[.ca] Bringing out the Dead (ISBN 0375400400)

From Amazon.com:
For nearly a decade author Joe Connelly rushed from emergency to emergency as a paramedic in the Hell's Kitchen area of New York City. This is the novel he wrote to purge, perhaps redeem, the torment of his experiences in the trenches with the dying and the barely living. Connelly seems to be a born writer, for this first novel makes brilliant use of unflinching realism, dark and brittle humor, a faint whiff of the supernatural, and, above all, the poignancy of a human soul that chooses slow self-destruction rather than shutting itself off to the suffering of others. As Patrick McGrath--another writer of dark literary fiction--writes, "The author's vision is both bleak and compassionate; his control of his explosive material is masterly. This is strong stuff, full of heart, engaging, harrowing, and real." You won't be able to let this one out of your sight until you've finished reading it, and it will linger long after you've put it down. --Fiona Webster

psychotic paramedics in hell...:
Bringing Out The Dead is the sort of book I really wanted to enjoy. Firstly, it has won accolades as a great first novel (by Joe Connelly). Even a film has been made based on the story. And judging by the other amazon.com reviewers, the style of the book is supposedly Chuck 'Fight Club' Palahniuk-esque; I am a fan of Chuck Palahniuk. Was I disappointed? Er.., yes. Bringing Out The Dead is, as one understands by reading the dust jacket, the story of a burned out ambulance driver in a seedy section of Manhatten. It is indeed written in the first person, and has the punchy/neurotic feel of Fight Club and Survivor (both by Palahniuk). However unlike these (very good) novels Bringing Out the Dead has no clever message or plot twists, let alone any humour. The reader is plunged on to a rollercoaster of absolutely horrific ambulance rides with paramedics who should be institutionalized. However judging by the frightening patients they treat in endless succession one can understand why they've turned into monsters. I pray such a story doesn't remotely portray reality. While individual vignettes within the novel are indeed interesting, the overall feel of the book is one endless succession of horror. In the end I didn't understand the point of it all. Having said this, Bringing Out The Dead isn't a bad novel - indeed, it is an impressive first novel. The characterizations are very interesting, and there are elements of brilliance in between the repetitive scenes of horror. Perhaps Joe Connelly can produce a fine novel if he had better focus, and tried to deliver some meaning to words. Bottom line: a ghoulish reading experience which both fascinates and horrifies, yet it ultimately bored this reader. A near miss.

highly recommended:
An excellent book that became an excellent movie. I recommend this to every paramedic student I mentor. Connelly provides a look into the abyss that many of us in EMS have seen more than once.

Pour the grave juice, quitting time's near...:
Joe Connelly's first novel is powerful stuff, definitely not for the faint of heart or those predisposed to depression. Frank Pierce is a downtrodden EMS medic whose world is rocked by the ghost of a girl he helped to kill and the memory of his ex-wife, who couldn't handle the afterburn. Connelly's prose is red-hot - he doesn't so much write as he does attack the beast - it leaps at your spine and pulverizes it, like being inside of a jet engine. He gets in and gets out, spinning EMS shop talk that's all red meat and arteries bursting wide open and grey matter boiling in flame. A former New York City medic, Connelly knows of what he speaks, and doesn't sugarcoat any facet of Frank's world, which seems to begin and end with the bottle as he tries to drink away the trail of broken bodies his occupation brings to his doorstep. By no means is "Bringing Out The Dead" the feel-good novel of the year, but watch for Connelly. He's got the goods, the bads, and plenty of the uglies.

Impressive, but not great:
I liked Joe Connelly's novel, "Bringing Out the Dead," better than the movie (I read the book first). The movie follows the book pretty well, while leaving out many things, as movies must do (there's a significant amount of time spent in the book talking about the narrator's ex-wife). Connelly creates a gritty, realistic atmosphere surrounding his NYC ambulance driver job. At times there are hints of Chuck Palahniuk, but Connelly has a ways to go before reaching that level. The main character is well-developed, and easy to sympathize with, despite experiencing a problem that most of us will never face; failing to save the lives of his patients night after night. Therein lies the triumph of this novel. I feel like I now know exactly what it's like to be a nightshift ambulance driver.

Great book - great movie:
I believe I read this book just before seeing the movie starring Nicholas Cage and John Goodman. At the time, I was studying to become a paramedic, so the topic interested me. I loved this book, and read it in one sitting. I know paramedics are constantly asked, "What's the worst thing you've ever seen?" and my favorite line in the book is Frank's response to that question, "Lima beans on a pizza." I think that just about sums it up. Not everyone will love this book, but I sure enjoyed it. Two defibrillators up!