46 pages • 1 hour read
The House of God
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
The House of God is a novel written by American author and doctor Samuel Bergman under the pseudonym Samuel Shem and originally published in 1978. The book is heavily based on Bergman’s own experiences as a medical intern in the early 1970s, and the fictional hospital “the House of God” is a thinly veiled fictional version of the Beth Israel teaching hospital associated with Harvard Medical School. The novel is a satire in the vein of Catch-22 that parodies aspects of the medical profession in 1970s America. As of 2020, The House of God has several sequels that follow the character Roy Basch through his career. This guide refers to the 2010 Berkley paperback edition, which includes an introduction by John Updike and an afterword by the author.
Plot Summary
The House of God follows medical intern Roy Basch and his fellow interns as they enter their medical career. They spend a year at a hospital called the House of God under the supervision of more experienced resident doctors, most notably a man called the Fat Man and a woman named Unlock all 46 pages of this Study Guide Plus, gain access to 8,900+ more expert-written Study Guides. Including features:
