Letters
Oliver Sacks
Edited by Kate Edgar
I have been an avid reader of medical narratives since picking up the book The Incurable Wound by Berton Roueche. In my quest to find other books detailing medical case histories, I came across the works of Oliver Sacks.
I think I was introduced to the works of Dr. Sacks with the book The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales, and the last book that I read of his was The Mind’s Eye, where he discusses cases where the ability to see has affected their lives, including Oliver Sacks himself, who suffered from ocular melanoma, which ultimately took his life.
Letters is a book that collects letters that Dr. Sacks had written throughout his lifetime to various people, including his parents and siblings. He had a wonderful way of describing people, events, and what we would consider the most mundane things. It was easy to plunge deep into his world.
While Dr. Sacks had a gift for writing, it can be a bit pedantic despite the beautiful prose. I occasionally found it tough going and will admit skimming parts of it, but I also paid great attention to those letters that centered on his work, especially that detailing the backgrounds of his clinical writings.
I would recommend this book to someone who is familiar with Dr. Sacks’ work and is interested in the back stories of his clinical writings. I do not think this book is really for a casual reader, who might find it a difficult read, but for those of us who are fans of Dr. Oliver Sacks, this book is a delight.
4/5 stars
[Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for my honest and objective opinion, which I have given here.]