Making God Laugh: A Memoir of Psychiatry, Dublin, and the Electric Chair

5 Star Review

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Editorial Book Review:

By Natasha Johan

Some memoirs explain a life. This one examines it, questions it, and occasionally laughs at it. Making God Laugh stands out because it moves effortlessly between the deeply human and the professionally complex, showing how a career spent listening to others can quietly reshape the self. From the very beginning, it's clear that this isn't a neat success story. It's an honest look at chance, responsibility, and the strange paths that shape a life in psychiatry.

It feels personal and surprising to read this book. One minute you're laughing at how silly medical training is, and the next you're sitting there with the weight of pain, confinement, and moral doubt. The range of emotions is wide, but it never feels forced. The author pulls you in by letting wit and vulnerability coexist and by being honest about how often they are confused as well as how often they are right. It makes you think about how much of your life is planned and how much is left up to chance.

The memoir explores themes of control, empathy, power, and humility. It wrestles with the limits of medicine, the myths of expertise, and the quiet resilience of people living at the edges of society. These thoughts go beyond psychiatry. Anyone who has worked in systems, taken care of others, or thought about what authority means will find something they know here.

R. C. Goodwin writes with clarity and warmth, blending storytelling with reflection in a way that feels natural rather than constructed. His scenes are bright without being over-the-top, and his humor often comes at unexpected times, making things that could be heavy feel lighter. The structure allows memory to unfold organically, trusting the reader to follow the thread rather than spelling everything out.

Sometimes, the book doesn't make it easy to draw conclusions, which could be hard for readers who want clear answers or moral certainty. But that refusal feels like it was planned and is honest. Making God Laugh stays with you because it understands that things are complicated. It reminds us that getting to know other people is a lifelong process, and that even the smartest people are still beautifully and frustratingly human. This memoir is worth reading because it is honest, compassionate, and brave.

About the Author 

R. C. Goodwin

R.C. Goodwin was born in New York City and grew up in Springfield, Illinois. He attended Culver Military Academy, in Indiana, and graduated from Yale with a degree in history.

After receiving a medical degree from The Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland, he completed an internship in New Haven and a psychiatric residency in Hartford. His published writings include seven short stories, mainly with a medical/psychiatric slant.

Three have won literary competitions: the Dana Prize for Short Fiction (“The Stephen Hawking Death Row Fan Club”), the Whiskey Island Short Story Competition (“Hello. My Name is Peter.”), and The Writer Short Story Contest (“Letters from the Hospice,” printed online)