A Fortunate Man: The Story of a Country Doctor [Paperback]

John Berger (Author), Jean Mohr (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 25, 1997

In this quietly revolutionary work of social observation and medical philosophy, Booker Prize-winning writer John Berger and the photographer Jean Mohr train their gaze on an English country doctor and find a universal man--one who has taken it upon himself to recognize his patient's humanity when illness and the fear of death have made them unrecognizable to themselves. In the impoverished rural community in which he works, John Sassall tend the maimed, the dying, and the lonely. He is not only the dispenser of cures but the repository of memories. And as Berger and Mohr follow Sassall about his rounds, they produce a book whose careful detail broadens into a meditation on the value we assign a human life. First published thirty years ago, A Fortunate Man remains moving and deeply relevant--no other book has offered such a close and passionate investigation of the roles doctors play in their society.



"In contemporary letters John Berger seems to me peerless; not since Lawrence has there been a writer who offers such attentiveness to the sensual world with responsiveness to the imperatives of conscience."--Susan Sontag

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

In this quietly revolutionary work of social observation and medical philosophy, Booker Prize-winning writer John Berger and the photographer Jean Mohr train their gaze on an English country doctor and find a universal man--one who has taken it upon himself to recognize his patient's humanity when illness and the fear of death have made them unrecognizable to themselves. In the impoverished rural community in which he works, John Sassall tend the maimed, the dying, and the lonely. He is not only the dispenser of cures but the repository of memories. And as Berger and Mohr follow Sassall about his rounds, they produce a book whose careful detail broadens into a meditation on the value we assign a human life. First published thirty years ago, A Fortunate Man remains moving and deeply relevant--no other book has offered such a close and passionate investigation of the roles doctors play in their society.



"In contemporary letters John Berger seems to me peerless; not since Lawrence has there been a writer who offers such attentiveness to the sensual world with responsiveness to the imperatives of conscience."--Susan Sontag

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Vintage; 1 edition (March 25, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067973726X
• ISBN-13: 978-0679737261
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.5 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #569,505 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Doctoring in communities, November 30, 1999

By 

J. J. Frey "bookdoc" (madison, wi USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Fortunate Man: The Story of a Country Doctor (Paperback)

A Fortunate Man, first published in the late1960's has remained an enduring book which not only captures a time and place - a small village in the border country between England and Wales in the 1960's, but has become a book which in many ways is an archetypal essay about the relationship of the physician to himself, to the community and to the ideals and realities of practice. I have taught this book in medical school for almost 20 years, using it as a stimulus for young physicians to think about themselves and how they view their careers, looking forward. The photographs by Jean Mohr are among the most striking and emotional depictions of medicine in the late 20th century and the book has become a widely referenced example of combining narrative and photographs in the documentary style.

Anyone who wishes to understand the essence of the doctor patient relationship or the doctor community relationship should own this book and read it. It is a classic.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Unusual and Unusually Good Book, April 15, 2001

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R. Albin (Ann Arbor, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Fortunate Man: The Story of a Country Doctor (Paperback)

This book is an extended essay on the work of Dr. John Sassall, a country General Practicioner (GP), in a poor area of Britain. Integrated into this book are a series of often striking photographs taken by Berger's collaborator Jean Mohr. The photos complement Berger's insightful comments on Sassall's work. Berger and Mohr appear to have spent a good deal of time with Sassall and his patients and must have earned the trust, not only of Sassall, but of his patients. Berger terms Sassall "A Fortunate Man" not because of good luck or unusual talent but because Sassall is a person whose work is directly connected with basic existential questions and meaning. The portrait of Sassall is unsentimental, clear, and admiring. Sassall is not just a highly competent and dedicated physician, he is a man who feels compelled to use his occupational life in a quest to explore basic questions about the nature of human relationships and community. This need drives him to be an exceptionally good physician and to involve himself deeply in the life of his rather insular community. While Sassall is an unusual man and physician, many aspects of his experiences in dealing with patients cast light on doctor-patient relationships in general. As a physician, I found Berger's analysis of many of these issues insightful and useful. Berger proceeds to larger issues of how society values life and work. Berger's writing is unambiguous, direct, and informed by a considerable critical intelligence. The real measure of this book is that readers will find themselves drawn back to thinking about the questions that Berger raises.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning and healing, March 25, 2002

By 

Pumpkin King - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Fortunate Man: The Story of a Country Doctor (Paperback)

It begins as if it were fiction, and ends as a study of one man's life, his relation to his patients, and the economic and social conditions which frame this connection. It is less biography than philosophy, and it extends beyond doctors toward all people and their actions.

This is not to say that John Berger's observations of Dr. Sassall's life can be applied to all people. Much is specific to Sassall's identity as a doctor. His depression, Berger claims, is a result of "the suffering of his patients, and his own sense of inadequacy." But there is a theme of existentialism that underlies the book, and it is ultimately about, I think, the pain of searching for purpose after one has faced and understood absurdity. Berger cannot conclude his essay because Sassall's essence cannot be truly captured, and his existence is not yet finished.

Besides being a philosophical book, it is also very personal. It is difficult to categorize FORTUNATE MAN into nonfiction categories because it is very intellectually intimate. It is a unique and thoughtful book, not only to be enjoyed but appreciated with effort and time.