ABSTRACT
This essay examines the autobiographical works of the nineteenth-century French novelist Alphonse Daudet (influenced by his Catholic upbringing) and the late British-American writer Christopher Hitchens (an avowed anti-theist), in particular the records of their respective terminal illnesses. As Zinner explains, language faces difficulties in communicating pain, so both Daudet and Hitchens resort to metaphor, notably the imagery of battle, in an attempt to convey their experiences to their readers. Daudet’s and Hitchens’s works are but two examples of medical narratives that tether together the health care professional and patient and also the writer and reader. Ultimately, Zinner draws some important implications for medical providers; they must recognize that “each illness is a solo journey in need of a community,” realize that understanding the personal perspectives of their patients can in turn lead to a better medical outcome, and know that reading medical narratives can help one “understand[] the loss of the invaluable” and foster compassion.
