Heroic Measures by Jill Ciment - Revision history

Sue at 13:42, 26 September 2020

2020-09-26T13:42:51Z

Sue at 11:31, 6 September 2020

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2020-09-06T11:30:22Z

Sue at 20:09, 11 August 2020

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Sue at 10:09, 17 March 2018

2018-03-17T10:09:39Z

Sue at 16:10, 10 September 2015

2015-09-10T16:10:01Z

Sue: Created page with "{{infobox |title=Heroic Measures |author=Jill Ciment |reviewer=Sue Magee |genre=General Fiction |summary=A gorgeous book which fly past all too quickly. Read it and love it...."

2015-09-10T16:08:32Z

Created page with "{{infobox |title=Heroic Measures |author=Jill Ciment |reviewer=Sue Magee |genre=General Fiction |summary=A gorgeous book which fly past all too quickly. Read it and love it...."

New review

{{infobox
|title=Heroic Measures
|author=Jill Ciment
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=A gorgeous book which fly past all too quickly. Read it and love it. Honestly.
|rating=4.5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=208
|publisher=Pushkin Press
|date=September 2015
|isbn=978-1782271949
|website=http://www.jillciment.com/
|video=
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782271945</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>1782271945</amazonus>
}}

Ruth and Alex Cohen have to move from their beloved New York apartment. They love it, but it's five floors up and there's no elevator. Reluctantly they're having an open day for prospective purchasers - and hoping that they'll be able to buy something not ''too'' far out which has that elusive elevator. It's not just them, either. There's Dorothy. Dorothy ('Dottie' to those who know her well) is their Daschund. She's getting on in years, but then so are Ruth and Alex. Then - the day before the open house - two things happen. An unmarked petrol truck is blocking the city's main tunnel and there's no sign of the driver. You don't even need to have ''long'' memories to worry about terrorists in Manhattan. Then Dottie yelps in pain and she can't stand up.

I loved this book. Well, I did when I wasn't crying. Let me explain. You see it's only a matter of months since we lost our beloved dog and Jill's Ciment's telling of Dottie's story in her own words captures so perfectly what Dottie is going through and how she views what's happening to her. I always worry when I hear that part of a book is going to be narrated by an animal - it's usually so ''twee'', but there's none of that here: Dottie is a very clear, very rational voice - and I wept with her.

I empathised with Ruth and Alex too: aging is never kind, but Ciment doesn't make them into doddery old foggies. They might have their ''ailments'', need a hearing aid, or not be able to see much without their spectacles, but they've got all their chairs at home. When there's a terrorist scare it's a good time to go apartment hunting in New York as prices tend to drop, but then you don't get so much for your apartment. On the other hand, if there's a terrorist scare in another city, prices aren't affected to the same extent. If you've sold your apartment (or think you have) and there's a scare in New York, is it wrong to hope that it really is a terrorist you're hearing about in another city so you'll have to pay less? Tough decisions.

The story's well observed. I loved the idea of the medicine cabinet with three shelves: one for Ruth, one for Alex and one for Dottie, who had as many medications as Ruth or Alex. Then there was Alex's disinclination to waste a Viagra tablet. No, I'm sorry - you'll have to read the book for yourself. It's a book that I whizzed through (when I wasn't crying) and I came to the end far too quickly. I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

If you would like more about New York we can recommend [[Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York by Gail Parent]]. For more about dogs, have a look at our [[Top Ten Books For Dog Lovers]].

{{amazontextAud|amazon=B003U7I8K4}}
{{amazontext|amazon=1782271945}}
{{amazonUStext|amazon=1782271945}}

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@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 We've also enjoyed [[Act of God by Jill Ciment]].
-If you would like more about New York we can recommend [[Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York by Gail Parent]].  For more about dogs, have a look at  [[Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley]] and our [[Top Ten Books For Dog Lovers]].
+If you would like more about New York we can recommend [[Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York by Gail Parent]].  For more about dogs, have a look at  [[Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley]] and our [[Top Ten Books For Dog Lovers]].  You might also enjoy [[The Man With The Overcoat by David Finkle]].
 {{amazontext|amazon=1782271945}}

@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 We've also enjoyed [[Act of God by Jill Ciment]].
-If you would like more about New York we can recommend [[Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York by Gail Parent]].  For more about dogs, have a look at  [[Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley} and our [[Top Ten Books For Dog Lovers]].
+If you would like more about New York we can recommend [[Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York by Gail Parent]].  For more about dogs, have a look at  [[Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley]] and our [[Top Ten Books For Dog Lovers]].
 {{amazontext|amazon=1782271945}}

@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 We've also enjoyed [[Act of God by Jill Ciment]].
-If you would like more about New York we can recommend [[Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York by Gail Parent]].  For more about dogs, have a look at our [[Top Ten Books For Dog Lovers]].
+If you would like more about New York we can recommend [[Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York by Gail Parent]].  For more about dogs, have a look at  [[Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley} and our [[Top Ten Books For Dog Lovers]].
 {{amazontext|amazon=1782271945}}

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 If you would like more about New York we can recommend [[Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York by Gail Parent]].  For more about dogs, have a look at our [[Top Ten Books For Dog Lovers]].
 {{amazontextAud|amazon=B003U7I8K4}}
-{{amazontext|amazon=1782271945}}
 {{amazonUStext|amazon=1782271945}}
 {{commenthead}}

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 }}
-Ruth and Alex Cohen have to move from their beloved New York apartment.  They love it, but it's five floors up and there's no elevator.  Reluctantly they're having an open day for prospective purchasers - and hoping that they'll be able to buy something not ''too'' far out which has that elusive elevator.  It's not just them, either.  There's Dorothy.  Dorothy ('Dottie' to those who know her well) is their Daschund.  She's getting on in years, but then so are Ruth and Alex.  Then - the day before the open house - two things happen.  An unmarked petrol truck  is blocking the city's main tunnel and there's no sign of the driver.  You don't even need to have ''long'' memories to worry about terrorists in Manhattan.  Then Dottie yelps in pain and she can't stand up.
+Ruth and Alex Cohen have to move from their beloved New York apartment.  They love it, but it's five floors up and there's no elevator.  Reluctantly they're having an open day for prospective purchasers - and hoping that they'll be able to buy something not ''too'' far out which has that elusive elevator.  It's not just them, either.  There's Dorothy.  Dorothy ('Dottie' to those who know her well) is their Daschund.  She's getting on in years, but then so are Ruth and Alex.  Then - the day before the open house - two things happen.  An unmarked petrol truck is blocking the city's main tunnel and there's no sign of the driver.  You don't even need to have ''long'' memories to worry about terrorists in Manhattan.  Then Dottie yelps in pain and she can't stand up.
 I loved this book.  Well, I did when I wasn't crying.  Let me explain.  You see it's only a matter of months since we lost our beloved dog and Jill's Ciment's telling of Dottie's story in her own words captures so perfectly what Dottie is going through and how she views what's happening to her.  I always worry when I hear that part of a book is going to be narrated by an animal - it's usually so ''twee'', but there's none of that here: Dottie is a very clear, very rational voice - and I wept with her.
-I empathised with Ruth and Alex too: aging is never kind, but Ciment doesn't make them into doddery old foggies.  They might have their ''ailments'', need a hearing aid, or not be able to see much without their spectacles, but they've got all their chairs at home.  When there's a terrorist scare it's a good time to go apartment hunting in New York as prices tend to drop, but then you don't get so much for your apartment.  On the other hand, if there's a terrorist scare in another city, prices aren't affected to the same extent.  If you've sold your apartment (or think you have) and there's a scare in New York, is it wrong to hope that it really is a terrorist you're hearing about in another city so you'll have to pay less?  Tough decisions.
+I empathised with Ruth and Alex too: ageing is never kind, but Ciment doesn't make them into doddery old fogies.  They might have their ''ailments'', need a hearing aid, or not be able to see much without their spectacles, but they've got all their chairs at home.  When there's a terrorist scare it's a good time to go apartment hunting in New York as prices tend to drop, but then you don't get so much for your apartment.  On the other hand, if there's a terrorist scare in another city, prices aren't affected to the same extent.  If you've sold your apartment (or think you have) and there's a scare in New York, is it wrong to hope that it really is a terrorist you're hearing about in another city so you'll have to pay less?  Tough decisions.
 The story's well observed.  I loved the idea of the medicine cabinet with three shelves: one for Ruth, one for Alex and one for Dottie, who had as many medications as Ruth or Alex.  Then there was Alex's disinclination to waste a Viagra tablet.  No, I'm sorry - you'll have to read the book for yourself.  It's a book that I whizzed through (when I wasn't crying) and I came to the end far too quickly.  I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
 If you would like more about New York we can recommend [[Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York by Gail Parent]].  For more about dogs, have a look at our [[Top Ten Books For Dog Lovers]].

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{infobox
+{{infobox1
 |title=Heroic Measures
 |author=Jill Ciment
@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 |isbn=978-1782271949
 |website=http://www.jillciment.com/
-|video=
+|cover=1782271945
-|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782271945</amazonuk>
+|aznuk=1782271945
-|amazonus=<amazonus>1782271945</amazonus>
+|aznus=1782271945
 }}

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 |reviewer=Sue Magee
 |genre=General Fiction
-|summary=A gorgeous book which fly past all too quickly.  Read it and love it.  Honestly.
+|summary=A gorgeous book which flies past all too quickly.  Read it and love it.  Honestly.
 |rating=4.5
 |buy=Yes