A Country Doctor's Notebook, by Mikhail Bulgakov
4.0 Stars
2-15-2022

Extremely short, which is a quality I like in a book. Has a series of brief, semi-auto-biographical stories about the author's term in ~1917 as a country doctor for several thousand villagers. The general theme of the stories is that the doctor faces medical challenges and self doubt, struggles against them, and mostly over comes. Kind of a light competence-porn, as the doctor gradually develops his skills and confidence and reputation among the villages while dealing with various cases. Except for a few aides, the doctor is alone in the wilderness, forming the front line of knowledge & civilization against disease, snow, and glacial ignorance. It certainly was a different time, when superstitious peasants preferred quack cures and charms over sound medical advice and treatment. It really is difficult to even imagine such a time.

I believe his prose would be described as "muscular".