Damon Galgut, a name now synonymous with literary brilliance after his Booker Prize win for The Promise, first captured my attention last year with that very novel (you can read my review here). Intrigued to explore his earlier works, I recently immersed myself in The Good Doctor, published in 2003. While The Promise dazzled with its dark humor, The Good Doctor stands out as a deeply insightful and psychologically nuanced novel that deserves attention, even if you are searching for The Good Doctor Movie. Though not directly adapted into a film, the intricate character study and compelling narrative offer a richer experience than many movie adaptations could hope to achieve.
Narrated through the eyes of Frank, a middle-aged doctor from a privileged background, the story unfolds in a remote, under-resourced hospital within the former South African homelands. These areas, as the author’s note poignantly reminds us, were deliberately neglected under apartheid, designed for the false promise of “self-determination” for Black communities. Frank’s superior, Dr. Ngema, is a well-intentioned but insecure hospital director. As a Black woman in a recently post-apartheid nation, her anxieties about her position often lead to a reluctance to challenge the status quo, hindering progress and highlighting the deep-seated systemic issues lingering after the official end of apartheid.
The novel’s setting, in the immediate aftermath of apartheid, is palpable. Poverty is rife; some villages lack basic electricity, and the local population is largely unaware of the struggling hospital’s existence. Patients who manage to reach it are often transferred to a larger city hospital for anything beyond the most basic care, underscoring the severe limitations and neglect of rural healthcare in this era.
Frank’s life, already marked by a sense of apathy and disillusionment, is disrupted by the arrival of Laurence, a young, idealistic doctor fresh out of training for his community service year. Sharing a room with Laurence forces Frank to confront his own stagnant existence and the stark contrast between youthful optimism and seasoned cynicism. Laurence embodies the hopeful spirit of a new South Africa, believing the apartheid era to be firmly in the past and envisioning a bright future. Frank, while supportive of the societal shifts towards democracy and equality, carries the weight of the past, his experiences under the apartheid regime coloring his perspective and tempering his expectations for rapid change.
These two doctors, Frank and Laurence, become compelling foils, representing opposing yet intertwined perspectives. Their dynamic is charged, a blend of attraction and repulsion, further intensified by the forced intimacy of their living situation. As Frank observes:
“Right from the beginning, Laurence was like two separate people to me. On the one hand, he was my shadow, waiting for me when I opened my eyes, following me to meals and work, an unwanted usurper crowding me in my own room. And on the other hand he was a companion and confidant, who leavened the flat days with feeling and talk.”
Frank’s other significant relationship is with ‘Maria’, a woman living in a nearby shack, their connection rooted in transactional sex. Frank’s deliberate blindness to uncomfortable realities and his morally ambiguous actions increasingly erode his already fragile self-esteem. This internal conflict is further exacerbated by the looming shadow of his past – a defining moment during his national service when he was complicit in the brutal interrogation of a Black detainee.
The novel’s tension escalates dramatically with the arrival of a military border service unit, setting up base above the local bar and bringing Frank’s buried past into sharp focus. As the narrative hurtles towards its climax, it becomes clear that not everyone will escape unscathed. The Good Doctor is a gripping exploration of personal and societal trauma, far exceeding the scope one might expect from a simple search for the good doctor movie. Instead, it offers a profound and unforgettable journey into the complexities of post-apartheid South Africa and the human psyche.
