The Tennis Partner

After reading "Cutting For Stone" which I have placed among the very best books I have ever read, I have been seeking further works by Verghese.I chose The Tennis Partner because the blurb caught my interest.It was not until I began the book did I realise The Tennis Player was indeed a memoir, and not a novel as I prefer. Nonetheless, from the first page this book held me and when I had read the last page I held it against my chest and wept. It is a beautiful book from a compassionate and intelligent man who has the ability to deliver his characters to you in such a way you feel you know them. David, the main character, is a charming, lovable and talented medical student who forms a friendship with Dr Verghese through their shared passion for the game of tennis. As the story progresses we are introduced to David's demons and Verghese's inner feelings of anger and frustration alternating with the concern he feels for his friend, and his continued support despite warnings from those who had given up on David.This book touched me from a personal perspective as I have experienced in my own life the loss of a beautiful young man, also called David and I have worked throughout my life as a clinical nurse in Intensive Care so I understand the workings of hospital life. I believe The Tennis Partner should be recommended reading for students of nursing and medicine as it would allow more understanding of drug addiction and the horrific circumstances that surround this disease. Too often, the "drug addict" is depicted as drop kicks of our society who come from "bad homes" or "criminal backgrounds" and "deserve everything coming to them." I urge everyone to read this touching book, and thankyou Dr Verghese for once again giving me such a wonderful read. You are a genius in many ways.

I am glad that I read Cutting For Stone before The Tennis Partner. Cutting For Stone sits on my Best Books shelf to be read again in future years, but it is unlikely that I'll read the The Tennis Partner again. Yet, I recommend it as a very good book. I'll share what I liked and what didn't about The Tennis Partner:Here's what I loved about The Tennis Partner: 1) Vergese is honest and open about his humanity, flaws, achievements and wisdoms that are warmly written about in his job, fatherhood, husband and friendships. 2) After growing up in an addictive family environment and surviving in tact (thanks to wonderful help), Verghese's reaction to his friend David's cocaine addition and it's evolution was really accurate and heartbreaking. As a friend and not doctor,Verghese was ignorant of the addictive emotional qualities such as an addict often destroys everything good and loving or an addict's persuit of sexual conquests ~ all are common characteristics of an addict. The hopes, support and crushing disappointment Verghese experiences with David represents many of us who have loved an addict while getting a painful lesson in letting go. 3)Verghese is a master at scene setting and descriptive writing. I wanted to meet his boys, his first wife and obviously a second wife. In short,Verghese's effective writing ability had me caring for them.Here's what I didn't like: Yes, Verghese is very good at scene setting and plotting a very interesting memoir. BUT, the tennis scenes were too long and I found myself skipping those pages in the latter part of the book. I think the book would have been tighter and a bit shorter had the tennis scenes been selectively condensed. Instead, I would have been more interested in reading about Verghese's reaction and participation in the final two chapters (I don't want to spoil the ending for other readers). While good reading, the last chapters came together very quickly and I missed Verghese when I closed the book.

This is a great book. Even though I don’t play tennis, I read all the descriptions of the tennis matches. Verghese is a highly skilled storyteller. His prose is as beautiful and compelling as any poetry. The story of a doctor being destroyed by his addiction is something all of us as a society need to be concerned with. Highly recommend.

The characters come to life in this novel, almost tangible. Not a happy ending for an addict but I believe true to life. Not everyone makes it to recovering. Didn't like the tennis history areas but loved the medical stories. Thank you for this book

I generally liked this book--Verghese is a beautiful writer, very descriptive, but as I've found with most of his books, he is meandering to the point of boredom and loss of interest for the reader. This is a good, sad story of a friendship with an addict, but it often wandered so deeply into the author's obsession with tennis, it left me wondering if some of the sadness was for the loss of a "worthy" tennis partner rather than for a life wasted to drugs.

Had no idea this was a memoir, but what a read! Through the lives of Dr. Verghese and his tennis partner (an Australian player formerly on the pro circuit & now an intern), themes of love, nature, dreams, marriage, and human flaws are explored. As a tennis fan, I was riveted by the tennis games between the two men as well as Verghese riffs on tennis greats of the past (written before the Federer/Nadal years). This isn't a typical "My Life as a Doctor" story. It transcends medicine or at least it incorporates Verghese's medical knowledge & technology with compassion and humanity. The MC is so pleased to find a tennis partner in the wilds of El Paso who also becomes a friend only to discover the friend is someone he's created to fit his needs rather than knowing exactly who the friend is. The friend is an addict; his treatment & periods of sobriety are sporadic. He's a chameleon so he appears different to everyone he encounters. The MC is devasted both professionally (he's a doctor & should've recognized the signs) & personally (he's hurt that the friend's confidences were dispensed by how he wanted the MC to perceive him). It is a wonderful book.CAUTION: Tennis is a metaphor for the entire book. If you have no interest in or awareness of the game, its history, its strategy, this might not be for you.

The book tells the story of two doctors at a Texas Hospital and how their lives are intertwined between tennis,medicine and their personal struggles.David Smith is an Australian intern at the hospital where Dr Verghese is the senior doctor in the Internal Medicine department.David is a recovering drug addict who has gone through rehab .Dr Verghese is having his own personal separation issues with his wife.They find comfort in their friendship on the tennis court where David is skilled and helps Verghese in learning the finer points of the game. Dr Verghese helps David in learning the ropes in patient care and diagnosis.In the last chapter the author reveals how differently people deal with the loneliness that comes with the success in a doctor’s life.

Arrived on time in great condition.

Abraham Verghese is a doctor specializing in internal medicine and pulmonary and infectious diseases. He is doing well professionally but his marriage is falling apart. He decides to make a change by moving to El Paso where he becomes a staff member at the Texas Tech School of Medicine.David Smith is a medical student recovering from a drug addiction. He comes to Texas on a tennis scholarshp and played on the pro tour before enrolling in medical school. David has had several relapses and one in particular. While doing rounds he is having a difficult time fulfilling his duties. He heads for a doctor's office to explain his present situation, but the doctor doesn't need to have an explanation, he instantly knows David's problem. David is then taken to the Lab for testing and the doctor himself takes David, still in his scrubs, to the airport. He gives him two tickets and makes sure he boards the plane. He is heading for the Talbott-Marsh clinic in Atlanta, a facility that specializes in drug and alcohol addiction and is designed for physicians. He is met by two men who bring David directly to the clinic. David attends a meeting with other doctors of various specialties,who suffer from addiction as well. He is told at his first meeting that he has a disease,like Diabetes and every day for the rest of his life needs to be monitored and be treated. The Doctor goes on to say, "that society does not understand that you have a disease. Instead you see yourself as morally flawed. Now that you've been caught, you feel shame".When he returns to El Paso, David meets up with Abraham. Both are alone and struggling in their personal lives, but they both share a love for Tennis and thus a friendship is formed. Tennis becomes a ritual and they play twice a week. Between rounds of tennis and after chats at a cafe, David opens up to Abraham. Along the way there are clues that Abraham can see, which point to the beginning of trouble. Dr. Verghese is searching for answers re his dear friend's addiction. He has done considerable research on addiction and comes up empty. For Abraham, this is frustrating and he can't understand how in some minds treatment can help , while in others treatment does not help.The book is open, honest and detailed. It is written eloquently.It is a story of a deep Love and Friendship of two men, made even stronger by their mutual interest in Medicine and a love of Tennis.Dr. Verghese is a gifted writer whose Memoir is Memorable.

Addiction. Addiction and relationships. Addiction and work. Addiction and personality changes.Well written. You learn about Verghese's own weaknesses, not just his tennis partner's. Scary, revealing.

In my opinion Abraham Verghese is one of the best and most thoughtful writers working today. This book is an exposition of a drug addict...not a pleasant story, but a gripping one. It should be read by anyone who has the misfortune to have a drug addict in the circle of acquaintances. He writes with an acute intelligence and a mastery of the language. I love his stuff.