The Citadel (novel)

The Citadel is a novel by A. J. Cronin, first published in 1937 and turned into a 1938 film.

Synopsis

The book tells the story of a young idealistic Scottish doctor, Andrew Manson, whose first job is in an industrial South Wales valley town. Shocked by the conditions, he works to improve matters, and meets and marries Christine, a school teacher. They later move to London, where he works for a government department, but abandons it for private practice.

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Manson becomes seduced by the thought of easy money from wealthy clients, rather than the good works that he originally set out to do. He becomes involved with pampered private patients and fashionable surgeons, until a patient dies through a surgeon's incompetence. He accuses the surgeon of murder, and as revenge, he is reported to the Medical Council for having worked with a nature cure practitioner, even though the patient he had worked with had been cured.

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He wife dies in a road accident, but he manages to justify his actions satisfactorily to the hearing.

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He joins two friends to move to a quiet country town to open a new practice.

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For the story, Cronin drew on his own experiences as a doctor in the industrial valleys of South Wales.

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The film starred Robert Donat, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Richardson, Rex Harrison and Emlyn Williams. It was written by Ian Dalrymple, Frank Wead, Elizabeth Hill and Emlyn Williams. It was directed by King Vidor, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Related Topics:
Robert Donat - Rosalind Russell - Ralph Richardson - Rex Harrison - Emlyn Williams - Ian Dalrymple - Frank Wead - Elizabeth Hill - King Vidor - Academy Award for Best Picture

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The book was adapted for BBC television in 1983, starring Ben Cross as Andrew Manson, Clare Higgins as Christine Barlow, Tenniel Evans as Dr Page and Gareth Thomas as Dr Denny. Produced by Ken Riddington, it was dramatised by Don Shaw.

Related Topics:
BBC - Ben Cross - Clare Higgins - Tenniel Evans - Gareth Thomas

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