Title: A Dublin Student Doctor
Author: Patrick Taylor
Genre: Historical Fiction
Synopsis: A story about the education of Dr. Fingal Flaherty O'Reilly (the main character of Taylor's Irish Country Doctor series) set in Dublin during the 1930s.
Stars: 3/5
Lauren's Review: While there's not really anything wrong with this book, I didn't love it either. I want to give this book one big 'meh' and be done with it.
Is that ok? Am I supposed to write more? I will, just so I don't feel like I failed my readers (joke).
The writing in this book drove me insane. It starts out jumping back and forth between the 60s and 30s and you can't tell what time period you are in (both stories are told in present tense). It's also repetitive, if you took out every time he repeats something it would be 100 pages shorter. And the ending...I won't spoil but it's just off. That being said, I had an Advanced Reader copy (I won from Goodreads First Reads) so I'm hoping an editor went through and at least fixed some of this before the book was actually published.
I know, I know, people aren't reading this book for the writing; they come for the characters. Taylor presents a fun group of characters (new and old) and puts them in an interesting stetting. I learned a lot about medicine and the state of Ireland in the 1930s. But the plot was less than thrilling and I didn't really 'care' about any of the characters.
Those who are already familiar with the series and like Dr. Fingal O'Reilly will enjoy learning more about his past, but for the rest of us I don't really recommend this book. But I don't dis-recommend it. It's just...whatever...
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