May 13, 2001 11:32 AM
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God Player by Robin Cook is about a heart surgeon who gets a thrill out of performing extremely delicate operations. Because of his skills he becomes rich and famous, but the human side of him tends to wither away.
He gets married to a much younger woman, who happens to suffer from diabetes and is slowly going blind. Soon the surgeon begins to neglect his family and the time he spends in the OR becomes the basis of his existence. To push himself harder and harder, he starts taking drugs that ultimately affect his performance as surgeon.
It is well thought out story and written in a crisp, racy style. The language is not too technical and hence you don't have to be a doctor to understand it.
In the end it conveys a basic truth which every doctor should remember all the time -- that he is an instrument of healing. His job is to assist nature not to play God.
In literary content, however, the characters are shallow -- they are black and white. The surgeon is pure villain, while his wife is pure white. It doesn't happen that way in real life.
