I'm a woman, and I read this in high school and it thoroughly convinced me that abortion should always be legal and easily accessible to everyone who wants one. ( )

Karen Randall, una joven de 16 años hija de una prestigiosa familia de médicos, muere desangrada en la sala de urgencias de un hospital de Boston. El ginecólogo Arthur Lee es acusado de haberle practicado un aborto. Su amigo, el forense John Berry, está dispuesto a probar su inocencia, pero en el curso de su investigación chocará con el desprecio de la alta sociedad bostoniana, la cólera de la policía y la venganza de los bajos fondos. Y es así porque la trágica muerte de Karen Randall no es más que la punta del iceberg: un turbio laberinto de escándalos e hipocresías relacionados con la práctica del aborto y que Berry pondrá al descubierto aun a riesgo de perderlo todo, incluso su propia vida.

A Case of Need is a 1968 Michael Crichton novel initially released under the pseudonym Jeffery Hudson and re-released under Crichton’s given name in 1993. Though I love Jurassic Park and Twister, I haven’t ever read this author's work. A Case of Need was written during Mr. Crichton’s time in medical school and, as an early work, comes across as unnecessarily clinical and a bit rough. There are dozens of characters—almost a new one each chapter—and a lot of cardboard descriptions. The prose is okay, but takes some getting used to, and I can’t imagine how confusing it might be for someone who knows zero medical jargon. The story evolves slowly and is more of a statement about the medical community protecting their own and the antiquated beliefs of the times than anything to do with the death being investigated by, of all things, a pathologist, whose intention is to free his innocent friend from jail. There are numerous footnotes throughout, which feel strangely out of place in fiction.

I picked up A Case of Need because I enjoy medical fiction, only I couldn’t have guess what the book was about from its blurb. I blame the pre-Roe v Wade timeframe and perhaps outdated industry precaution for the vague marketing description. “When a surgical procedure goes wrong…” The premise of A Case of Need is that a prominent physician’s daughter hemorrhages to death following a “botch abortion” performed by clandestine abortionist, Dr. Art Lee, a man of Asian descent who represents only a fraction of the prejudice expressed in this book, which comes across as both sexist and racist (an African-American attorney is referred to as a “freak” for being an “educated negro”). I had to keep reminding myself that the culture being represented throughout was that of the 1960’s affluent Boston rather than present-day.

Overall, A Case of Need is a fast read. Despite its ridiculous number of characters, the central plot is enough to propel the book forward. Who performed the abortion? And why, if the victim wasn’t even pregnant? I enjoyed the pathologist’s investigation, even if it seems ludicrous that this man abandoned his lab in favor of harassing fellow practicing physicians and their families in order to free a wrongfully-accused colleague. I liken A Case of Need to an episode of the television show, The Knick, for more reasons than just the big reveal. I wasn’t thrilled with the resolution, but if you like medicine, you might like this book, if you can take it for what it is: a quasi-interesting, early novel that doesn’t quite stand up to the test of time.

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Great book. I'm always amazed (and envious) when I see how young some of my favorite authors were when they wrote some books I have loved. I think Michael was 26 when he wrote this. It doesn't fit into my head that I could write like this when I was 26. I don't think I could write like this now.
Anyway, a good thriller, good pace, intriguing case, good research and explanations. To me, it feels like a bit of a trick, because I think the reader could never guess for sure who was the culprit.
Well, it's a pleasure to read Michael Crichton. ( )

It is so interesting to read a book from 1968 - and other then some language issues- feel as if you're reading a book written today. Abortion is still such a hot button issue and it's so interesting to see how little the issue has evolved. The book flowed eloquently and made me want to keep going until I reached the conclusion. ( )