Adam Kay's This is Going to Hurt

[musicalfrog]

I haven't even finished the book yet but I'm getting more and more annoyed with him the further in I go. I didn't mind him initially but then the more he progresses in his career the more insufferable he gets!

Is he really such an arrogant *** or is he just writing for laughs? Whichever, I'm glad he's not a practicing doctor now, but unfortunately I recognise his attitude in a couple of doctors I had the misfortune to encounter during my first birth experience.

Just wondering if anyone else had the same reaction as me? I've not seen him on TV or anything, the book is all I have to go on.

Oh, and Mumsnet gets a mention a few chapters in!

I had enjoyed a few of the Amateur Transplants songs (not the ones mentioned here!) and recognising his name bought the book.

I expected it to be a funny but dark critique of the NHS as an organisation as well as a personal memoir.

In the end, although I saw a lot that should be changed about the NHS, I mostly came away with a very low opinion of the writer and relief that he had left the profession. The tattoo incident in particular disgusted me - this was not gallows humour, it was heavy handed hinting that he has deliberately done sub-par work on a patient as revenge.

This book was what introduced my desire never to see a male gynaecologist outside of an emergency. Well preferably not in an emergency either, to be honest.

Was just looking at his FB page. His book on anatomy for kids is out in paperback today (Run! (For the hills)) Sounds like the "fucking twat" language has been replaced by bogies and poo. Yawn
He doesn't take kindly to negative reviews I notice. Copies them onto his FB page and then offers to show the writer where the clitoris is.
Foul foul man.

@SOLINVICTUS

Was just looking at his FB page. His book on anatomy for kids is out in paperback today (Run! (For the hills)) Sounds like the "fucking twat" language has been replaced by bogies and poo. Yawn He doesn't take kindly to negative reviews I notice. Copies them onto his FB page and then offers to show the writer where the clitoris is. Foul foul man.

Really odd comments on there, someone's said 'I'm a midwife, I know always refer to forceps as salad tongs'- great.

Now

This book was what introduced my desire never to see a male gynaecologist outside of an emergency. Well preferably not in an emergency either, to be honest.

Same here

@SOLINVICTUS

Was just looking at his FB page. His book on anatomy for kids is out in paperback today (Run! (For the hills)) Sounds like the "fucking twat" language has been replaced by bogies and poo. Yawn He doesn't take kindly to negative reviews I notice. Copies them onto his FB page and then offers to show the writer where the clitoris is. Foul foul man.

What a strange man.

@maryjosephandtheweedonkey

This book was what introduced my desire never to see a male gynaecologist outside of an emergency. Well preferably not in an emergency either, to be honest.

Same here

The male consultant gynaecologist who treated me was excellent. I’ve had several unpleasant experiences with speculums, yet the time he treated me was the one time it was painless.

Whereas some of the nurses and midwives I’ve encountered seem to think that one size fits all. No, it bloody doesn’t!

" I might see if the library has a copy so I don’t have him make a profit from me."

I think authors get a very, very small amount of royalties from libraries don't they? Maybe doesn't depend how many times the book is borrowed though...

@Gwenhwyfar

" I might see if the library has a copy so I don’t have him make a profit from me."

I think authors get a very, very small amount of royalties from libraries don't they? Maybe doesn't depend how many times the book is borrowed though...

Yes, it's a bit complicated though.

Buy it from a charity or other second hand shop?

Mixed feelings. Some of it is very much the black humour of survival in a broken system where there is fuck all support for traumatic events. But some of it does feel sneeringly misogynistic. Bit like the songs: some are genius works of black humour, and others step way over the line. And he seems to have little concept of which are which. And I'm damn sure there's misogyny in O&G, having tried to support female consultant colleagues in that department.