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Cutting for Stone | 
 enlarge | Author: Abraham Verghese
Publisher: Vintage
Category: eBooks
This item is no longer available
Rating:  395 reviews
Sales Rank: 20
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
Edition: 1
Pages: 560
Number Of Items: 1
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
ASIN: B001NLKV7C
Publication Date: February 3, 2009
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
Amazon Exclusive: John Irving Reviews Cutting for Stone
John Irving has been nominated for a National Book Award three times--winning once, in 1980, for the novel The World According to Garp. In 1992, Irving was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In 2000, he won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Cider House Rules--a film with seven Academy Award nominations. Read his exclusive Amazon guest review of Cutting for Stone:
 That Abraham Verghese is a doctor and a writer is already established; the miracle of this novel is how organically the two are entwined. I’ve not read a novel wherein medicine, the practice of it, is made as germane to the storytelling process, to the overall narrative, as the author manages to make it happen here. The medical detail is stunning, but it never overwhelms the humane and narrative aspects of this moving and ambitious novel. This is a first-person narration where the first-person voice appears to disappear, but never entirely; only in the beginning are we aware that the voice addressing us is speaking from the womb! And what terrific characters--even the most minor players are given a full history. There is also a sense of great foreboding; by the midpoint of the story, one dreads what will further befall these characters. The foreshadowing is present in the chapter titles, too--‘The School of Suffering’ not least among them! Cutting for Stone is a remarkable achievement.--John Irving (Photo © Maki Galimberti)
Product Description
International Bestseller
A sweeping, emotionally riveting first novel — an enthralling family saga of Africa and America, doctors and patients, exile and home.
Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon at a mission hospital in Addis Ababa. Orphaned by their mother’s death in childbirth and their father’s disappearance, bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the twins come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution. Yet it will be love, not politics — their passion for the same woman — that will tear them apart and force Marion, fresh out of medical school, to flee his homeland. He makes his way to America, finding refuge in his work as an intern at an underfunded, overcrowded New York City hospital. When the past catches up to him — nearly destroying him — Marion must entrust his life to the two men he thought he trusted least in the world: the surgeon father who abandoned him and the brother who betrayed him.
An unforgettable journey into one man’s remarkable life, and an epic story about the power, intimacy, and curious beauty of the work of healing others.
From the Hardcover edition.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 395
 An absorbing story with characters that come to life September 10, 2010
Dilys J. Burke (Arlington, MA, USA)
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was a great fan of "My Own Country" and feel that many of its wonderful qualities are reflected in Verghese's first novel... complex characters are rendered with compassion and empathy despite their flaws... I grew to know and love them. Verghese's elaborate (but never overwrought) prose also evokes a time and place that is so real, I felt as though I was right there. My only quibble is that the story at times became melodramatic and some of the plot turns were implausible, if not contrived. Still, it is a pleasure to read and I without hesitation recommend it.
 Great read. September 10, 2010
Lauren Murray
I really enjoyed the book. The narrative takes place over 30 years and I became deeply attached to the characters. I thought the characters were well developed and the story line kept my attention. I also enjoyed the setting of Ethiopia for much of the novel and was surprised by how little I knew about the country. There were some tough scenes in the book that the squeamish might not care for (surgeries, some disturbing sexual scenes). It took a little while to get into the book but once it had my attention I would think about it during the day and look forward to being able to read it at night. That is always the sign of a good book for me.
Breathtaking September 7, 2010
Lilly (RAMAT HASHARON ISRAEL)
No need to go into narrative details, others have done this more than adequately.
If you care about literature, if you care about human relations, if you care about anything at all READ THIS BOOK! There are few novels of this caliber.
The story is engrossing and introduces us to the unfamiliar territory of Addis Abeba with a rich panoply of characters.
The medical descriptions are brilliant! As an ophthalmic surgeon I can truly appreciate what he has done. I was at times at the edge of my seat. Dr Verghese has made me proud to share at least one of his 2 professions. It is also my intention to urge all my residents to read this.
My sincerest congratulations to Dr Verghese for a great contribution!
Tragomedy September 6, 2010
jabu
Didn't think I would get into this book because of the excruciating detail, but I have gotten into it and am enjoying it. It is rather sad and funny at the same time. The players are real characters described in living colour and are easily pictured in my mind.I'm onli a third of the way through but know I will make it to the end.
Loved it! September 6, 2010
M. Kelly
The only reason I don't give it 5 starts is because a few passages are a little too long. Other than that, it is a beautiful story and very well written.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 395
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