Doctor Robert
An intelligent but isolated young man proves reluctant to come of age in the satirical novel Doctor Robert.
Bobby Lopez’s wry novel Doctor Robert takes on the shortcomings of the mental health field.
Well-read, culturally knowledgeable Robbie—“an old soul trapped in a young body”—lost his mother when he was young and his father when he was a freshman in college. He finds that he cannot connect with most of his peers, whose interests he decides are neither compelling nor relatable. In fact, he does not find most people likable at all.
In time, Robbie’s friends Maddy and Lauro persuade him to go to therapy. However, Robbie also decides that he doesn’t trust the competence of his mysterious therapist, Doctor Robert. Instead of focusing on his own growth, he determines to investigate his psychiatrist.
Robbie’s superiority complex dominates his characterization. He is often pretentious, making reference to Plato’s cave metaphor and stating that he was the only one to escape the cave. He’s also hypocritical; he spends considerable time bemoaning how others judge those who are different but himself judges others for minor infractions, including for dressing in ways he considers vulgar, for painting their offices white, for having sex, and for consuming alcohol. Toward the end of the book, he has glimmers of self-awareness, though, suggesting growth.
When he speaks, Robbie’s vocabulary is vast and his voice is smooth. However, he is ill-distinguished from others in this way: All of the characters in the book have quite polished speech patterns. At times, their exchanges strain credulity; most sound unnatural, and many include instances of monologuing. Even Doctor Robert’s journals read as if they were written for an audience.
The book’s implied critiques of the fields of psychology and psychiatry, which are treated without distinction, fall quite flat. Medication for mental health is treated as ignorant across the board, and doctors who prescribe it are painted as power hungry, working to control their patients and access wealth; little humor arises in these nuance-free characterizations. Also off-putting are the stereotypes that arise throughout: A Black man is deemed lazy and violent, a woman is accused of throwing a tantrum for complaining about a lack of diversity, and a sexual abuse survivor becomes a sexual abuser.
In the end, Robbie’s misgivings lead him to take a drastic action. Regardless of the result, his motivations seem irrational rather than compelling. Still, surprises arise at the book’s conclusion, leading Robbie in unexplored, intriguing directions.
In the satirical novel Doctor Robert, a young man faces his personal demons with the questionable help of a therapist.
Reviewed by
Carolina Ciucci
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