Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know: Dr. Gregory House as Byronic Hero {Guest #Author}

Hi everyone, and thanks for inviting me to write about my book, Chasing Zebras: The Unofficial Guide to House, M.D. What is it about a fictional character and a television series that has so captivated me that it takes an entire book to talk about it?

When I first began watching House in 2005, there was something about the character of Dr. Gregory House that reached out and grabbed me. He reminded me of one of those great wounded Byronic heroes of Victorian literature. Edward Rochester, perhaps, from Jane Eyre—or even Heathcliff. There is something about the character, that, despite his abrupt manner and caustic sense of humor, suggests a deeper nobility.

Like Rick in Casablanca, House seems completely self-interested, turned cynical and even mean after an apparent betrayal by someone whom he loved. But, as with Rick, or Rochester, or even Batman, all you have to do is scratch beneath that cynic’s veneer do find something entirely different and classically romantic.

That’s what drew me to House in the first place: that sense of something deeper within House than his anger, bitterness and sarcasm. House is a hero: he saves lives—lives no one else can save (as his Dean of Medicine and love interest Lisa Cuddy would say). He’ll lay his career and well being on the line to save the life of someone he doesn’t know—and shouldn’t care about. In fact, House would  laugh at the notion that he cares at all. But we know he does.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Barbara Barnett is Co-Executive Editor of Blogcritics, an Internet magazine of pop culture, politics and more owned by Technorati Media. Always a pop-culture geek, Barbara was raised on a steady diet of TV (and TV dinners), but she always found her way to TV’s antiheroes and misunderstood champions, whether on TV, in the movies or in literature.

Barnett’s regular column, “Welcome to the End of the Thought Process: An Introspective Look at House, M.D.” features insightful episode commentaries and interviews with the House cast and creative team. It is the place for intelligent discussion of the hit television series starring Hugh Laurie.

Barbara has had an eclectic career. With an undergraduate degree in biology and minors in chemistry and English, she pursued a PhD in Public Policy Analysis after spending a few years working in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Her first professional writing gig was with a food industry trade magazine, and although it wasn’t exactly like writing for The New Yorker, it completely hooked her on the profession of writing.

She also writes lots of other things, including technology (from a non-geek perspective), the movies, politics and all things Jewish. Based in the north shore suburbs of Chicago, Barnett is married with two brilliant children and a dog. Chasing Zebras: The Unofficial
Guide to House, M.D. is her first (commercial) book. She hopes it’s not her last.

Visit Barbara’s website at www.barbarabarnett.com.

“I look for zebras because other doctors have ruled out all the horses.” — Dr. Gregory House Medical students are taught that when they hear hoofbeats, they should think horses, not zebras, but Dr. House’s unique talent of diagnosing unusual illnesses has made House, M.D. one of the most popular and fascinating series on television. In Chasing Zebras: The Unofficial Guide to House, M.D., Barbara Barnett, widely considered a leading House expert, takes fans deep into the heart of the show’s central character and his world, examining the way this medical Sherlock Holmes’s colleagues and patients reflect him and each other; how the music, settings, and even the humor enhance our understanding of the series’ narrative; what the show says about modern medicine, ethics, and religion; and much more. Complete with an episode-by-episode guide and numerous interviews with cast members, producers, and writers, Chasing Zebras is an intelligent look at one of television’s most popular shows.