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Time on Fire: My Comedy of Terrors
From the moment a doctor who looks like Richard Nixon informs him he has leukemia, Evan Handler sweeps us into the experience of his illness--and recovery--spinning a delicate balance of humor and wisdom, anger and hope, that redefines the literature on facing adversity. Evan Handler has played leading roles in seven broadway productions. This book is based on his hit off-Broadway play, which THE NEW YORK TIMES called "laceratingly funny and self-revealing.".
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1996
7 people are currently reading
173 people want to read
About the author
Evan Handler
6 books18 followersIT'S ONLY TEMPORARY: THE GOOD NEWS AND THE BAD NEWS OF BEING ALIVE, by actor/author Evan Handler.
Evan Handler is an actor best known as Harry Goldenblatt from HBO’s Sex and the City and the author of the critically acclaimed memoir Time on Fire: My Comedy of Terrors. Handler currently co-stars in Showtime’s hit series Californication co-starring David Duchovny. His past acting credits include Lost, The West Wing, Ransom, and Taps. Handler also has written for Elle, Mirabella, O, the Oprah Magazine, USA Weekend, and The New Yorker.
Evan Handler is an actor best known as Harry Goldenblatt from HBO’s Sex and the City and the author of the critically acclaimed memoir Time on Fire: My Comedy of Terrors. Handler currently co-stars in Showtime’s hit series Californication co-starring David Duchovny. His past acting credits include Lost, The West Wing, Ransom, and Taps. Handler also has written for Elle, Mirabella, O, the Oprah Magazine, USA Weekend, and The New Yorker.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
June 1, 2016
I had to switch from the big heavy book I was reading (Strange/Morrell) after my shoulder surgery because I just couldn't lift the damn thing. I figured I would read Evan's first book to help put my ordeal into perspective - how could I complain about rotator cuff surgery while reading about Evan (aka Harry from Sex in the City and Runkle from Californication among other roles) as he struggles through his fight with Acute Leukemia. Evan and I grew up in the same town, went to the same school and then went in very different directions and enjoyed/suffered through very different lives. This made both his books very interesting for me. When he drops a name or a place from his youth I connect. When he talks about acting I am jealous. When he talks about his fight with his illness and the doctors, I cringe. Technically he's a decent writer - he tells a story as if you are sitting in a bar hearing him tell it. It's not chronological, it conversational. It's technically not a biography, it is a real life tale. It's funny, sad, cool, inspiring and real. And my shoulder hurt a little less every time I joined him in the hospital...
Update: In 2011 I lost a dear friend to cancer. Between 2011-14 my wife, author Janet Goodfriend (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...), fought long and hard, with me by her side, but eventually passed away 4/19/14. 5/24/14 I lost another friend to cancer. I know Evan knows how lucky he is to have survived his ordeal and everyone who is involved with a fight against cancer should know two things: There are happy endings and Nobody Fights Alone!
Update: In 2011 I lost a dear friend to cancer. Between 2011-14 my wife, author Janet Goodfriend (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...), fought long and hard, with me by her side, but eventually passed away 4/19/14. 5/24/14 I lost another friend to cancer. I know Evan knows how lucky he is to have survived his ordeal and everyone who is involved with a fight against cancer should know two things: There are happy endings and Nobody Fights Alone!
April 19, 2018
The author does a great job writing openly and honestly about the ordeals of treatment for a life threatening disease and living to tell about it. He covers everything from his relationships to his acting career to managing his own healthcare. You can hear the completely understandable anger and bitterness throughout as he describes his experience, but it's hard to tell if it's aimed at the brutality and unfairness of the disease itself or at the less than satisfactory care he received at his health care facility. Probably both. The two are so inextricably entwined that it makes me wonder what his story would have looked like had he been treated somewhere else. But he also expresses a will to fight and to live which may have helped him survive what many others haven't. Not an easy story to tell but he tells it well.
April 11, 2011
The simplest thing to say would be that this was a difficult read.
This is the true story of Evan Handler, actor from Sex and The City, Californication and other TV shows, movies and Broadway plays.
When he was 24, he was diagnosed with Leukemia, a cancer of the blood, and the outlook was iffy at best. After undergoing treatment that could kill him, he got a little better, only to have the disease recur. At this point he made the difficult decision to have a Bone Marrow Transplant, which basically was a 20% death sentence, with the other 40 / 40 being cure or second recurrence.
In this book he gives the most vivid details of what it is like physically, mentally, socially and most importantly I think psychologically to go through the diagnosis, treatment and curing of his disease.
He speaks about relationships, with family, friends, his girlfriend, doctors and other hospital staff as well as how it affected his mindset on who he was, was going to be, and more distinctly who he was NOT.
He has many tangents while discussing various topics, which was a little distracting, but overall he gives a remarkable account of what it is like to have to give up everything, self control, pride, etc. to let yourself be treated how one with cancer needs to be.
He went through all of this in the Mid 1980's, when medicine and technology were not nearly as advanced as the 2000's. He speaks of bad experiences at certain hospitals / institutions not to disparage them, but to speak of his experience, and [he says] to try and level the playing field by showing them their faults, i guess?
On a personal note while the similarities between him and I are eerie, I could not help but notice differences in our experience(s), attitude(s), and mindset(s), although I am not sure if this was a defense mechanism or some other function just trying to separate myself from his experience and not cheapen or downplay mine.
This is the true story of Evan Handler, actor from Sex and The City, Californication and other TV shows, movies and Broadway plays.
When he was 24, he was diagnosed with Leukemia, a cancer of the blood, and the outlook was iffy at best. After undergoing treatment that could kill him, he got a little better, only to have the disease recur. At this point he made the difficult decision to have a Bone Marrow Transplant, which basically was a 20% death sentence, with the other 40 / 40 being cure or second recurrence.
In this book he gives the most vivid details of what it is like physically, mentally, socially and most importantly I think psychologically to go through the diagnosis, treatment and curing of his disease.
He speaks about relationships, with family, friends, his girlfriend, doctors and other hospital staff as well as how it affected his mindset on who he was, was going to be, and more distinctly who he was NOT.
He has many tangents while discussing various topics, which was a little distracting, but overall he gives a remarkable account of what it is like to have to give up everything, self control, pride, etc. to let yourself be treated how one with cancer needs to be.
He went through all of this in the Mid 1980's, when medicine and technology were not nearly as advanced as the 2000's. He speaks of bad experiences at certain hospitals / institutions not to disparage them, but to speak of his experience, and [he says] to try and level the playing field by showing them their faults, i guess?
On a personal note while the similarities between him and I are eerie, I could not help but notice differences in our experience(s), attitude(s), and mindset(s), although I am not sure if this was a defense mechanism or some other function just trying to separate myself from his experience and not cheapen or downplay mine.
March 18, 2018
What I found most bold and unique about the book apart from the sometimes scathing (though justified) portrayal of some of his care-givers, was Handler’s honest admission that having survived leukemia, he expresses regret that he did not come away with a lasting sense of “wonder and appreciation” for the preciousness of life.
The ending to most survival memoirs, novels, short stories and films usually has the survivor expressing a new-found appreciation for life—stopping to smell the roses, living each day as if was the last, etc., but the fact this isn’t always (or perhaps even often) the case, is a profound and startling concept. It seems we are hard-wired to forget the lessons of our near-death experiences.
We are creatures, ultimately, of the moment, and when that moment is not to our liking, it explains why a trauma-survivor of any stripe—a war veteran, cancer survivor or sexual abuse victim is able to work up anger at what, in comparison to their presumed defining trauma, should be considered trivial—traffic congestion, a malfunctioning computer, a paper cut, etc.
Having survived a horror of any severe magnitude does not preclude one from the toils and frustrations of everyday life once the horror recedes.
Apparently, we need those negative emotions caused by the less significant traumas to survive as well.
A well-written, engaging account of a body and mind at war with itself and with the world.
The ending to most survival memoirs, novels, short stories and films usually has the survivor expressing a new-found appreciation for life—stopping to smell the roses, living each day as if was the last, etc., but the fact this isn’t always (or perhaps even often) the case, is a profound and startling concept. It seems we are hard-wired to forget the lessons of our near-death experiences.
We are creatures, ultimately, of the moment, and when that moment is not to our liking, it explains why a trauma-survivor of any stripe—a war veteran, cancer survivor or sexual abuse victim is able to work up anger at what, in comparison to their presumed defining trauma, should be considered trivial—traffic congestion, a malfunctioning computer, a paper cut, etc.
Having survived a horror of any severe magnitude does not preclude one from the toils and frustrations of everyday life once the horror recedes.
Apparently, we need those negative emotions caused by the less significant traumas to survive as well.
A well-written, engaging account of a body and mind at war with itself and with the world.
September 27, 2017
Excellent account of a number of aspects of Handler's treatment for leukemia, which he survived. His relationships are described with seriousness and passion. His description of treatment at Sloan Kettering, which was terrible and terrifying, is all but hilarious and is contrasted with the compassionate care he received at Johns Hopkins. His description of a bone marrow biopsy, for example, is priceless--and accurate!
Today's cancer treatments are much more collaborative than Handler described at Sloan, due at least in part to the NIH's determination not to start cancer centers but to force medical schools and hospitals to work together on research and treatment. This is what we expect today. Handler has shown a light on the destructive results of an institution's insistence on its own superiority, despite evidence to the contrary.
Today's cancer treatments are much more collaborative than Handler described at Sloan, due at least in part to the NIH's determination not to start cancer centers but to force medical schools and hospitals to work together on research and treatment. This is what we expect today. Handler has shown a light on the destructive results of an institution's insistence on its own superiority, despite evidence to the contrary.
October 22, 2022
Evan Handler tells his horrific story with candor and honesty. It's both refreshing and saddening, and I couldn't put it down. I don't think I could ever go through what he went through. I think I would have become one of those "tired" people who shrivel away. When I first discovered him by watching "Californication," I remember thinking to myself, "That freaking guy is fearless! What an amazing actor." Now, I think I know part of the reason why. Handler wants truth and accepts nothing less, and that takes courage.
November 24, 2024
The end of a pretty intense ride, one that reflects on the fragility of life.
Handler’s writing is both captivating and darkly funny, mixing the despair of a life-threatening diagnosis with moments of resilience and absurdity. His ability to find humor in the midst of chaos and pain highlights his remarkable spirit, making the book more than just a tale of survival. It serves as a poignant exploration of illness, identity, and the will to live. Equal parts heartbreaking, infuriating, and uplifting, Handler’s raw honesty guarantees it leaves a lasting impact.
Handler’s writing is both captivating and darkly funny, mixing the despair of a life-threatening diagnosis with moments of resilience and absurdity. His ability to find humor in the midst of chaos and pain highlights his remarkable spirit, making the book more than just a tale of survival. It serves as a poignant exploration of illness, identity, and the will to live. Equal parts heartbreaking, infuriating, and uplifting, Handler’s raw honesty guarantees it leaves a lasting impact.
October 18, 2021
Read in 1996; my review from then: A young man's journey through the medical system with a bad leukemia. He's an astute observer both of his own reactions and of the good, bad, and dangerous practices of doctors and other medical workers. Very well written.
March 31, 2019
good read
May 19, 2020
So many truths about medical care in this book. I think lots of doctors would benefit from reading it.
May 5, 2014
Time of Fire
Page 40
The body knows that the universe is just as accepting of its death as of its life. Only the frightened person steering the ship believes that the Earth needs them alive as desperately as they need Her to live.
And that’s what makes chemotherapy possible.
Page 41
If untreated, one would quickly die from a lack of immune response, due to the shortage of healthy white cells; from bleeding, as a result of the lack of platelets (a process that had already begun on my waist an ankles—my “rash” was actually an array of petechiae, tiny blood capillaries that were leaking); or from anemia, the shortage of red blood cells, which transport oxygen to all the body’s organs. The basic premise behind traditional chemotherapy treatment for leukemia is to kill off as much of the patient’s bone marrow as possible without actually killing the patient. This scheme can go wrong in a number of ways.
Page 81
I have been told many times, by many people, that I am a brave man. The merest mention of the suffering I endured in the treatment of the illness invariably results in proclamations of my bravery from whoever happens to be listening. I expect that anyone who has lain in a hospital bed will recognize what I found to be the most common reaction among visitors when first witnessing the horror of the patient’s existence. In hushed and reverential whispers, with tears in their eyes, the visitors shake their heads and say, “Oh, you are such a brave man.” And I believe that anyone who has given it much thought would respond in the same way I always did “Running into a burning building when you don’t have to, in order to save someone else, is brave. Jumping out a window when you know you’ll die if you don’t—that’s just trying to stay alive.” I don’t see anything courageous about behavior in situations where there is no choice.
Page 116
People who had been pounded by life, but never into submission.
Page 119
Always ask for what you want one hundred percent of the time. Be willing to hear no. Be willing to negotiate.
Page 139
We met with a doctor named Rein Saral, who stunned us by graciously inviting us into his office at precisely the agreed-upon hour of our appointment. After all my experiences at Sloan-Kettering, after all the debasing episodes in their outpatient clinic, this was the first time that I had ever been see by a doctor without enduring an excruciatingly long wait.
Page 160
Tell her people get tired. Sometimes people work as hard as they possible can, and they learn lots of lessons and find a great deal of peace and happiness, yet, eventually they get so tired that they just need to take a rest. And when you’re sick, taking that rest can mean the end of life, as it will fo all of us eventually.
Page 194
From the moment that I checked into Johns Hopkins I felt from the men and women who cleaned my room each day to the man who had helped to invent one marrow transplantation, I got the impression that nothing was more important than my getting well.
Page 196
Yet here I was in Baltimore, Maryland looking back on Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and New York City as if they were underdeveloped third world bastions of neglect and deprivation. It was as if I had landed on another planet. How did Sloan-Kettering maintain such a renowned reputation, such a golden glow and imperious aura, when they seemed to relegate patient comfort and quality of life to such a low priority?
Page 205
This had been my wish all along. To be included in all aspects of my medical care. To be included, so that, if I had to go through all this, it would at least be my journey and not just some ride that I was taken on, blindfolded, like a hostage.
Page 263-4
The same as when my mother made me angry as a kid. I’d destroy my favorite toy right in from of her. To show her how much she had hurt me.
Page 264
If being miraculously rescued from the clutches of an almost always fatal disease wasn’t enough to leave a lasting sense of wonder and appreciation, then what hope could there possibly be of my ever gaining lasting contentment?
Page 40
The body knows that the universe is just as accepting of its death as of its life. Only the frightened person steering the ship believes that the Earth needs them alive as desperately as they need Her to live.
And that’s what makes chemotherapy possible.
Page 41
If untreated, one would quickly die from a lack of immune response, due to the shortage of healthy white cells; from bleeding, as a result of the lack of platelets (a process that had already begun on my waist an ankles—my “rash” was actually an array of petechiae, tiny blood capillaries that were leaking); or from anemia, the shortage of red blood cells, which transport oxygen to all the body’s organs. The basic premise behind traditional chemotherapy treatment for leukemia is to kill off as much of the patient’s bone marrow as possible without actually killing the patient. This scheme can go wrong in a number of ways.
Page 81
I have been told many times, by many people, that I am a brave man. The merest mention of the suffering I endured in the treatment of the illness invariably results in proclamations of my bravery from whoever happens to be listening. I expect that anyone who has lain in a hospital bed will recognize what I found to be the most common reaction among visitors when first witnessing the horror of the patient’s existence. In hushed and reverential whispers, with tears in their eyes, the visitors shake their heads and say, “Oh, you are such a brave man.” And I believe that anyone who has given it much thought would respond in the same way I always did “Running into a burning building when you don’t have to, in order to save someone else, is brave. Jumping out a window when you know you’ll die if you don’t—that’s just trying to stay alive.” I don’t see anything courageous about behavior in situations where there is no choice.
Page 116
People who had been pounded by life, but never into submission.
Page 119
Always ask for what you want one hundred percent of the time. Be willing to hear no. Be willing to negotiate.
Page 139
We met with a doctor named Rein Saral, who stunned us by graciously inviting us into his office at precisely the agreed-upon hour of our appointment. After all my experiences at Sloan-Kettering, after all the debasing episodes in their outpatient clinic, this was the first time that I had ever been see by a doctor without enduring an excruciatingly long wait.
Page 160
Tell her people get tired. Sometimes people work as hard as they possible can, and they learn lots of lessons and find a great deal of peace and happiness, yet, eventually they get so tired that they just need to take a rest. And when you’re sick, taking that rest can mean the end of life, as it will fo all of us eventually.
Page 194
From the moment that I checked into Johns Hopkins I felt from the men and women who cleaned my room each day to the man who had helped to invent one marrow transplantation, I got the impression that nothing was more important than my getting well.
Page 196
Yet here I was in Baltimore, Maryland looking back on Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and New York City as if they were underdeveloped third world bastions of neglect and deprivation. It was as if I had landed on another planet. How did Sloan-Kettering maintain such a renowned reputation, such a golden glow and imperious aura, when they seemed to relegate patient comfort and quality of life to such a low priority?
Page 205
This had been my wish all along. To be included in all aspects of my medical care. To be included, so that, if I had to go through all this, it would at least be my journey and not just some ride that I was taken on, blindfolded, like a hostage.
Page 263-4
The same as when my mother made me angry as a kid. I’d destroy my favorite toy right in from of her. To show her how much she had hurt me.
Page 264
If being miraculously rescued from the clutches of an almost always fatal disease wasn’t enough to leave a lasting sense of wonder and appreciation, then what hope could there possibly be of my ever gaining lasting contentment?
June 7, 2013
3.5 stars
Did I enjoy this book: I did enjoy this book. While memoirs are not usually my thing, I do pick them up when I “know” the author – at least, heard of them. I don’t “know” Mr. Handler except from his appearances in Sex and the City and a brief cameo in Friends. I know his fame reaches far beyond these two instances. But his celebrity strikes an interest to see what his life is/was like. I think a lot of us are like that, we want to know about the private, personal lives of the celebrities that we watch on television, movie screen, or stage to see if they are like us – if the celebrity experiences the same things that we non-celebrities do.
What Mr. Handler went through is harrowing. It’s amazing. Who would have guessed unless you were a huge fan that already knew. I had no idea and I admire his strength and courage. I admire his will and drive to survive. If I were in the hotel in Baltimore, I would have applauded him along with the rest of the staff and patrons. (Read the book to know what I’m talking about.)
Time on Fire is a nitty-gritty telling of what Mr. Handler went through during his two bouts with leukemia. This story includes not only the actual medical treatment but how he handled and felt about the physical, emotional, relational effects of his disease. It’s a no holds barred account of having leukemia and going through treatment, setbacks, and infection along with healing, remission, and rebirth (so-to-speak).
Some of the book is quite tedious. I don’t know that I needed to know that exact details of his diagnosis and various treatments. Sometimes it was so technical that I didn’t quite follow. These parts made me not want to read every free chance I had because I had to really concentrate and absorb the information that was being given to me.
However, his accounts of his reactions, his emotions, those of his family and friends were raw and true. I have no doubt that this is a true story – unembellished and real. I felt like I was sitting with Mr. Handler and hearing him tell his story as if to a friend or counselor or anyone who happened to ask with genuine interest.
Would I recommend it: I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading memoirs and stories of other’s triumph through something very difficult to go through.
Will I read it again: I will not, but I will read his second book It’s Only Temporary.
(I received a copy of this book for review purposes.)
http://everyfreechance.com/2013/05/re...
Did I enjoy this book: I did enjoy this book. While memoirs are not usually my thing, I do pick them up when I “know” the author – at least, heard of them. I don’t “know” Mr. Handler except from his appearances in Sex and the City and a brief cameo in Friends. I know his fame reaches far beyond these two instances. But his celebrity strikes an interest to see what his life is/was like. I think a lot of us are like that, we want to know about the private, personal lives of the celebrities that we watch on television, movie screen, or stage to see if they are like us – if the celebrity experiences the same things that we non-celebrities do.
What Mr. Handler went through is harrowing. It’s amazing. Who would have guessed unless you were a huge fan that already knew. I had no idea and I admire his strength and courage. I admire his will and drive to survive. If I were in the hotel in Baltimore, I would have applauded him along with the rest of the staff and patrons. (Read the book to know what I’m talking about.)
Time on Fire is a nitty-gritty telling of what Mr. Handler went through during his two bouts with leukemia. This story includes not only the actual medical treatment but how he handled and felt about the physical, emotional, relational effects of his disease. It’s a no holds barred account of having leukemia and going through treatment, setbacks, and infection along with healing, remission, and rebirth (so-to-speak).
Some of the book is quite tedious. I don’t know that I needed to know that exact details of his diagnosis and various treatments. Sometimes it was so technical that I didn’t quite follow. These parts made me not want to read every free chance I had because I had to really concentrate and absorb the information that was being given to me.
However, his accounts of his reactions, his emotions, those of his family and friends were raw and true. I have no doubt that this is a true story – unembellished and real. I felt like I was sitting with Mr. Handler and hearing him tell his story as if to a friend or counselor or anyone who happened to ask with genuine interest.
Would I recommend it: I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading memoirs and stories of other’s triumph through something very difficult to go through.
Will I read it again: I will not, but I will read his second book It’s Only Temporary.
(I received a copy of this book for review purposes.)
http://everyfreechance.com/2013/05/re...
March 21, 2011
This is a memoir by a man who was diagnosed with leukemia in the mid 1980s and endured treatment for it, including chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant for the next few years. He does the reading in the book on tape version, which I especially appreciated since he made it all sound more real to me. I thought the text was well written, and that he described things in such a way that I got quite a sense of what it is like to suffer through treatment physically, emotionally and with many of his relationships with friends, family and significant other. He describes trying various alternative treatments, and there are two brief descriptions of his attending a week workshop with Carl Simonton and going to a group healing by Louise Hay. Here is a link to his website. http://www.evanhandler.com/2.0/ Yes, he is still alive. Also he is an actor, and the website lists where he has acted and describes his second book, It's Only Temporary...The Good News and the Bad News of Being Alive, which tells the story of his long journey toward gratitude in the years after his illness.
June 17, 2013
I picked up this book because it was "critically acclaimed" and supposedly very funny. My father passed from the same disease Handler battled, and I thought it would be interesting to read about it from a man's perspective.
I hated it. Most of the reviews on Goodreads spout nothing but praise. I clearly didn't understand something.
For me, his rage against his parents irritated me. And then, I should have quit reading after his first detailed account of masturbation ... sigh ... but I kept thinking, surely this will get better, because everyone else loved it. No. I finally quit reading after his second detailed account of masturbation.
Too much for me.
I hated it. Most of the reviews on Goodreads spout nothing but praise. I clearly didn't understand something.
For me, his rage against his parents irritated me. And then, I should have quit reading after his first detailed account of masturbation ... sigh ... but I kept thinking, surely this will get better, because everyone else loved it. No. I finally quit reading after his second detailed account of masturbation.
Too much for me.
November 26, 2011
Evan Handler is a leukemia survivor, but getting there is a journey that is raw, heart breaking, ridiculous, terrifying, and sometimes even funny. The love of his family and his girlfriend and his determination in the face of all the horrors that cancer brings make this an uncomfortable yet compelling read. Yet for all that it could be played up to sensationalize the story, it isn’t. It’s very honest, and that is more than enough to keep you reading.
January 26, 2017
Handler's account of his battles through cancer are heartbreaking and shocking. He spares nothing of the sins of others or himself, which made him difficult like at times, but the bravery of having this all out in the open is impressive.
There are times when you want to scream at his younger self because you see the train wreck coming, and times when you want to attack the grossly inadequate staff in NYC while hugging him.
Truly an eye-opening memoir.
There are times when you want to scream at his younger self because you see the train wreck coming, and times when you want to attack the grossly inadequate staff in NYC while hugging him.
Truly an eye-opening memoir.
October 17, 2010
A really insightful read from start to finish, and probably an accurate account of how my husband felt dealing with two bouts of cancer and a stem-cell transplant, seeing as how Handler dealt with two bouts of leukemia and a bone-marrow transplant. Difficult to trudge through at times as the detail and description of his physical and emotional pain hit close to home.
November 27, 2012
I read this book a few years back. I still think of what he said. Still can put the scenes in my head that he described. I love that he is honest in the book. I have had medical issues and some of the stuff he described is very accurate and scary at the same time. Glad he beat it! And thanks for writing the book!
December 17, 2020
Not many people can write a dark, bitter, yet at times hysterically funny book about a tragic subject, but Even Handler has managed to do it. I first read this years ago and it remains one of my favorites. I still think about Handler, his parents, his girlfriend, and Willy. I feel fortunate that I went through cancer treatment 20 years later so I was spared the horrors that Handler went through.
September 7, 2008
made me feel very grateful that cancer treatment has evolved so much and hopeful too.
this guy is harry on sex and the city. i didn't know that when until about half way through the book. he really went through it and lived to tell.
this guy is harry on sex and the city. i didn't know that when until about half way through the book. he really went through it and lived to tell.
January 1, 2009
I loved this book. I am a recent transplant from an academic life to a work life in a clinical laboratory. Evan Handler has captured so much of what I have seen and feel about what is human and inhuman in medical care today. I would love to see this book made into a movie.
June 22, 2009
I purposely read this book because the author had what my boyfriend has been diagnosed with, Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. Incredible book. Sometimes scary (sometimes I was thinking I shouldn't be reading it!), sometimes funny, always enlightening.
October 17, 2010
Describes the experience of having leukemia, from diagnosis through cure. He's very honest and raw at times, especially with regard to his family and how he was treated by medical professionals. Great personable writing.
Read
June 29, 2008GREAT read - recommended from a friend - even though written years ago, it is amazing to see what Harry from SATC really has been through in his life! I recommend. Lisa
August 6, 2008
Handler grapples with a devastating diagnosis and rallies both the positive and negative things he learns about himself, in an effort to secure a lasting remission.
March 13, 2012
This has been one of my someone else is sick too memoirs since young adulthood. The raw fear he describes living through leukemia and chemo, is skillfully balanced by dry, painful humor.
October 4, 2012
I found this to be an educational and easy read. Working at a medical college, I think all doctors need to read this book to understand the patient perspective on treatment.
March 25, 2014
A book to comfort those going through this struggle.
May 7, 2013
Well written. Would like to see the author's one-man show, from which the book evolved.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews