The Contract Surgeon

by Dan O'Brien

Book Overview

This beautifully written historical novel from one of the West's most popular writers tells the true story of the friendship between Valentine McGillicuddy, a young doctor plucked from his prestigious medical career and newly married wife to serve in the army during the Great Sioux War, and the great chief Crazy Horse. When Crazy Horse finally agrees to surrender to the United States, mistrust and treachery on both sides foster further conflict, and...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0618087834
• ISBN13: 9780618087839
• Release Date: May 2001
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

A look deep within the nature of man

The Contract Surgeon is a compelling read that, through the auspices of looking at the Sioux warrior Crazy Horse, provides a mirror that shows a disturbing look at the nature of man. The best read I've experienced so far this year, the novel looks deeply into the plains Indian wars where the reader finds both white man and Indian sharing the human weaknesses of pride, greed, and destructiveness, the latter especially trademarked by the white man here. Easy to discern throughout the story is the author's deep respect for the man called Crazy Horse. Though not turned into a hero or superman, the nobility emanating from him fills the pages. For those looking for a better understanding of the forces that determined the plight of the great plains, look no further. Read this fine work.

A literary feast for the senses.

I met Dan O'Brien in 1975 when a common love for fine horses, bird dogs and all things wild had enticed each of us into the early advent of what the practical in heart prophisied to be the follies of misguided youth. Our paths crossed and ran parallel for about three years until our separate and multifaceted career paths dictated decisions leading us in different directions. Even though I had been able to follow his successes with the Perigine foundation through reports from common aquaintences, I had not, until recently, known how far Dan had progessed in his desire to become a respected author. THE CONTRACT SURGEON, a far cry from the short stories of his youth, is the combination of careful research, and an intimacy with the land that can only be expressed by someone whose livelihood is hinged upon the vitality of a place as hostile yet fragile as the ancient grasslands of North America. Dan's vibrant word pictures, painted through army surgeon Valentine McGillycuddy's recollections of his own youthful passion for the Great Plains and its inhabitants, create a sensory overload which compelled me to read the whole book in one setting. No contemporary author has driven me to that point in many years. If you have ever connected with the land, fine horseflesh and wild places, keep a bandanna handy. Same goes for the warrior who has wondered how you can hate yet respect and even love the enemy. For the dreamers and the politically correct, who need a reality check, this one is for you too. A fine read, crafted by a man whose misguided youth has proved visionary, not misspent. My compliments to Dan and his own Dr. McGraw. Whoever he is.

An interesting portrayal of an indian warrior.

Crazy Horse comes off noble and courageous as he probably was. The author did mix in episodes of the great warrior's cruelty that fell well within the category of atrocity. However, the treatment was not overly sentimental and told of the hostilities that existed between the tribes, who had been united to defeat the white man's ignoring of existing treaties.The surgeon and his love for his wife offered an interesting juxtaposition to the harshness of frontier life. I found this book infomative and enjoyable.

Unsentimental and Hard-hitting

This is a well-written and exciting literary historical novel. O'Brien manages to steer clear of the cliches that are rampant in this genre by fully developing all of the novel's characters and creating dialogue that is never stilted or preachy. Above all, he presents a well-paced story set against the background of a complicated and humanistic take on the violent collision of two cultures that may not have been as different as we often think.

Are you what you think you are?

I'm Dan's Brother and thus not an impartial critic. Dan honored me by asking me twice to read drafts of "The Contract Surgeon" during it's creation. It's his best work. It has nothing to do with Falconry or dogs. It's rather a Historical Novel depicting Dan's conception of the death of Crazy Horse. Not just the death of the greatest known American Indian War Chief but the death of a social order we today have little record of. In "Instinct", Anthony Hopkins portrayed for us what we as humans have lost since we separated form wildness. In "The Contract Surgeon" Dan describes how we lost it.Based on the scant facts available today, "The Contract Surgeon" tells the story of the last hours of Crazy Horse as he laid dying in the small Adjutants Office at Fort Robinson in Nebraska Territory in the late 1800's after he tried to surrender. During these short hours, and by the use of flashbacks and other literary tricks, Dan tells the story of the death of the culture of the American Plains Indians.For those of us who have little or no knowledge of American Indian history, Dan provides a chronology that is very helpful and enables Dan to avoid a treatise length book while creating a Novel that is difficult to put down. May of the characters are familiar to us from high school Civil War history like Sherman, Meade and Custer. But more importantly Dan introduces us to several others like Valentine McGillycuddy, truly a remarkable person the figment of no one's imagination who sought no fame or fortune.Dan's writing are full of questions about what our lives are all about and "The Contract Surgeon" is his best example. "The Contract Surgeon" is must reading for anyone who reads Dan's books for more than just the Falcons, dogs and their relationship to our souls.