Bringing Out the Dead

I believe I read this book just before seeing the movie starring Nicholas Cage and John Goodman. At the time, I was studying to become a paramedic, so the topic interested me. I loved this book, and read it in one sitting. I know paramedics are constantly asked, "What's the worst thing you've ever seen?" and my favorite line in the book is Frank's response to that question, "Lima beans on a pizza."I think that just about sums it up. Not everyone will love this book, but I sure enjoyed it.Two defibrillators up!

Every once in a while, a book comes along that will live in your head forever. This is one of them.Joe Connelly, like a deranged circus ringmaster, trots out one insanity after another and makes them dance. There's Noel, the suicidal/obsessive-compulsive who is delighted at the prospect of being killed in the hospital. There's the unidentified woman who calls 911 for her husband's cardiac arrest, when in reality, the man just needed an extended amount of time on the john. And there's Mr. Oh, one of Our Lady of Mercy's "regulars", who's simply drunk and hungry more often then not.But make no mistake, the medics are insane too. That's the point, EVERYONE is insane. There's Tom, who would just as soon beat someone up as take them to the hospital. There's Marcus, the born-again Christian who will only do three jobs a night. There's Larry, who's grossly overweight and takes pictures of particularly gruesome scenes for his "DOA scrapbook." And there's Our Hero, Frank Pierce, who may or may not be hallucinating, sometimes comes to work drunk, and gets into arguments with his boss because his boss won't fire him.Frank is a man who has given up everything for his job because he genuinely loves it. More than once he calls saving lives the greatest thing he will ever do, and we believe him. It is only recently, when the job stops giving him what he needs and he finds that he has little more to give back, that the rush has started to fade. And fade it does, right out of existence.Frank talks about his job much as frequent targets of domestic abuse talk about their spouses; lovingly, but with more than a touch of fear, anger, and weariness. In fact, at it's core, "Bringing Out the Dead" is more about weariness than anything else. What happens when people completely forget themselves to help others, and how long, in reality, that can last.In the end, we realize that there is a vast difference between happiness and simple peace, and we hope that, despite the scars, Frank can find his own version of peace.

Knowing the author, and myself a nine year N.Y.C. medic understand that neither himself nor any real N.Y.C. medic would ever 'tune-up a patient', but the subconscious mind takes over on an overnight shift and at times you have done it all in your mind - including visualizing your fist to the face of the patient who is on slow autopilot suicide. You know their endgame, loathe them for using your ambulance to play it out in and, in the not so deep recess, want to aid them in that endgame. Joe puts it all together save the love that we all hope Frank is redeemed with. Read it, see Marty's movie and remember us when we force you through a red light into oncoming traffic and you initially want to strangle us. Know we may have someone you love in the back. Despite what Rudy thinks, N.Y.C will still get ya if you don't watch your back. If so, we'll be there.

Bringing Out The Dead has catapulted Joe Connelly into elite company with the likes of Larry Brown(Dirty Work, Joe, On Fire, Facing The Music, Big Bad Love & Father and Son). Given that I consider Brown the best thing going, that's saying an awful lot. Connelly's debut effortlessly and masterfully blends stark realism with dreamlike surrealism. The effect is stunning. They say you should write about what you know...Connelly was a paramedic in The Big Apple for nine years. He has written about a profession that few of us know much about without getting too technical. He gives us the humor and horror in layman's terms. BOTD is a novel about an heroic profession, and yet there are no tangible heros here. The inner demons of the main character(Frank) surface to open up an ethical and philosophical can of worms. This is a dark and ugly story that has been written with absolute beauty. Pure poetry spills from the veins of some of the most horrendous situations you will ever encounter. I can't compare it to the movie because I always read the books first. The descriptions are so captivating and vivid that I don't really see the point in watching the movie...I've already seen one, raw and uncut. Joe Connelly's second book will be in my home the day it hits the stores. If you're looking for heros, then go buy a comic book. If you're looking for a gritty, realistic portrayal of hell on earth to allow you a temporary escape from your own woes, then you're on the right track. This is an excellent debut that most authors couldn't rival after a lifetime of writing.

Yes it's a heavy, dark book, but a man who has lived the experience wrote it. Even though it's hard to tell where the truth stops and fiction begins, this tale provides a learning experience. Constant ministering to the dying takes its toll. Could I have saved that last one, or do I want to save this one? The rewards seem slim after a few years of driving a rescue squad ambulance. And..surprise (or maybe its not a surprise) bureaucracy rears its ugly head even in this life and death operation.This is one of the most unusual book that I have ever read It's a fascinating view of a life that I knew nothing about, even though I spent 25 years of my life as an executive in both general and psychiatric hospitals. I heartily recommend the book, but only if you are not afraid to view a dark side of the world.