Book
Butcher : father of modern gyno-psychiatry / Joyce Carol Oates.
"In the 1840s, a young man named Silas Weir begins practicing medicine in Pennsylvania. Though he is considered inept by family, neighbors, and even his mentor, Dr. Weir discovers he has a gift for phlebotomy, treating patients by bleeding them to purify their bodies. But when an experimental procedure goes horribly wrong, Dr. Weir is forced to start over, relocating his family to Trenton, New Jersey, and taking a position at the New Jersey State Asylum for Female Lunatics. There, in the hopes of proving his detractors wrong, Dr. Weir continues practicing dangerous procedures, and soon becomes infatuated with Brigit -- a pregnant woman he treats -- whom he tries to take her under his wing as an apprentice. As Dr. Weir's experiments grow more intense -- and as he isolates himself from his family and the world beyond the facility -- he grows obsessed with Brigit and the other residents who remain at his mercy, and before long, establishes himself as "the father of gyno-psychiatry.""-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780593537770 (hardcover)
- Physical Description: 331 pages ; 25 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2024.
Content descriptions
| General Note: | "This is a work of fiction incorporating episodes from the lives of the historic J. Marion Sims, M.D. (1813-1883), "the Father of Modern Gynecology"; Silas Weir Mitchell, M.D. (1829-1914), "the Father of Medical Neurology"; and Henry Cotton, M.D. (1876-1933), the director of the New Jersey Lunatic Asylum from 1907-1930."--Page [335]. |
Search for related items by subject
| Genre: | Historical fiction. Medical fiction. Novels. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroud Branch | FIC Oates | 31681010373264 | FICTION | Available | - |
- Baker & Taylor
A disgraced doctorâs quest for surgical renown in 19th-century America leads him down a horrifying path of experimentation on marginalized women at a New Jersey asylum, until his obsession with a young Irish indentured servant brings about his ultimate destruction. - Baker & Taylor
"In the 1840s, a young man named Silas Weir begins practicing medicine in Pennsylvania. Though he is considered inept by family, neighbors, and even his mentor, Dr. Weir discovers he has a gift for phlebotomy, treating patients by bleeding them to purifytheir bodies. But when an experimental procedure goes horribly wrong, Dr. Weir is forced to start over, relocating his family to Trenton, New Jersey, and taking a position at the New Jersey State Asylum for Female Lunatics. There, in the hopes of provinghis detractors wrong, Dr. Weir continues practicing dangerous procedures, and soon becomes infatuated with Brigit - a pregnant woman he treats - whom he tries to take her under his wing as an apprentice. As Dr. Weir's experiments grow more intense - and as he isolates himself from his family and the world beyond the facility - he grows obsessed with Brigit and the other residents who remain at his mercy, and before long, establishes himself as "the father of gyno-psychiatry.""-- - Random House, Inc.
From one of our most accomplished storytellers, an extraordinary and arresting novel about a womenâs asylum in the nineteenth century, and a terrifying doctor who wants to change the world
In this harrowing story based on authentic historical documents, we follow the career of Dr. Silas Weir, âFather of Gyno-Psychiatry,â as he ascends from professional anonymity to national renown. Humiliated by a procedure gone terribly wrong, Weir is forced to take a position at the New Jersey Asylum for Female Lunatics, where he reigns. There, he is allowed to continue his practice, unchecked for decades, making a name for himself by focusing on women who have been neglected by the stateâwomen he subjects to the most grotesque modes of experimentation. As he begins to establish himself as a pioneer of nineteenth-century surgery, Weirâs ambition is fueled by his obsessive fascination with a young Irish indentured servant named Brigit, who becomes not only Weirâs primary experimental subject, but also the agent of his destruction.
Narrated by Silas Weirâs eldest son, who has repudiated his fatherâs brutal legacy, Butcher is a unique blend of fiction and fact, a nightmare voyage through the darkest regions of the American psyche conjoined, in its startling conclusion, with unexpected romance. Once again, Joyce Carol Oates has written a spellbinding novel confirming her position as one of our celebrated American visionaries of the imagination.
