A HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS (2022) - Review

A History of Present Illness by Anna DeForest
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
On Sale: August 16, 2022

FIRST SENTENCE: "All this happened, more or less."

Intending to read the first sentence or two, instead I continued on to the end. I'm still not sure what to make of Anna DeForest's first novel "A History of Present Illness". Who is the audience for this literate book composed of short, well-crafted sentences that reads like a memoir? (Descriptions and some discussions could be disturbing.)

Someone suggested that only those involved in medicine would appreciate such a book, but my fascination was with how my life has changed since I was swept up in that world as a patient. Now I have the other side of the story. Now I have some insight. Now I can put together a history of my own present illness.

Following an unnamed narrator through her first year as a medical student, her random thoughts are like listening to a friend tell you what defines life. The humor is macabre and subtle. I'm thinking I will need to read this again if only to revisit the many sections I highlighted. There is so much to think about, so much to absorb.

DISCLAIMER: I received a free e-copy of "A History of Present Illness" by Anna DeForest from NetGalley/Little, Brown & Company for my honest review.

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