Rating: 
Summary: Coma
Review:
This book, the original novel that propelled the author to the top of the medical thriller genre a quarter-century ago, is a gem. I buy and read Cook's novels anytime I finish my pre-planned books on a trip, and was truly delighted to have a chance to pick up the anniversary edition, which I had not read previously.
Among the aspects of Cook's "formula" that I especially appreciate are 1) his provision of non-fiction background references that frame the novel in the real world; 2) his orchestration of vignettes so that one obtains real insights into the backroom operations and otherwise invisible nuances of hospitals and medicine; 3) his engaging characters; and, most importantly, 4) his dramatization of major threats that are not well-articulated to the public by any other means.
Rating:
Summary: The Original Medical Thriller, Still Going Strong
Review:
This book, the original novel that propelled the author to the top of the medical thriller genre a quarter-century ago, is a gem. I buy and read Cook's novels anytime I finish my pre-planned books on a trip, and was truly delighted to have a chance to pick up the anniversary edition, which I had not read previously.
Among the aspects of Cook's "formula" that I especially appreciate are 1) his provision of non-fiction background references that frame the novel in the real world; 2) his orchestration of vignettes so that one obtains real insights into the backroom operations and otherwise invisible nuances of hospitals and medicine; 3) his engaging characters; and, most importantly, 4) his dramatization of major threats that are not well-articulated to the public by any other means.
Rating:
Summary: Wow....I'm hooked!
Review: A really good book that will keep you up late at night. Once you pick it up, I guarantee that it won't go down until the last page is turned!
Rating: 
Summary: Med student from hell
Review: All I can say is that Susan Wheeler is lucky there was a gigantic conspiracy taking place. The way she ditched her surgical rotation tasks within a day of starting because of some whim based on a couple of patients made me sympathise with the doctors who wanted to kick her out. As for the conspiracists, maybe not freaking out and abusing a person with no credibility (ie a third year med student) and who have made such little progress in uncovering your little game might have prevented her realising she was on to something. When will evil geniuses ever learn?
Rating:
Summary: Yet another Cook masterpiece...
Review: Although one of Cook's older novels, I still enjoy re-reading this book. Superb character and plot development make this book a winner!
Rating: 
Summary: fast paced medico thriller
Review: Apart from giving some nice insight into medical processes in the hospital to novices, this book is a wonderful fast paced and gripping medical thriller which keeps you guessing till almost the end. My first Robin Cook book, it starts off really well but towards the end I thought it weakened a little bit with everything working almost too much like clockwork for the protagonist - Susan Wheeler. A great read none-the-less giving some wonderful information about the ways of the medical world.
Rating:
Summary: The Relationship Between Coma and Black Market Organs
Review: Author Robin Cook, M.D, published the spine-chilling shocker, written in only two weeks, Coma, in 1978. Cook, not always a novelist, graduated from Columbia University in 1966 and began his work at Harvard University a few years later as a medical doctor. Cook began his writing to get people's awareness dealing with current medical issues that would enlighten the public. Cook's technique involves using his knowledge of medicine and surgery to give clear and accurate descriptions throughout the medical mystery.
Coma takes place in Boston Memorial in the late 1960's. Third year medical student, Susan Wheeler, begins what she thought would be a normal hospital rotation until numerous patients who underwent normal, routine surgery but never awoke and slipped into a irreversible coma. Over a brief period, several events take place. From an unsightly eye, as well as ear-full in the hospital morgue, to endless pursuits lead by an estranged hired hit man, to an illegal institute that had other plans in mind for the comatose patients, other than care. The non-stop entities make for an excellent sci-fi novel. Susan Wheeler is on a personal mission to find an explanation as to why over twelve patients have slipped into irreparable comas after standard surgery in the abominable OR #8.
Cook organized Coma as a diary anecdote. Each new 'chapter' is headed by the date and time to give a precise account of the events that did and will take place. Cook's style of writing stays constant throughout the novel, he is very persuasive yet logical in his writing. Each major event that occurs is not so obvious as to what the outcome will be, yet once uncovered, it makes perfect sense. Coma's text is based on actual medical terminology and diagnosis, yet can be difficult for someone who has little medical knowledge to fully comprehend. Cook's multiple medical word usage was an important factor throughout the novel to understand the over gist of the plot. The various persuasive techniques used by Cook all through the book were most rewarding at the end of the thriller as the mind boggling mystery behind manually induced comatose in OR #8 is finally reveled.
Rating:
Summary: COMA IS AN EXCELLENT BOOK!!!!!!
Review: Coma is a great book about the medical field. The author is Robin Cook, who coincidentally is a doctor, who writes chilling stories about his practice.The title COMA has a lot to do with the main subject of the book. The book is about a college student named, Susan Wheeler and how she investagates how the many patients are slipping into comas unexpectally. She goes through many obstacles to try to the find the answers. None of the doctors or employees at the hospital want to help her. She then fiqures out the problem and that's when many people want bad things done to her. Robin Cook's style of writing is kind of technical with the medical terms. It is easy to use clues, to fiqure out the meaning of terms. His method of organization is cause/effect, because for every reaction their is either a positive or negative reaction. The author neglected to finish the end of the book and tell the audience about what happened th Wheeler.This book is for mature teenagers, because some of the language and the thoughts of many characters are obsene. The author keeps your attention by making you keep reading the book until the end. At the end of the book the author reveal many of the questions that you wanted answered throughout the book. Coma starts off calm, then toward the end of the book you can't put it down!!
Rating:
Summary: very good
Review: Coma is very good and has a very plot but it is very confusing at sometimes. It is not reall scary like it was supposed to be thew.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but dated, could have been a 4 or 5 star, but...
Review: Coma was a good weekend read. The suspense built gradually from the very beginning and by the last few chapters was moving rapidly. As in any good suspense story, the author provides at least four conceivably potential perpetrators, yet the reader has no idea who the real culprit is until the very end, the same literary device found in nearly all suspense novels and Robin Cook pulls it off wonderfully well. Cook's descriptions of hospital politics and hierarchal honchos abound and are as accurate today as they were twenty-five years ago, nothing has changed in this regard. However, issues of women breaking into medicine and women working along side male colleagues were beaten into the ground. Even by 1976 standards, the year the story took place, these concerns were overly explained and sermonized gratuitously. Once the point was made, it would have been sufficient to simply allude to it a few times, but the continual carping on equality in the workplace became a distraction to this otherwise very good suspense novel. This is my first Robin Cook novel. I will definitely read more of his works. If I could have found a condensed version (generally I distain abridged editions), I would have enjoyed the book enough to give it four or five stars.
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