well-contrived and dynamic. It's still a good read; just be prepared to make some allowances for its time.
September 18, 2023
2nd time
When I read this in high school, it was the last book by Taylor Caldwell I touched. After a very, very long time, I decided to give it another try, and I'm kind of glad I did. It's a mixed bag: characters with nasty twisted world views, quotations from literature that hadn't even been written yet in 1905, ancient and medieval and modern viewpoints all mixed up and scrambling for center stage. That's a bit like life, I suppose. What a mess.
Throughout the book I wondered if it had been written when Taylor Caldwell was a young girl, and as a mature writer at the end of her career pulled the manuscript out and reworked it because of the affection she had for if. Because the book seemed written either by two different writers, or by a writer at the bookends of life. Thankfully, wiser characters out of the limelight s offer better moral compasses than those in the middle of the action. In some ways, the book reminds me of an overwrought play by Eugene O'Neill; who I also haven't read since young adulthood.
Not an easy book for me to read, let alone twice, but ultimately I'm glad I did - and I don't mind books that allow me to argue with them. I might even read it again next decade.
When I read this in high school, it was the last book by Taylor Caldwell I touched. After a very, very long time, I decided to give it another try, and I'm kind of glad I did. It's a mixed bag: characters with nasty twisted world views, quotations from literature that hadn't even been written yet in 1905, ancient and medieval and modern viewpoints all mixed up and scrambling for center stage. That's a bit like life, I suppose. What a mess.
Throughout the book I wondered if it had been written when Taylor Caldwell was a young girl, and as a mature writer at the end of her career pulled the manuscript out and reworked it because of the affection she had for if. Because the book seemed written either by two different writers, or by a writer at the bookends of life. Thankfully, wiser characters out of the limelight s offer better moral compasses than those in the middle of the action. In some ways, the book reminds me of an overwrought play by Eugene O'Neill; who I also haven't read since young adulthood.
Not an easy book for me to read, let alone twice, but ultimately I'm glad I did - and I don't mind books that allow me to argue with them. I might even read it again next decade.
April 29, 2023
This is my favorite novel of all time. I first read this book in 1977. Since then I have read it every year, and never tire of it. It's a very well written, enertaining story.
Dr.Jonathan Ferrier is a much maligned man who has been accused and tried for the murder of his of young wife Mavis, of which he is found innocent.
He is a much-respected physician and surgeon. He is also one of a new breed of doctors who is dedicated to practicing asepsis at the turn of the 20th century, which promotes handwashing, and sterilizing of surgical instriments to prevent infections.
Unfortunately, he is an also an angry, embitered man, and is intolerant of the faults he sees in others. He is also brutally honest in his criticisms of them. Along the way, he makes enemies of many powerful men in his hometown, Hambledon, PA. He becomes embroiled in the affairs of many townspeople as a doctor while a plot is brewing to drive him out of town.
When I first read this book, I was a young nurse, and I found myself fascinated by Jonathan, and with the story of modern medicine because of men like him. We owe them a debt of gratitude.
Dr.Jonathan Ferrier is a much maligned man who has been accused and tried for the murder of his of young wife Mavis, of which he is found innocent.
He is a much-respected physician and surgeon. He is also one of a new breed of doctors who is dedicated to practicing asepsis at the turn of the 20th century, which promotes handwashing, and sterilizing of surgical instriments to prevent infections.
Unfortunately, he is an also an angry, embitered man, and is intolerant of the faults he sees in others. He is also brutally honest in his criticisms of them. Along the way, he makes enemies of many powerful men in his hometown, Hambledon, PA. He becomes embroiled in the affairs of many townspeople as a doctor while a plot is brewing to drive him out of town.
When I first read this book, I was a young nurse, and I found myself fascinated by Jonathan, and with the story of modern medicine because of men like him. We owe them a debt of gratitude.
November 21, 2018
Dr. Jonathan Ferrier was tried for the murder of his wife and unborn child, and was acquitted. Nevertheless, the people in his village, where he has worked and treated them all his life, have turned against him, certain that he is guilty. Accordingly, he has decided to leave as soon as his replacement, Robert Morgan, gets acquainted with his practice to whom he has sold. Ferrier is an excellent and modern doctor, with a keen eye for his diagnoses, which usually disagree with what older doctors say. He is so straight-forward and apparently cold that people tend to believe he is wrong. Unfortunately, over and over again time has proven him right. He has become very bitter, feeling abandoned by his peers, the people he has helped so many times, and his family. He is now convinced that man is evil by nature, sometimes even worse than animals. While it is a very long novel, the author once again develops a character that does not follow what is expected and who apparently cares about nobody but himself. Excellent analysis of society and human beings.
June 28, 2021
This book was published in the late 1960s by a highly acclaimed and respected author of the last century. She brings history to life by showing the challenges of new medical frontiers in early 1900s. Main character Jonathan Ferrier, a doctor in the small Midwestern town of Hambledon is a champion of truth as he battles the lies of his peers and their inability to change even if that means patients die. This is also a story of two brothers reminiscent of the Biblical characters Cain and Abel as they fight each other over women, their own parents and how they each look at life. Taylor Caldwell embellishes her prose with intense description of setting and vivid introspective characterization. The author is also well-known for her prowess at inserting her uncanny spiritual knowledge into her stories. In this story she uses two priests to bring these aspects forward as they try to guide Dr. Ferrier away from his dangerous anger. My reading of this story was partially due to research for a book set in the early 1900s.
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