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Summary: Painful and Moving Study of the Dark Side of the Soul
Review: Having just finished this book for the second time, I feel compelled to write down my feelings. Verghese has that effect on you - a journal writer at heart, he brings out the writer in the reader. I see far too much of myself in David - for those in the know, the ease of relapse is both understandable and horrifying familiar. In the end, Verghese fails to understand the demons that haunt his best friend - but thankfully for him, this is due to a lack of walking in his shoes, rather than a deficit of compassion or intellect. I can't say that this book makes me feel good - but it does impart valuable knowledge on a variety of subjects. Recommended, but only to those who don't mind a little pain with their pleasure.
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Summary: Verghese's a great writer-this effort is very disappointing.
Review: A lot of people, if one reads the previous reviews, see this as a novel of male friendship and bonding. I do not see it that way at all. Rather, I see it as a novel about men who are congenital loners trying to break out and find a meaningful relationship--unfortunately without success. That failure seriously undermines the premise of the novel.Dr. Verghese, the author and narrator (although cited as fiction the book obviously is heavily autobiographical) and a fourth-year medical student named David Smith, encounter one another while working at the local teaching hospital in El Paso, Texas. Both are in the midst of breakups in their marital/significant other relationships and desperate for some sort of trusting, stable emotional bond. When they discover a mutual love of tennis-David has had limited semi-pro experience, Verghese has been enamored with the game all his life as an escape mechanism from his childhood loneliness-the basis is found for the beginning of the development of a relationship. Both bring substantial emotional baggage to the relationship. It develops that David is a "recovered" drug addict. Verghese, stigmatized by his minority status and unable to relate to anyone except through very limiting roles (patient, neighbor, boss) is divorcing and managing it very badly. That the relationship seems to work at all is due to the role reversal it requires-David, the student and receiver of medical knowledge becomes the teacher of tennis wisdom and Verghese the receiver of same. This is a deep, complex & ambitious book that fails. It fails because the central story, the relationship between David and Verghese never really exists-they never truly bond on an emotional level at any point. By the end we are supposed to be moved by the somehow deeply moving effect David has had on everyone in sight-Verghese, David's women, the other hospital folks, the local addict community and, presumably, the reader. Yet the man never really, at any point, truly touches anyone in the book at any sort of human level. There are worthwhile elements to the book. One does get a genuine feel for what teaching hospital life is like. Also, one gets a feel for what life in El Paso, Texas, a very unusual community I like a lot, it like. Verghese's love for tennis is genuine and his prose about the sport is almost poetic. There are little historical snippets-mini biographical pieces, really-about the lives and quirks of some of tennis' great players that are interesting and informative. And, finally, Verghese is a gifted writer with an engaging and riveting writing voice. In the end, I was really disappointed, though I was glad I read the book. But, the failure to deliver a convincing central story left this as much less of a book than it could have been.
Rating: 
Summary: More than a game
Review: This is a moving memoir about two men: Abraham, a doctor, and David, a doctor-to-be, who build a deep friendship by playing tennis together. However, tennis becomes much more than just a game- the author Abraham Verghese manages to beautifully tie the different pieces of the story together by using tennis as a metaphor for life. It doesn't matter that David's inability to overcome his addiction and get his life together comes as no surprise to the reader- it still leaves you crushed and deeply saddened. One thing I wish the author would have added more of was reflections on his own problems. It would have been interesting if he had woven in more of his thoughts and feelings about his imminent divorce, his relationship with his wife, children, and thoughts about his romantic future. However, I suppose this is really David's story, and the story of the friendship that developed between the two men and then ended so tragically.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliantly written
Review: Abraham Verghese's life was such an emotional roller coaster, fighting for the life of his patients and the immense challenges his best friend tried to overcome. This book was written with such emotion, pain, love, and above all,total committment. This book took me through such an unforgettable journey.
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Summary: Simply Breathtaking
Review: This is the story of ending relationships, and begining new ones. Verghese is embroiled in the breakup of his marriage, as he meets a student who turns out to be his tennis partner. This is a heartbreaking story in so many ways. The dissolvment of the marriage, creating a new life, and the pain friendships can sometime cause. His friend is a recoving drug addict that doesn't have the smoothest path to recovery. Verghese's writting style is once again beautiful. Painfully honest revealing things about himself that so few of us are willing to do. You feel that you are in a long coversation with him as you read this book. He sets up chapters in this book with scenes in tennis matches and various quotes. These introductions serve as a setup for his narration, preparing you for the story that is about to unfold. Yet it is peppered with wonderful passages of humor. Many feel this a wonderful book describing the friendship of two men. I think it fits a category much broader than that. All people have had friendships that have undergone the good times as well as the pain, maybe it is refreshing to hear a man speak to openly and honestly about his friendship with another man. I highly recommend this book. Endings, beginings, it is what life is all about. It is very refreshing to have someone be so open with their life. A definate must read!
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Summary: A Guy Book
Review: If there were an Oprah's Book Club for Men, this book would be the first selection. Why? Because Dr. Verghese explores the murky world of male-male platonic friendships much in the way "Oprah Books" look at the female-female relationship. It's a beautifully written, and extremely honest, treatment of how men relate to one another and how their friendships are born and nurtured. Unlike many of Oprah's selections, however, this one is not beach reading. Rather, it is a book to be savored, and a book which will make you think.
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Summary: Abraham Verghese does it again!
Review: I was moved by this book as much if not more than his first. While I was reading it felt as if I was there with Dr. Verghese. His writing is so expressive that you can actually visualize being in the hospital as well as the streets of his town. And he showed that men care for other men as deeply as women care for other women. Much respect for Dr. Verghese it saddened me to near the end of his book due to the fact that I knew it would soon be over. I look forward to the next book from Dr. Abraham Verghese.
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Summary: For the Love of Tennis
Review: For any student of the game of tennis who is madly in love with the game and its ability to completely take over your life, 'The Tennis Partner' will ring true in many ways. Verghese understands the passion behind the game and how it can draw two men together despite the difficulties in their relationship. Written with a lucid prose, the book sometimes feels a bit raw in its emotion, but you can hardly fault the author for baring his soul about his love for the game of tennis and his desire to share it with his friend, despite his friend's struggle with drug addiction. The book also treads fragile ground by venturing forth into intense relationships between heterosexual men. The book is risky in its integrity as well as its intensity in the author's descriptions of his emotions for his tennis partner. But, best of all, he desribes beautifully what many of us love so much - the game of tennis.
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Summary: A Powerful Story of Searching and Harsh Truths
Review: Having been personally trained by Dr. Verghese, I can say that his talent is truly remarkable. It is rather interesting how he describes all the events and scenes of El Paso so vividly and true, that when you are actually at the many locations in the book, one can recall and relay the exact details he describes in The Tennis Partner. He is very poetic, with an incredibly eloquent touch of deepness in his writing. With his worldly experiences as well as his vast knowledge of medicine, Dr. Verghese truly treats his patients with 'culture and sensitivity.' Some may say that I am biased for having known him, but if you could meet him and actually be trained by him, you would be able to see his incredible compassion for his patients, his students, medicine, writing, and the world itself. Very admirable.
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Summary: Tennis, Medicine and personal relationships
Review: This was an interesting emotional read about a man evolving emotionally through his relationships. Unfortunately, the first part of the book is very slow until the tennis partner, David, discloses his personal weakness. As a tennis player with no interest in medical study, I learned quite a lot. The payoff of the emotional ending is worth the read. This book is not entertaining but thought provoking and guaranteed to make you evaluate your personal relationships and interaction with loved ones. I recommend this book for those interested in evaluating their emotional capacity.
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