Sketchbook

One more question, would it be better to hold off until I can find the book and read it, or is it okay to just start off watching the show?

Honestly I don't think starting with the show will take away from reading the book afterwards.

Some things are different than in the book, of course. There are two doctor characters in the book both adaptations merge into one protagonist, and the second season of the TV show takes from other Bulgakov's writings more than the Young Doctor's Notebook/Morphine, but the framing of it remains, if that makes sense.

Hi hello! First of all, I'm so happy you like the Bulgakov/Morphine AU and I'm even more happy you want to read the book!! For recommendations you ask, my time has come *cracks fingers*

First, the book itself!

I've read the book physically and not in English, so I unfortunately cannot point you to an exact digital copy, but I'd definitely check for it in the library first! And yes, you're either going to be looking for A Young Doctor's Notebook or Morphine - depends on which name the publisher decided to go with, but either way the book will include several short stories (The Young Doctor's Notebook part) and Morphine (the longest story placed at the end). It's also possible to find it as a part of a bigger short stories collection by Bulgakov (like the 800 pages long behemoth I encountered in the local library), if you happen to stumble upon one in the wild :)

Now... the ~adaptations~

There are two adaptations of the book I know of and they differ significantly in tone and mood.

Morphine (2008) - a Russian film, available in full with English subtitles on YouTube. This is a heavier one, but worth a watch despite being 1 hour and 45 minutes of pure depression. The actor of the doctor did an incredible job.

A Young Doctor's Notebook (2012) - very short TV series, 2 seasons, 4 episodes per season, 25 minutes per episode. It's a dark comedy and it fits the mood of the book perfectly in my opinion. It's just enough comedy before it hits you with the pain and depression, only to become silly again. If you were picking between the two, I'd recommend this one.

Mind that both adaptations include plentiful blood, bones and innards, but that just comes with the job, haha.

Medice, cura te ipsum - the beginning

Pathologic 3 is out and I'm once again majorly Unwell™ about the Bulgakov AU that has been rattling in my head since 2021. Based mostly on the Young Doctor's Notebook, Morphine, Notes on a Cuff (finally found the name of the book in English, hooray!), where due to an injury during his stay in the Town, Daniil develops a morphine addiction and leads conversations with Death, which follows him back to the Capital. Set after Artemy's good endings (mostly Patho 2 Diurnal), he has to start his life anew.

All of these are either straight up old drawings or polished sketches I've accumulated over the years this story has been haunting me. Including some new characters from the Capital since we've never got to see any of them before. Ivan and Tatiana - a doctor and a pharmacist and Daniil's former university classmates (and possibly future members of re-established Thanatica)

I'm not planning to change much with the new game lore, but will see how unwell the game itself will make me hahaha (I'm not very far in and straight up avoiding tags, I need to be completely blind for this experience or I'll explode)

Incubation Party Ad Stella 121!

She beat El4n in the dorm room decorating contest :'D

Did I just print these two comics into home-made zines? Perhaps.

re-editing the Gundam fight comic for printable format was a nightmare, it ended up 20 pages (!!!) long (this is what I get for drawing every page different size)

flip by short edge (I ended up with a print where half the pages were upside down, whoops)

I heavily underestimated just how much of the page gets cropped while binding

color print expensive, color pencils we already have at home free :'D

Same model, different personality - one more prone to deserting than the other.