Hippocrates of London
Click to look inside
Summary
The feel-good place to buy books
Hippocrates of London by Docteur Cybirdy
n the pre-Covid UK capital, Melo, a young blogger and anthropologist, is sought out by the mysterious Dr Elpis, a woman who hides her face. Despite the doctor's secrecy, Melo is intrigued by her open and honest desire to share her worldview as one of the last independent doctors in London. Over a period of twelve weeks, Melo has conversations with Dr Elpis, learning what it truly means to be a doctor, to be human, and, as a result, slowly becomes more aware of the world around her. Hippocrates of London tells real-life medical anecdotes with a clever blend of storytelling, dream recalls, poems and references to myths and history. It questions and challenges the contradictions and complacencies at the heart of modern medical care. In setting up the Hippocratic oath as the line of reasoning along a young Londoner's voyage of discovery, Hippocrates of London sets medical ethics as a timeless and universal compass for our humanity. Whip-smart, provocative and animated by a mystical quest of universality, it is one of the most original collections of medical stories in recent years.
“This book combines science and spirituality with original literary technique and structureThe presentation of strong female characters and the positive interactions between them reads as realistic and uncontrived. The honest presentation of lived experiences and medical case studies is harnessed to Ancient Greek philosophy in a completely convincing way. Despite its roots in the writings of Hippocrates the book reads as very up to date and inclusive, the sympathetic presentation of neuro divergent characters is unexpectedly moving. The conscientious artistry that Cybirdy brought to her medical practice is self evident in every word and paragraph of this inspiring and enjoyable book. For readers who enjoyed books by Adam Kay, Oliver Sacks, or Paolo Coehlo there is finally a strong female voice and perspective on the lived experience and philosophy of health and wellbeing. This is a potentially significant book of our time that must reach a wider audience.” – by Wordonwatet; “This is the most intriguing book I have read for ages: engaging, thought provoking, intellectually stimulating. It purports to be by Docteur Cybirdy, "a faceless writer and a General Physician who has practiced medicine for the past thirty years in France and in the UK." Novels of ideas are very rare in English, though not so rare in French, so it is no surprise to find that the author is in fact French herself. English may be her second language but the pseudonymous Docteur Cybirdy writes it in a crystalline, clear, Flaubertian way, albeit with some strange turns of phrase that make you pull up occasionally. But when you reread them you see that the author's form of meta-English expresses things in a new way, with a new slant, bringing a kind of Brechtian alienation to her text. The novel is set in the present but is always in the presence of the past, specifically the Ancient Greece of Hippocates, whose famous medical oath is the subject of a dialogue, the favoured form of Greek philosopy. It takes place between the masked, mysterious Dr Elpis - Greek for hope - and the young blogger Melo, whose very 21st century occupation contrasts with the ageless wisdom of Elpis and Hippocrates, for which she becomes a channel. Elpis' philosophical reflections on the current relevance to modern medicine of the Hippocratic Oath all emerge from the linking of Dr Elpis' personal experiences, which may or may not be the masked author's own; it is the fate of all authors to become characters in their own novels.” – by Francis Booth
Docteur Cybirdy is a faceless writer and a General Physician who has practiced medicine for the past thirty years in France and in the UK. She graduated first in France as a General Physician specialised in tropical diseases, and then studied epidemiology, public health and nutrition at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. For the past twenty-three years, Docteur Cybirdy has been an independent medical doctor in London. In the pre-Covid era, and in the midst of political debates on euthanasia and abortion, the doctor felt the need to write and tell. Passionate about art of medicine and ethics, in Hippocrates of London, her debut novel, she shares her anecdotes with humanity and dignity, with a literary twist removed from hyper-rationality.
| SKU | GOR012974903 |
| ISBN 13 | 9781739663704 |
| ISBN 10 | 1739663705 |
| Title | Hippocrates of London |
| Author | Docteur Cybirdy |
| Series | The Hippocrates Series |
| Condition | Very Good |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Cybirdy Publishing Limited |
| Year published | 2022-10-26 |
| Number of pages | 195 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us |