Body+of+Work

**Christine Montross**

Click here for information about //[|Body of Work]//

Comments: I just checked out a copy of the book after reserving it with the country library system and am eager to get started. I'm going to share my copy with Ed Macy, who used to teach English at PG and once worked at a funeral home. Bill Slayton

Comments: I've actually read it, Bill. Beware: it's not a fun read for hypochondriac alarmists. WM3

Chloe Engel: Although I was unsure if I could get through a book that thoroughly describes in detail what is beneath our skin, Christine Montross tells of her first year at medical school in this intriguing novel. I found the history of anatomy and dissection to be very interesting. Stories of grave robbers and the black market for cadavers certainly put an interesting twist on the book. It surprised me to find out just how much anatomy has shaped history. One part in the novel I found interesting was Montross' description of the Corpus Domini church, which houses the relics of St. Catherine. Montross tells of the bones, skin, and vials of blood that adorn the church's interior. The relationship between Montross and Eve, her cadaver, may be somewhat eerie at first but turns into a posthumous relationship (on one side, at least). I found myself questioning my own opinions as Montross tries to understand what limits the body can go to without being considered truly dead. __//Body of Work//__ was a great book that kept me reading until the end.

Joanna Reinhold: When I heard there was going to be a book on a medical school student’s experience with human dissection, I became very excited. I wasn’t quite sure how Christine Montross was going to present this different concept, but I was pleased with what I found. I felt that I could connect with the characters, and it got me looking forward to medical school even more, but also allowed me insight on how stressful the academics are, especially with all the Latin names to memorize. It thrilled me to read about every layer of the body and how it worked, whether I had read about it previously or not, because she presented it in a new and intriguing way. This book not only got me looking forward to the future and how I can imagine myself in her situation, but when she mentioned the live televised surgery, it got me looking back to last summer when I saw a knee surgery on the same program. To read about her experience with it was very interesting. I also really enjoyed reading about the history of the study of anatomy, even though I could not relate to it like I felt I could to the rest of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading __Body of Work__ because it not only got me excited about the future, but the past, too.

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Stephen Metzger: When I first picked up this book, I was a little skeptical as to how the author was going to portray a dissection. I knew that it could either be like a boring textbook or more like a novel. I was pleased to see the Christina Montross successfully created a work that provided the topic of dissection in an interesting manner. She wove together science with personal experiences, and even a little bit of history. I particularly found the history of dissection exciting as I never knew that so much government legislation and grave digging had supplied the medical knowledge we have today. Montros allows the dissection of her cadaver to come alive by personifying it, naming her Eve and even comparing Eve to her grandmother. The way she describes the dissection makes it not a complicated scientific task, but more as a chance for her to discover herself as she bonded with Eve. I enjoyed __Body of Work__ because it provided me with an interesting background that I normally would not have read.=====

Brandon Barber: Once I began this novel, I embraced the fact that Christine Montross was an excellent describer. Her attention to detail absolutely captured me in a way that I felt that I was in the novel myself. She was able to tell her story as a naive first-year medical student, vividly express the dissection of a cadaver, and inform me of engrossing stories from the history of anatomy. I definitely learned more about the history of anatomy, especially through her descriptions of grave robbers and resurrectionists. Burke and Hare certainly showed a barbaric and desperate side of a nineteenth century Edinburgh society. The physical and emotional toll to the mind and body over the semester of gross anatomy shows just how stressful the process of becoming a doctor really is. Although many parts of the body were complex and confusing, Montross explained the dissection very powerfully to help her readers visualize the process and the techniques at which she used to dissect Eve. __Body of Work__ helped me differentiate a human body from a human being, the importance of people who donate their body to medicine, and that with life comes death and to make the most out of it.

Hannah Geils: At first impression, I thought that //Body of Work// would be an easy read. Not terribly short, but not at all long either. Not saying I chose it based on the length, but that certainly had something to do with it. A few pages into the book, I realized I was wrong. Christine Montross has the most extensive eye for detail I have ever seen in a writer. The way she captures the essence of the Human Anatomy Lab is indescribable. You'd think that a chapter or two into the book, it would become boring with the constant mention of tiny yet vitally important parts of the human body. However, the description in her writing differenciates veins from arteries in a clear cut way to help readers comprehend the most intricate of body parts. This is a great insight for those who are looking to journey into a medical career. It transports you to the daily hospital life, along with the physically and emotionally tough learning process that the study of medicine requires. Along the way, Montross will inform you about anatomical history, and you learn more about what medicine used to be and the changes that society has made with dissection, from denial to acceptance. She discusses the previous tactics used and the obvious improvements our hospitals have accomplished. As Montross comes closer to finishing the dissection of her cadaver, Eve, you grow closer to every character. It's a great look at medical students, the bodies they learn from, and the intimate bond shared between.

Chirag Patel: Body of Work was a poetic approach to describing the dissection of a human being. Christine Montross both a medical student and poet describes the human anatomy in a very poetic yet interesting and descriptive way. I read this book, because I have always taken an interest in the human anatomy. I have read several short anatomy books in the past, but this book had to be the most descriptive. Throughout the book, I though it was interesting how many medical students are affected psychologically by dissecting the cadavers. There were some parts that made me feel squeamish, and I could not even imagine how it would have been for the student. The idea that there was an odor just made it even more disturbing for me. I also thought that the bond or connection the dissector had towards the cadaver was interesting yet somewhat dark. Overall, the book was a very interesting one. I was very glad that I chose this book.

Mary Beth Robards: I've always been the kind of person who squirms at the thought of viscera or any sort of bodily function, so I'm not sure what initially compelled me to read this book. I believe it was a combination of me seeking a deeper understanding of the training my father went through to become a doctor, and way too much CSI. My worries about gory details were lost as I read Montross's eloquent, and almost poetic description of the human body. Montross not only recounted her experience with precise detail and elegance, but also managed to almost unnoticeably weave in the intriguing history and evolution of anatomy. She detailed the lives of the "resurrectionists" who, in the absence of available bodies, dug up freshly dead bodies for their anatomy needs. The book also contains subtle bits of information that gradually accumulate in your mind until you have acquired a bunch of random knowledge, such as the location of the brachial plexus, or how to remove fascia. I found it fascinating to be a second pair of eyes watching Montross go through the emotional experience of gross anatomy, and meditating along with her about life and death and the hazy boundaries that divide them.

Joe Huff: I have absolutely no interest in becoming a doctor. It is the one profession I have ruled out for my lifetime. This novel only helped confirm that decision. Despite the gruesome details and sometimes sickening imagery, this book was fairly easy to read. Even though Montross went into great detail, the book was very interesting. All the different functions of the body, and the various muscles and organs were very intriguing. Also, the history of the anatomy lab and the cadaver stealing also added some interesting material. Although it might be best if the reader had some interest in becoming a doctor, I would recommend this to anyone who is curious about what goes on in the human body.

Colin Wallace: When first purchasing this compelling novel, I had the general idea of its content figured out. Christine Montross experiencing the exciting journey of medical school and the emotional attachment the young woman had to the cadaver she was dissecting. However, after the first page had been turned, I concluded that the book was an ingenious memoir which very much opened my eyes to the hardship of medical school and its challenges. I learned through this book just how merciless and stressful medical school is. Montross enters the book as a nervous first-year medical student. When she describes the apprehension she burdens that first day, standing outside the door of a room full of cold cadavers, ready to be thoroughly dissected by the naive students who are about to go through one of the most rigorous yet satisfying adventure of their lifetime, I could picture the worried expressoion on Montross' face. While dissecting Eve, the cadaver the author shared with three other students, she described every bone, every nerve, and every vessel in explicit detail. I certainly learned an immense amount on the human anatomy by reading this work and of the history of dissecting cadavers as well. I found Montross' mixture of the background of anatomy and the experience of dissecting Eve extremely satisfying and kept my attention until the very end. The author pays great attention to detail, telling the reader the Latin names for each body part. I was also captured by the emotional aspect of the book. Christine Montross really put into perspective just how difficult it would be to perform such a task onto a once breathing human, a being that possesses so many like qualities as herself. __Body of Work__ is a mezmerizing read that not only kept me turning the pages, but also taught me of the human anatomy to a copious degree.

Kate Bryan: Though Body of Work was an interesting and insightful book, reading it was at some times quite a challenge for me. Christine Montross describes every last detail completely, which I found at some times interesting, and at others, disgusting. The parts of the book informing the readers on the history of cadaveric dissection were the parts that I enjoyed, because I knew nothing about it. Body of Work also explained the difficulty for doctors of creating a balance between becoming too emotionally attached to a patient or being completely without feelings. After reading this book I can now imagine the stress a medical student must feel when struggling with these issues. Although at sometimes this book was gory, I am altogether glad that I read it because it offered very interesting knowledge of the battle to become a doctor.

Carrie Smith: At first I chose to read Body of Work because my fascination towards medicine has grown over the years. However, I figured this book probably wouldn’t be interesting and would read like a textbook. Despite these original expectations, I found myself thoroughly enjoying this book. I think that anyone, interested in medicine or not, would appreciate Christine Montross’s thoughtful and beautifully written memoir of her personal experiences in medical school. In particular, I was intrigued by the relationship between the author and her cadaver, Eve. The students have to maintain respect for the body, in contrast to Christine Montross’s depiction of body snatchers earlier in the history of anatomical science. However, this shows how far people will go to learn about the mysteries of the human anatomy. Even though Eve is dead, she is nonetheless a strong presence and a significant contributor to the author’s education. Eve gives herself as a unique gift to each student, providing an aspect of his or her education that no teacher can duplicate**.** On the other hand, the medical students must maintain a detachment in their relationship with Eve. This shows the two sides to their relationship with Eve. They know nothing about Eve’s life or even her real name, and yet in another sense, they know everything about her in dissecting every muscle and bone, every organ, every blood vessel, every tendon and ligament. In this insightful memoir, Eve literally bares her heart while the author bares her soul.

Carrie Smith: At first I chose to read Body of Work because my fascination towards medicine has grown over the years. However, I figured this book probably wouldn’t be interesting and would read like a textbook. Despite these original expectations, I found myself thoroughly enjoying this book. I think that anyone, interested in medicine or not, would appreciate Christine Montross’s thoughtful and beautifully written memoir of her personal experiences in medical school. In particular, I was intrigued by the relationship between the author and her cadaver, Eve. The students have to maintain respect for the body, in contrast to Christine Montross’s depiction of body snatchers earlier in the history of anatomical science. However, this shows how far people will go to learn about the mysteries of the human anatomy. Even though Eve is dead, she is nonetheless a strong presence and a significant contributor to the author’s education. Eve gives herself as a unique gift to each student, providing an aspect of his or her education that no teacher can duplicate**.** On the other hand, the medical students must maintain a detachment in their relationship with Eve. This shows the two sides to their relationship with Eve. They know nothing about Eve’s life or even her real name, and yet in another sense, they know everything about her in dissecting every muscle and bone, every organ, every blood vessel, every tendon and ligament. In this insightful memoir, Eve literally bares her heart while the author bares her soul.

AJ Hege: At first, the concept of this book was very intriguing. Learning about Christine Monstross’s journey through her first year of medical school was quite compelling. The gruesome details of her cadaver that she becomes obsessed with were pretty interesting. Insights into the world of medicine have always fascinated me. It surprised me when the dissection of the cadaver was written very well and not boring at all, the whole thing was quite captivating. I am not looking into medical school anytime soon but it was interesting reading into the human anatomy and the life of a medical student. This book really shows the hardships and troubles that a medical student goes through and their completely different lifestyles.

====Leah Crawford: When first seeing the summer reading list, I felt that I should read Body of Work because I know very little on the subject of human anatomy. I found the history of dissecting cadavers extremely intriguing. Montross used vivid detail when describing different bones, vessels, and muscles of the body, which at times made me feel rather disgusted. Going into the novel, I was unaware of just how complex the human body was and the rigorous tasks performed to become a medical doctor. In the students first year of medical school the individual learns on average 10,000 new words. Christine's emotions and thoughts changed vastly outside of the lab because of her work done on Eve. She constantly had the images of cadavers wandering through her mind. She also had a phobia of when a person was considered to be dead. When she was carefully going through the cadaver's body parts, she often would reflect on her similarities to the body and what it was like to be dead. I thought this book was very interesting, but reading it has changed my point of view on becoming a medical doctor because of the many emotions involved with that profession.====

// Hannah Kerns: Body of Work// is quite the fascinating read. As I turned from page to page, I found myself to be truly captivated by this book. From the beginning, I was intrigued as to hearing about Montross’s transitions throughout medical school. While some describe these transitions as hectic and never ending, Montross told us of her experience, while adding a more personal touch and including many details. I was especially interested in reading about her fascination with the cadaver, Eve. This is one of the reasons Montross’s story stands out compared with so many other medical stories. Throughout the process of dissecting Eve, with three of her fellow medical students, Montross respectfully put aside the fact that Eve was dead and often found herself feeling as if she was operating on a live person while dissecting. This complicated the dissection for her, as she seemed to take every task seriously and with special care. Aside from gaining much knowledge about the medical field, I really enjoyed hearing about Montross’s unique experience. I related to Montross’s feelings and passions for her task as I myself aspire to go to medical school one day. This story came to life for me, much as the cadaver seemed to come to life for Montross.

Alexis Ball: __Body of Work__ is both descriptive and intriguing. As I was reading I found myself quite interested. Christine Montross has an exceptional way of describing human anatomy. Montross learned and experienced a vast amount of information throughout her entire medical school career from all the muscles and veins in her cadaver's arm to every last detail in her cadaver's stomach. At first she couldn't help but to cringe at the smell and thought of how her cadaver was once alive and was an actual human being like herself, but as the novel progressed she became more attached to her cadaver. Montross really found a way to capture the image of her journey through medical school. She expressed the overwhelming smell, the unreal body that she cut open, and all the days she spent at the medical school. Overall, I think Christine Montross wrote an insightful and compelling novel.

Tahirih Nesmith: For quite some time, I have been a big fan of the TV show CSI (crime scene investigation), which deals with the investigation of human bodies, entailing dissections in anatomy labs to gain evidence for crimes. When "Body of Work became an option as one of our books for summer reading this year, I was immediately excited to read it this summer. Not only was I excited but so was my mom. She and all of the medical students at MUSC read the book this summer. I have always wanted to go to medical school and become a dermatologist, and "Body of Work" has inspired me to work hard to be in the medical field. Christine Montross' experience throughout medical school was very exciting, memorable, gruesome, knowledgeable, insightful, and emotional. From the start of the book, Christine's experience in medical school was full of anxiety and excitement. From the beginning to end of her medical school days, Christine never stopped learning and wondering. Each day when she completed different parts of the dissection of her cadaver "Eve" she discovered more muscles, veins, bones, and vessels than she could ever imagine. To Christine the body was so detailed and each part had a major function. It was amazing how emotionally attached she became to her cadaver. Medical school for Christine was like an emotional roller coaster. She had several dreams about Eve and her dissected body. Christine constantly wondered about life and death, and how although there was absence in pain when dealing with her cadaver, during dissection she often felt she was harming "Eve." Christine felt as if she knew "Eve." Throughout the book she treated Eve with such care and reverence although she was dead. Although the book had much to do with dissection, the most interesting part of the book for me was the history of anatomy. The way some medical students had to steal cadavers from graves in order to be able to have cadavers to dissect was appalling. Demand for cadavers in historical times was high, and the medical schools began to pay people for bringing them "fresh" bodies to dissect. Soon people began killing others in order to sell the bodies to the medical school to make profit from it. Whether it be in the present or the past cadavers have been doors to discovery of the way the human body works, and answers to many questions about disease and the failures of body parts that are key to survival. Although the process of dissecting is a very tiring and emotional battle, I applaud and am inspired by those who take part in it. The book was great and not only inspired me to pursue my dream to go to medical school, but even got me to consider donating my body to the medical school, for medical students who strive to become future anatomists.

Grayce Bailey: In Body of Work Christine Montross weaves a story together from the perfect storm of several coincidences. First, the author acknowledges that she is one of the few entering medical students in her late twenties and is there for more mature than majority of her classmates. This maturity allows her the place of mind to keep a complex and detailed daily journal describing her gross anatomy class. This also allows her the emotional maturity to form a bond with her cadaver whom she names Eve. Throughout her first six months of medical school Montross explores issues of life and death as she continues the daily grind of medical school. It is her relationship with Eve and the circumstances surrounding her deconstruction that allows her to develop this understanding. Secondly, the author enters medical school, not with the usual background in science, but with a degree in fine arts and literature that allows her a much more prosaic recounting of the events in gross anatomy lab. This is exmplified as Montross relates the dissection of a cadaver to history, to art, to love, and other emotions. Most poignant is the descriptions of the final years of her grandparents and how she can't help but extrapolate their demise into what will finally be the same piece of flesh that she dissects daily. She further reflects on life and love when she believes herself to be pregnant, describing the small ball of cells of the fetus inside her. Overall, this book is an interesting departure from the normal narrative. It is filled with facts such that a layperson can't help but learn some basics of human anatomy. At times the author spills to much information leaving the reader wondering did i really need to know that? Lastly, one wonders why the author entered the field of psychiatry instead of a more hands on field of medicine.

Brock Richardson: Body of Work was actually a pretty good book. I've always been interested in the human body, so once I found out that this book was about a recently new medical student and the feelings she goes through while dissecting her cadaver, I went righ to it in the library. Christine Montross couldn't have explained her journey of becoming a medical student any better. I liked the way how she took the time to discuss of all the places she went around the world to learn more of the human body and how she felt while dissecting Eve. I found it interesting when she told the readers about what she was seeing and described the body. I liked the way she told the reader about the body and where you can find it on yourself; e.g. when she started to dissect the neck of Eve, she was about to cut a tendon at the bottom of the neck and she described that if you turned your head in a certain direction, that you could feel it yourself. Overall, this got me thinking about if I wanted to be a doctor or not later on in my life. I wouldn't reccomend this book to anyone that is a hypochondriac alarmist or anyone that is easily grossed out by the human body.