A loving and intelligent grace note to a much-loved member of the family.
A loving tribute to an extraordinary dog that was born in rural upstate New York and died in a small English village after surviving moves, travels, and a perilous separation.
All loved pets are heroes to their human companions, who not only appreciate their virtues and their love but also rejoice in their essential being, and Martin (A Life of James Boswell, 2000) is no exception. The narrative begins in 1965 when the author was working on his dissertation and living with wife Cindy on a lake in New York State. Newly married, and living in a “dog’s paradise,” they decided to get a beagle, mainly because beagles are intelligent, middle-sized, and don’t shed. They acquired a puppy they called Perth whose owner, before selling it to them, insisted on tattooing Martin’s initials on its ear, an act that would have important consequences. Perth was a perfect dog for them: easily trained, independent-minded, and manifestly intelligent—Martin made a particular point of teaching her not to cross the road, a lesson that came in handy when they moved to suburban Ohio and then Florida. Perth adapted well enough to these changes, but one move proved too much. Needing to spend a summer in England doing research, Martin had to find a temporary home for Perth, who was not always tractable (she bit people who annoyed her). He settled on a camp in Vermont, where Perth misbehaved, and, sent to a farm where she was badly treated, she ran away. Martin cut short his visit and searched Vermont. Finally, after offering a reward, Perth, identified by her tattoo, was found. When the family decided to live permanently in England, Perth endured a grueling six-month quarantine, but, once free, took to the English countryside as joyfully as she had in New York. She died, at age 21, “larger than life . . . not your typical adorable dog,” but still very much missed.
A loving and intelligent grace note to a much-loved member of the family.Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2001
ISBN: 1-55970-597-3
Page Count: 216
Publisher: Arcade
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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