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

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a country doctor in solo practice in the decade of the seventies-making house calls, delivering babies, comforting the dying, offering hope to the hopeless, meeting delightful and sometimes eccentric patients, and working sixty to eighty hours per week, often exhausted and in need of rest? If so, follow me as I work in a small town office and make hospital rounds in rural Indiana as a family physician. You're unlikely to forget the experiences or regret the sharing.

The Country Doctor by Honoré de Balzac: "The Country Doctor" is a short story written by Honoré de Balzac, a prominent French novelist and playwright. The story portrays the life and experiences of a dedicated rural physician, capturing the challenges and rewards of his profession and providing a glimpse into rural life in 19th-century France. Key Aspects of the Book "The Country Doctor": Portrayal of Rural Life: The story offers a vivid depiction of rural life in France during the 19th century, showcasing the customs and hardships of the countryside. Character Study: "The Country Doctor" delves into the character of the country doctor, exploring his dedication to his profession and his interactions with patients and the community. Themes of Compassion and Sacrifice: The story addresses themes of compassion and self-sacrifice as the country doctor navigates his responsibilities and obligations. Honoré de Balzac was a French novelist and playwright, known for his extensive literary works that depict various aspects of French society. "The Country Doctor" is one of Balzac's short stories, reflecting his keen observations of human nature and social dynamics.

DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "A Country Doctor and Selected Stories and Sketches" by Sarah Orne Jewett. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.

Excerpt from Stories of a Country Doctor And last and best of all, dear reader, I desired to make something out of the enter prise. If I do there will be rejoicing at our house when the receipts come in. There will be a feast in which the timbrel and the hewgag will be sounded, and I promise you that the widow and the orphan shall not be forgotten. Complaint may be made that the per sonal pronoun I has been used Oftener than it should have been. This may be true. My friends say that I have a plenty Of that very necessary faculty called self esteem. TO this I also plead guilty and put myself upon the country. AS a defense, however, I desire to say that most Of the things written about in this book have a personal relationship to myself, and, being too modest to put myself on an equality with the editors and the Lord, by saying we I was compelled to say I; so the 'i's' seem to have it. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

A hundred and thirty years after it was first published, Sarah Orne Jewett’s story of a young medical woman remains an incisive rendering of the dilemmas of gender, society, and self. Nan Prince first becomes interested in medicine as a child, as the ward of the widowed physician Dr. Leslie. In time she becomes his protégée. But when she enters medical college, she realizes that she will have to choose between marriage and her career, between the demands of her society and her obligations to her true self. Inspired by Jewett’s own interests and by her father, A Country Doctor portrays a world very much in flux and Nan, ultimately, as a woman with a new world opening to her. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.