Year Two Book Two:
The Good Nurse, Charles Graeber
Thursday November 6, 2014
The Good Nurse, Charles Graeber
Thursday November 6, 2014
Amy: I give this book 4 out of 5. Though Charles Cullen’s crimes are alarming and the administrative
failure of all the hospitals involved is blood-boiling, I thought this book was
perfect storytelling. Because Cullen is so tight lipped about his actions,
writing a book that could capture a reader’s imagination would be very
challenging, but Charles Graeber did a wonderful job! I wish I would have had
this book for a beach vacation because it would have been a perfect read!
Laura: My first book in this wonderful book club!
The first half of the book read like a series of magazine articles; a recap of facts where the writer didn't have enough certainty to fill in completely. While reading the first half, I found this style difficult. Only once I finished the book, could I appreciate that the author did not have the full story from Charles Cullen, and didn't want to take any liberties with the "true crime".
The second half was much easier to read. Perhaps Charles Graeber got as much detail as he wanted from the detectives and from Amy.
This is the first true crime book I've read, possibly ever. So I wonder if this is a common problem with the genre.
Despite the lack of detail in the first half, the author does a good job of setting up a few potential contributing factors to Charles Cullen's behavior; rough childhood, tough time fitting in in the military, starting his nursing career on the burn unit.
Would Charles Cullen have had the same "success" if he worked in Canada? Does the private health care system "profit first" model end up enabling this type of crime?
Rating: 3 out of 5
Lindsay: I felt this was better late than never! Anyway, here goes ...
Laura: My first book in this wonderful book club!
The first half of the book read like a series of magazine articles; a recap of facts where the writer didn't have enough certainty to fill in completely. While reading the first half, I found this style difficult. Only once I finished the book, could I appreciate that the author did not have the full story from Charles Cullen, and didn't want to take any liberties with the "true crime".
The second half was much easier to read. Perhaps Charles Graeber got as much detail as he wanted from the detectives and from Amy.
This is the first true crime book I've read, possibly ever. So I wonder if this is a common problem with the genre.
Despite the lack of detail in the first half, the author does a good job of setting up a few potential contributing factors to Charles Cullen's behavior; rough childhood, tough time fitting in in the military, starting his nursing career on the burn unit.
Would Charles Cullen have had the same "success" if he worked in Canada? Does the private health care system "profit first" model end up enabling this type of crime?
Rating: 3 out of 5
Lindsay: I felt this was better late than never! Anyway, here goes ...
I have to admit, I didn’t expect to be super-into anything “true-crime”, but I was! Obviously I knew Charlie was going to get caught, but I was eager to find out how … I give this book a 4 out of 5.
I liked reading about the “personal” parts of the story (like his childhood and relationships) as much as the “crime” part. I generally enjoy learning about peoples’ histories and life circumstances as they help me to understand why they are the way they are today (both in books and real life!). In the case of Charles Cullen, his horrendous childhood in no way excuses his actions, but knowing pieces of his background did help me to wrap my head around his person, and his story. That background info allowed me to see him not only as the “Angel of Death” but also as a human.
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