Gray's Anatomy : the book

I recently read The Anatomist : A True Story of Gray's Anatomy by Bill Hayes. Figured it was worth changing from CD/movie/booze reviews briefly to comment on this. The title is misleading, the book actually explores Gray's collaborator, the anatomical artist (and Dr. in his own right) Henry Carter. Mainly as there is more information to be found about him than Gray (who died young, 34). As a biography of Carter, it's interesting, but not great.

The author sat in on some anatomy dissections to try and understand what the Henry's achieved, which I guess provides some context. However I felt there was too much of the author and his opinions/feelings in the writing, failing as a biography of either Henry. Hayes' detective work to find dissected items of Gray's is interesting, but ultimately doesn't help illuminate what drove Gray or Carter. And his comparative work of 19th London with what Gray's hospital has become is pointless.

Hayes goes to great lengths to frequently reiterate that he is gay, another example of too much of the author, not enough of the subject. The reason becomes clear later when he begins dissecting his partners disease.

There have been a lot of positive reviews of this book, describing the interweaving of the authors anatomy courses and Gray's work as seamless. I'd disagree, I found it detracted from both leaving it without a focus. At no stage did I think I was reading a biography of Gray, and even as a biography of Carter, it was lacking detail - and much was 'inferred' by the author with limited support from surviving documentation.

B