Agatha

by Anne Cathrine Bomann

This book is written by a Danish author.  It is about a 70 year old psychiatrist who is counting the days/patient visits until he can retire.  He is totally not interested in his work anymore and doodles in his notebook while his patients drone on.  He just lets them talk and makes no effort to direct or assist them.

He has a receptionist who runs his office very efficiently.  He is very formal with his interactions with her.  Then one day a new patient, supposedly with violent tendencies and insists she wants to become a patient.  He doesn't agree as he is shortly to retire.  She keeps coming back and one day his receptionist slips her in for an appointment.  The psychiatrist is not happy with this but agrees to see the woman.

As the new patient comes for her appointments she seems to challenge and intrigue the doctor.  He becomes very curious about her.  She seems very disillusioned/bored with her life.

One day the doctor's receptionist tells him she has to take time off as her husband is terminally ill.  The doctor feels inconvenienced by this.  The receptionist asks him to come and speak to her husband to perhaps provide his some relief.  He is reluctant to do this but eventually does go to meet the man.  He is very unsure of himself, his job is to deal with people about living not dying.

As time goes on the doctor had been counting down the days/patient visits until he can retire.  The office is getting stale smelling as the receptionist has not been coming to work nor is the office being cleaned.

Then one day the doctor is no longer counting the days til he retires.  He is starting to interact more with his patients during their visits The receptionist's husband has died.  She returns to work and realizes that he has changed his mind about retiring.

This was a short book but it was interesting how the new patient was able to re-energize the doctor.  We need some positive stories in these dreary times.