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The Cat Who Came in from the Cold
The little cat Deric Longden saw sitting forlornly on an upturned bucket belonged to the neighbours, but somehow when it began to rain it seemed only natural to bring him inside. Once there he slipped so easily into Deric and Aileen's lives that there was an unspoken agreement that he had found his real home. Little did he know that he had entered the Longden world, in which the unexpected (almost) always happens. . .
Aileen being Aileen, it was probably inevitable that sooner or later the kitten would be trapped in the refrigerator. And Deric being Deric, the obvious way to thaw him back to life was to make a little coat for him out of a shrunken thermal vest. Thus the cat who came in from the cold got his name - Thermal - and joined the wonderful cast of characters in the ongoing Longden saga.
Aileen being Aileen, it was probably inevitable that sooner or later the kitten would be trapped in the refrigerator. And Deric being Deric, the obvious way to thaw him back to life was to make a little coat for him out of a shrunken thermal vest. Thus the cat who came in from the cold got his name - Thermal - and joined the wonderful cast of characters in the ongoing Longden saga.
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First published January 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
December 5, 2017
I really liked this book. It is not too long. It is light and easy to read, so I didn't expect too much at first as I began to learn all about his life and his cat. But as I continued to read I sensed the underlying depth behind the daily strange "adventures"
The author is the main character and he has a great sense of fun, even when worrying things occur and somehow you just know everything will turn out for the best as he begins to describe his daily life with his first cat. His"tongue in cheek" conversations with the cats and the talk between the cats too... are often hilarious. He has a wonderful sense of humour and there were many smiles for me as I moved through all the adventures involving his cats. At times I laughed out loud.
This book was recommended to me by a Goodreads member and I am so grateful, for it was just right for me at this time. Underneath the laughs though there is a subtle sense of sadness too. His wife is blind but there is a great sense of togetherness between them. No one feels sorry for themselves in spite of the obvious difficulties he and his wife have to face each day. There were touching moments too. I think it probably helps if the reader is an animal lover and especially of cats. I liked the book more and more as I continued to read and was quite sorry when it ended. I want to read more of Deric's books. Highly recommended.
The author is the main character and he has a great sense of fun, even when worrying things occur and somehow you just know everything will turn out for the best as he begins to describe his daily life with his first cat. His"tongue in cheek" conversations with the cats and the talk between the cats too... are often hilarious. He has a wonderful sense of humour and there were many smiles for me as I moved through all the adventures involving his cats. At times I laughed out loud.
This book was recommended to me by a Goodreads member and I am so grateful, for it was just right for me at this time. Underneath the laughs though there is a subtle sense of sadness too. His wife is blind but there is a great sense of togetherness between them. No one feels sorry for themselves in spite of the obvious difficulties he and his wife have to face each day. There were touching moments too. I think it probably helps if the reader is an animal lover and especially of cats. I liked the book more and more as I continued to read and was quite sorry when it ended. I want to read more of Deric's books. Highly recommended.
September 1, 2024
Deric Longden has to be one of my favourite writers. Yet in no way is he literary, nor does he impart great truths. But whenever I need a “pick me up”, it is to Deric Longden I will go. He grew up in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, a little town just a few miles outside the city where I grew up, and his experiences, wry humour and attitude to life seem so very much in tune with my own.
To give you an idea of his quirky writing, here’s an extract from an interview, when he was asked what got him into writing and shaped his style:
“I always wanted to write but never did anything about it other than little bits and pieces for my own pleasure. Then in 1974 BBC Radio Derby ran a five hundred word short story competition. Each entry had to be submitted under a pen name and so I called myself ‘Biro’, which I thought was a pretty good pen name.
My story was about a hundred year old man who put his great age down to the fact that he had always lived in a house with only an outside lavvy.
‘It kept you on your toes’, he said. ‘There was no easy trot upstairs like when you have one inside. You never quite knew when the urge would come over you and you’d have to gather together your packet of twenty Capstan full strength and your box of matches. Grab the Daily Mirror from under the dog, slip the lavvy key off the hook and then vault the old wooden gate as you sprinted some thirty five yards up the garden path in the pouring rain. You could never relax for a moment.’
Somehow I won and the following year I entered again, this time under the pen name ‘Papermate’.
I wrote a story about a shepherd who only had two sheep and rather than leave them out on the lonely moors at night, he would take them home with him. Most shepherds dip their sheep only once a year, but he was able to do it once a week because fortunately he had a double draining sink unit. Afterwards he would pop them into the tumble drier – for forty five minutes on woollens.
I won again and the following year went for the hat trick. A week after I had posted my entry the producer rang me.
‘Are you by chance Parker 51’?
I said that I was and he told me that I looked like winning again and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.
‘If you withdraw we’ll give you a regular weekly slot’.
Two and half thousand broadcasts later I wince slightly when I look at the stories now, although if I’m honest with myself, I smile as I wince. They were original. They were me. And that is the most powerful weapon we writers have in our armoury. There is nobody in the world quite like me and there is nobody in the world quite like you.”
If this story does not raise a smile, then this author is not for you. Yes, he is ridiculous. He takes an everyday event and stretches it to absurdity. And he does it is such an expert way that he can have the tears running down my cheeks.
All his books are autobiographical, but in my opinion The Cat who Came in From the Cold, first published in 1991, is one of his most entertaining. It is the first of several books which he wrote throughout the 1990s, describing his life with his near-blind second wife, Aileen Armitage, also a best-selling author, and their growing band of cats. In The Cat who Came in From the Cold Deric Longden tells how he began a life-long slavery to cats, via his first encounter with a tiny kitten, who was destined to become known, oddly, as “Thermal”.
Deric Longden insists that he had never thought of himself as a cat lover, but that from the moment he saw the tiny kitten sitting on an upturned bucket at the bottom of the back garden, he was hooked. The little cat really belonged to the neighbours, but they weren’t often around. When it began to rain, Deric felt sorry for this sodden little scrap of fur, so he brought him inside, just to dry off. Of course, any cat-owner will tell you that once there, there would be no going back,and sure enough the kitten soon became part of the family, and even Aileen, who was initially resistant, soon became smitten. Thermal had found his real home.
Not that it would be easy, being tiny and vulnerable and living with a near-blind owner. More than once he would be squashed underfoot, and flat as a pancake would have to be resuscitated. Other events seemed inevitable. Once he got trapped in the refrigerator, resulting in Deric making a little coat for him out of an old thermal vest. Hence his name: “Thermal”. Perhaps this was a big clue that in the Longden world, ordinary life would never be humdrum or boring.
It wasn’t long before Thermal started to reveal his wants to his new slaves, and Deric Longden gives voice to Thermal’s innermost thoughts. The comic solemnity of his writing is irresistible. The kitten talks. The kitten demands several routines before each day can get started. The kitten demands a certain type of food … and so on. Moreover, there are soon other feline characters on the scene, and at least one, “Tigger” also finds her way to being a permanent resident in the Longden household, eventually herself adopting a stray lodger, who will never make it to the house proper, but resides in the cellar, which is then kitted out with all mod cons.
There’s always an inner core of poignancy in Deric Longden’s writing. His life was never an easy one, and some events would have quelled the optimism of a less determined person. His answer to this; the way he coped perhaps, was to translate it into his writing and make a new narrative: a new way of looking at what life was throwing at him.
The clearest example of this is in “Diana’s Story”, which he wrote two years prior to this book in 1989. It describes his life with his wife, Diana, who was suffering from an illness that doctors could not understand, and rapidly deteriorating. It is hilarious, but also has an inner desperation. “Diana’s Story” was adapted for television in 1993 under the title “Wide-Eyed and Legless”. It starred Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent and Thora Hird. Deric Longden co-wrote the script with Jack Rosenthal. (In America this was shown under the title “The Wedding Gift”.)
Another highly poignant book which was published in 1991, the same year as The Cat who Came in From the Cold, is “Lost For Words”. This continues the story, describing life with Deric Longdens’s already eccentric mother, as she gradually loses her memory. Again, it is hilarious, but also very moving. This was also made into a TV movie, with the same title. It starred Thora Hird as his mother, but this time Pete Postlethwaite played the role of Deric Longden himself. Deric Longden also wrote the script for this, and had a cameo as a voice on an answerphone.
The Cat who Came in From the Cold is one of Deric Longden’s more upbeat books. All are lightweight reads, but this contains many optimistic notes. There are happy events, such as when his wife Aileen is invited to a “Woman of the Year” awards ceremony. The closest we come to the inner pathos, is an interlude featuring the milkman. He had lost his wife recently, and said to the postman, a mutual friend, that the only thing keeping him going, were the silly notes and correspondence between him and Deric, via the milk bottles every day. Absurd, quirky, yet believable.
My rating of 5 stars is admittedly a personal, subjective one, but I remain unrepentant.
There’s an old adage, which goes: “If you didn’t laugh, you’d cry”. That’s it, in a nutshell. And if you think you might enjoy Deric Longden’s witty yet oddball view of life, this would be a very good place to start.
To give you an idea of his quirky writing, here’s an extract from an interview, when he was asked what got him into writing and shaped his style:
“I always wanted to write but never did anything about it other than little bits and pieces for my own pleasure. Then in 1974 BBC Radio Derby ran a five hundred word short story competition. Each entry had to be submitted under a pen name and so I called myself ‘Biro’, which I thought was a pretty good pen name.
My story was about a hundred year old man who put his great age down to the fact that he had always lived in a house with only an outside lavvy.
‘It kept you on your toes’, he said. ‘There was no easy trot upstairs like when you have one inside. You never quite knew when the urge would come over you and you’d have to gather together your packet of twenty Capstan full strength and your box of matches. Grab the Daily Mirror from under the dog, slip the lavvy key off the hook and then vault the old wooden gate as you sprinted some thirty five yards up the garden path in the pouring rain. You could never relax for a moment.’
Somehow I won and the following year I entered again, this time under the pen name ‘Papermate’.
I wrote a story about a shepherd who only had two sheep and rather than leave them out on the lonely moors at night, he would take them home with him. Most shepherds dip their sheep only once a year, but he was able to do it once a week because fortunately he had a double draining sink unit. Afterwards he would pop them into the tumble drier – for forty five minutes on woollens.
I won again and the following year went for the hat trick. A week after I had posted my entry the producer rang me.
‘Are you by chance Parker 51’?
I said that I was and he told me that I looked like winning again and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.
‘If you withdraw we’ll give you a regular weekly slot’.
Two and half thousand broadcasts later I wince slightly when I look at the stories now, although if I’m honest with myself, I smile as I wince. They were original. They were me. And that is the most powerful weapon we writers have in our armoury. There is nobody in the world quite like me and there is nobody in the world quite like you.”
If this story does not raise a smile, then this author is not for you. Yes, he is ridiculous. He takes an everyday event and stretches it to absurdity. And he does it is such an expert way that he can have the tears running down my cheeks.
All his books are autobiographical, but in my opinion The Cat who Came in From the Cold, first published in 1991, is one of his most entertaining. It is the first of several books which he wrote throughout the 1990s, describing his life with his near-blind second wife, Aileen Armitage, also a best-selling author, and their growing band of cats. In The Cat who Came in From the Cold Deric Longden tells how he began a life-long slavery to cats, via his first encounter with a tiny kitten, who was destined to become known, oddly, as “Thermal”.
Deric Longden insists that he had never thought of himself as a cat lover, but that from the moment he saw the tiny kitten sitting on an upturned bucket at the bottom of the back garden, he was hooked. The little cat really belonged to the neighbours, but they weren’t often around. When it began to rain, Deric felt sorry for this sodden little scrap of fur, so he brought him inside, just to dry off. Of course, any cat-owner will tell you that once there, there would be no going back,and sure enough the kitten soon became part of the family, and even Aileen, who was initially resistant, soon became smitten. Thermal had found his real home.
Not that it would be easy, being tiny and vulnerable and living with a near-blind owner. More than once he would be squashed underfoot, and flat as a pancake would have to be resuscitated. Other events seemed inevitable. Once he got trapped in the refrigerator, resulting in Deric making a little coat for him out of an old thermal vest. Hence his name: “Thermal”. Perhaps this was a big clue that in the Longden world, ordinary life would never be humdrum or boring.
It wasn’t long before Thermal started to reveal his wants to his new slaves, and Deric Longden gives voice to Thermal’s innermost thoughts. The comic solemnity of his writing is irresistible. The kitten talks. The kitten demands several routines before each day can get started. The kitten demands a certain type of food … and so on. Moreover, there are soon other feline characters on the scene, and at least one, “Tigger” also finds her way to being a permanent resident in the Longden household, eventually herself adopting a stray lodger, who will never make it to the house proper, but resides in the cellar, which is then kitted out with all mod cons.
There’s always an inner core of poignancy in Deric Longden’s writing. His life was never an easy one, and some events would have quelled the optimism of a less determined person. His answer to this; the way he coped perhaps, was to translate it into his writing and make a new narrative: a new way of looking at what life was throwing at him.
The clearest example of this is in “Diana’s Story”, which he wrote two years prior to this book in 1989. It describes his life with his wife, Diana, who was suffering from an illness that doctors could not understand, and rapidly deteriorating. It is hilarious, but also has an inner desperation. “Diana’s Story” was adapted for television in 1993 under the title “Wide-Eyed and Legless”. It starred Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent and Thora Hird. Deric Longden co-wrote the script with Jack Rosenthal. (In America this was shown under the title “The Wedding Gift”.)
Another highly poignant book which was published in 1991, the same year as The Cat who Came in From the Cold, is “Lost For Words”. This continues the story, describing life with Deric Longdens’s already eccentric mother, as she gradually loses her memory. Again, it is hilarious, but also very moving. This was also made into a TV movie, with the same title. It starred Thora Hird as his mother, but this time Pete Postlethwaite played the role of Deric Longden himself. Deric Longden also wrote the script for this, and had a cameo as a voice on an answerphone.
The Cat who Came in From the Cold is one of Deric Longden’s more upbeat books. All are lightweight reads, but this contains many optimistic notes. There are happy events, such as when his wife Aileen is invited to a “Woman of the Year” awards ceremony. The closest we come to the inner pathos, is an interlude featuring the milkman. He had lost his wife recently, and said to the postman, a mutual friend, that the only thing keeping him going, were the silly notes and correspondence between him and Deric, via the milk bottles every day. Absurd, quirky, yet believable.
My rating of 5 stars is admittedly a personal, subjective one, but I remain unrepentant.
There’s an old adage, which goes: “If you didn’t laugh, you’d cry”. That’s it, in a nutshell. And if you think you might enjoy Deric Longden’s witty yet oddball view of life, this would be a very good place to start.
September 29, 2020
Always Getting Lost
Deric was outside in his yard when he saw his neighbor’s new white kitten playing in a bucket nearby. Deric didn’t like the looks of this for it was in the fall, and the weather was getting cold., too cold for a kitten. Days later, or maybe it was getting on to winter, he again saw the kitten, and now the kitten had lost weight. His neighbor wasn’t taking good care of it. It was even colder out now. So, he brought the little guy into his house and decided to keep him. His neighbor came over later. “Have you seen my white kitten?” he asked. “Nope. I haven’t seen him at all.” The kitten was hiding behind the drapes and was grateful that he was not given over to his original owner, Patrick.
After this, Deric wanted to name the kitten. “Tigger,” he said to his wife Aileen. She frowned and said, “That is a stupid name.” “Okay,” said Deric. “I will name him “Thermo,” so what do you think of that?” His wife looked at him askance and walked away. “Thermo?” the little kitten thought. “I don’t care for that name, and I didn’t like “Tigger” either. I want it to be “Maubee,” for that is what Jessaka named her cat.” Thermo was too little to talk, so he couldn’t complain aloud, but in time he just accepted his name.
Deric and Aileen really enjoyed Thermo, but Thermo kept getting lost. They would look all over the house and could never find him in the usual places. I have had this issue with my cats too. Maubee and Taffy are always getting lost. I worry more about Maubee because he is still almost a kitten, and he is not house wise yet. Whenever I open a door, I make sure that he doesn’t go inside. This means that I never walk away from an open washer or dryer door that is open or any cabinet door that I have opened. One day while I was cleaning out the bathroom cabinet, Maubee wanted to get into the cupboard, and when I wasn’t looking, he climbed inside. It was troublesome to get him out of it as he had then climbed into one of its drawers. Then he grabbed an item from the drawer and ran away with it. I heard him playing with it on the floor, but I could never find it. I am sure that Thermo was like Mfaubee, but he liked toilet paper more than Maubee ever had. Maubee only played with it once.
a
My cat Taffy was once crying in the house somewhere. It finally sounded like she was in the attic, so we opened the attic door, and there she was. She had climbed a ladder outside that was leaning on the house next to a hole in the eave. We covered the hole, then moved the ladder. One time, she got under the house, as the door had been opened and then closed with her still inside. We heard her crying in the bedroom that my husband was remodeling. There was Taffy, her head and one of her paws was stuck in an opened hole in the floor. My husband pried another board loose and lifted her out. Thermo knows all about getting into trouble.
Then one day Thermo really disappeared. Derick placed fliers all over the neighborhood. In my own case, no one answered my fliers, but three weeks later my cat Mandy came home. She was now thin, light as a feather. I think because she had left on a rainy day, she got into a shed to get out of the rain.The owners closed the door, and then the first time they needed to get their garden tools out, this, on a sunny day, they opened the door, and she came home. I was never so happy to see her, so I fed her and gave her a little bit of goat’s milk.
Extra: If you get books for your kids for Christmas this would be a great book for a cat lover. Well, it is great for adults too. So far, it is the best cat book that I have ever read.
Deric was outside in his yard when he saw his neighbor’s new white kitten playing in a bucket nearby. Deric didn’t like the looks of this for it was in the fall, and the weather was getting cold., too cold for a kitten. Days later, or maybe it was getting on to winter, he again saw the kitten, and now the kitten had lost weight. His neighbor wasn’t taking good care of it. It was even colder out now. So, he brought the little guy into his house and decided to keep him. His neighbor came over later. “Have you seen my white kitten?” he asked. “Nope. I haven’t seen him at all.” The kitten was hiding behind the drapes and was grateful that he was not given over to his original owner, Patrick.
After this, Deric wanted to name the kitten. “Tigger,” he said to his wife Aileen. She frowned and said, “That is a stupid name.” “Okay,” said Deric. “I will name him “Thermo,” so what do you think of that?” His wife looked at him askance and walked away. “Thermo?” the little kitten thought. “I don’t care for that name, and I didn’t like “Tigger” either. I want it to be “Maubee,” for that is what Jessaka named her cat.” Thermo was too little to talk, so he couldn’t complain aloud, but in time he just accepted his name.
Deric and Aileen really enjoyed Thermo, but Thermo kept getting lost. They would look all over the house and could never find him in the usual places. I have had this issue with my cats too. Maubee and Taffy are always getting lost. I worry more about Maubee because he is still almost a kitten, and he is not house wise yet. Whenever I open a door, I make sure that he doesn’t go inside. This means that I never walk away from an open washer or dryer door that is open or any cabinet door that I have opened. One day while I was cleaning out the bathroom cabinet, Maubee wanted to get into the cupboard, and when I wasn’t looking, he climbed inside. It was troublesome to get him out of it as he had then climbed into one of its drawers. Then he grabbed an item from the drawer and ran away with it. I heard him playing with it on the floor, but I could never find it. I am sure that Thermo was like Mfaubee, but he liked toilet paper more than Maubee ever had. Maubee only played with it once.
a
My cat Taffy was once crying in the house somewhere. It finally sounded like she was in the attic, so we opened the attic door, and there she was. She had climbed a ladder outside that was leaning on the house next to a hole in the eave. We covered the hole, then moved the ladder. One time, she got under the house, as the door had been opened and then closed with her still inside. We heard her crying in the bedroom that my husband was remodeling. There was Taffy, her head and one of her paws was stuck in an opened hole in the floor. My husband pried another board loose and lifted her out. Thermo knows all about getting into trouble.
Then one day Thermo really disappeared. Derick placed fliers all over the neighborhood. In my own case, no one answered my fliers, but three weeks later my cat Mandy came home. She was now thin, light as a feather. I think because she had left on a rainy day, she got into a shed to get out of the rain.The owners closed the door, and then the first time they needed to get their garden tools out, this, on a sunny day, they opened the door, and she came home. I was never so happy to see her, so I fed her and gave her a little bit of goat’s milk.
Extra: If you get books for your kids for Christmas this would be a great book for a cat lover. Well, it is great for adults too. So far, it is the best cat book that I have ever read.
February 24, 2024
This was a book I bought entirely for the cover, which is appealing to anyone who likes cats. The book turned out to be much funnier than I had expected, one of the first books in ages that I laughed at almost constantly. I'm not sure how much the early disasters with the kitten may or may not been exaggerated for comic effect, but their family quickly won me over. They basically steal the kitten, although in a well-meaning way, and as his original family eventually finds out and does not mind, I felt fairly unbothered. Thermal wreaks havoc, is pampered, and also occasionally falls victim to Aileen's blindness - she shuts him in the fridge without realising, for instance, and treads on him on more than one occasion. Eventually he learns to steer clear of feet, and things improve.
Despite never seeking out a cat, they end up with more, all cats who find them rather than the other way around, which I found amusing. I will be looking for other books by Deric Longden to see what happens next, as well as an earlier book about his first wife, Diana Hill. I enjoyed his writing style, and his family life very much. Some of his books are still in print, including this one, and I will look for the others secondhand.
Despite never seeking out a cat, they end up with more, all cats who find them rather than the other way around, which I found amusing. I will be looking for other books by Deric Longden to see what happens next, as well as an earlier book about his first wife, Diana Hill. I enjoyed his writing style, and his family life very much. Some of his books are still in print, including this one, and I will look for the others secondhand.
July 22, 2024
What a beautiful cover! And the title😀. I also have a cat that came in from the cold. Mines was a disheveled, skinny young man who is now a very handsome gentleman cat.
The language used in this will speak to all cat owners and it is laugh out loud funny for the most part.
Some of the antics I can relate to and think most cat owners come across at some point. The author tells us in a very comical way what it is like to be "chosen" by a cat.
This was an enjoyable read.
The language used in this will speak to all cat owners and it is laugh out loud funny for the most part.
Some of the antics I can relate to and think most cat owners come across at some point. The author tells us in a very comical way what it is like to be "chosen" by a cat.
This was an enjoyable read.
March 13, 2018
I finished this and wiped a tear away. Having been immersed in the lives of Deric, Aileen and their white kitten Thermal it was quite a jolt to have to come back to reality. The humour, warmth and special relationship that they all have with each other is really something to cherish. Added to which, Deric's narrative about Thermal and his various characteristics is spot on, and any cat enthusiast will sit up and take note. I have now ordered all Deric's other books and can't wait to continue his saga.
December 5, 2016
It was a pure delight to be treated to the skill of this author's development of this kitten's personality.
I have never read a book where an animal has so much personality or could carry a book's story so well,as this author does in 'The Cat Who Came In From The Cold'.
This book is not only very,very funny,but it is absolutely charming,as well.
Everyone who has ever been owned by a cat will recognize the many truisms throughout,but Thermal is also a very unique kitten/cat who is a joy to read about.
Pure fun to read and I can't wait to read the sequel~'Enough To Make A Cat Laugh.'
I have never read a book where an animal has so much personality or could carry a book's story so well,as this author does in 'The Cat Who Came In From The Cold'.
This book is not only very,very funny,but it is absolutely charming,as well.
Everyone who has ever been owned by a cat will recognize the many truisms throughout,but Thermal is also a very unique kitten/cat who is a joy to read about.
Pure fun to read and I can't wait to read the sequel~'Enough To Make A Cat Laugh.'
February 7, 2024
This is a really sweet book about a couple who adopted the cat from next door. It has a surprise about the neighbors at the end!
March 16, 2011
The heartwarming story of a kitten called Thermal and his pet sultana Ralph. This is my all time favourite animal story book (with the possible exception of Black Beauty). I have read it several times and will probably read it several times more.
Thermal is a white kitten that Longden sees sitting, bedraggled, in the rain in his neighbour's garden. He brings him in and adopts him, even though he belongs to the neighbours and they would actually have quite liked to have him back. Derek's blind wife Aileen has a few problems with the new kitten, but only shuts him in the fridge for the day by mistake once.
Derek Longden is a people watcher and an animal watcher, who writes about the world, people and cats around him with warmth, passion and quirky sense of humour. He has a consumate skill in making the reader empathise with all and sundry - and there are quite a lot of sundries. When you find yourself empathising with a kitten's pet sultana, you know you've been Longdened.
Thermal is a white kitten that Longden sees sitting, bedraggled, in the rain in his neighbour's garden. He brings him in and adopts him, even though he belongs to the neighbours and they would actually have quite liked to have him back. Derek's blind wife Aileen has a few problems with the new kitten, but only shuts him in the fridge for the day by mistake once.
Derek Longden is a people watcher and an animal watcher, who writes about the world, people and cats around him with warmth, passion and quirky sense of humour. He has a consumate skill in making the reader empathise with all and sundry - and there are quite a lot of sundries. When you find yourself empathising with a kitten's pet sultana, you know you've been Longdened.
December 20, 2012
I adore this mans work - I do wish that he would write more!!
He is so funny - on a par with Bill Bryson...
His pathos and humour are brilliant...
**UPDATE**
Have just re-read this on my Kindle and have fallen in love with this Mans writing all over again.
Sadly I have recently heard that Deric is very ill and has not long to live - so sad that we will get no more books from this wonderful writer,,
Who else could give us such wonderful and silly situations as a Cat Whisker up the nostril!!!!
Please read this if you love cats and brilliant British humour
He is so funny - on a par with Bill Bryson...
His pathos and humour are brilliant...
**UPDATE**
Have just re-read this on my Kindle and have fallen in love with this Mans writing all over again.
Sadly I have recently heard that Deric is very ill and has not long to live - so sad that we will get no more books from this wonderful writer,,
Who else could give us such wonderful and silly situations as a Cat Whisker up the nostril!!!!
Please read this if you love cats and brilliant British humour
September 29, 2012
Longden saw a white kitten in his backyard during rainy weather and rescued it, not knowing it lived next door. Thermal's presence in the Longden house changed things forever. You will have to read the book to discover why he is named Thermal. I love all of Langden's books because cats are his favorite subject and he tells the stories with such humor and affection.
March 10, 2018
First read this years ago from a library then just had to buy my own copy. A really hilarious, well written, heart warming account of life with a cat and life in general.
Do not approve of him basically nicking the neighbour's cat - but it turned out OK in the end. There is also the very "cat" thing that he took the cat in because it was so cold and wet out in the garden, then a long while later noticed the neighbour did have a cat flap. So the cat was doing the classic cat thing of picking somewhere even better. I like the rest of the series too.
Do not approve of him basically nicking the neighbour's cat - but it turned out OK in the end. There is also the very "cat" thing that he took the cat in because it was so cold and wet out in the garden, then a long while later noticed the neighbour did have a cat flap. So the cat was doing the classic cat thing of picking somewhere even better. I like the rest of the series too.
July 7, 2013
A funny and entertaining little book about a man, his blind wife and his cat(s) and the strange things that happen to them. Enjoyable if you like cats of course (as I do), but possibly not for everyone. Manages to deftly avoid becoming too twee or sentimental, which is always a danger when writing about small furry animals. Written almost like a diary - things happen, more things happen, the end. Not particularly deep, but then it doesn't need to be, nor does it have any such pretensions. Just read, and enjoy.
June 17, 2007
Wonderful, heartwarming and well written true story about Thermal the kitten. A great little read.
April 30, 2018
A lot of fun. My bed mate complained she could not sleep while I read the book because the the bed would shake with silent laughter. I think you might have to be a cat owner or have been one to fully appreciate the silliness of this book.
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April 15, 2018This is a very charming light read for people who enjoy being manipulated by cats.
March 2, 2018
This was an amazing story. Super recommended.
August 14, 2009
Unlike the typical adopting a cat changed a man's life book, the man in question is married and a father of four grown kids. He doesn't come off as particularly cantankerous or curmudgeonly. That's not to say the people in his life aren't highly amused by the lengths he goes to in order to please the cat, Thermal.
Thermal was a neighbor's kitten that Deric and his wive adopt when the kitten is left out in the rain and he feels sorry for it. (It's not until much later he learns that the cat did have a cat flap and could have gone inside his neighbor's house at any time). It's a sweet, very funny story, but as someone who has owned cats and is very attached to the cats my parents have, I can't imagine how I'd feel if someone took my cat(s) for whatever reason. Then again, my cats and my parents' cats have all been indoor animals.
Anyway. Once you get past how the kitten is required (and while the neighbor seems somewhat concerned when the kitten doesn't turn up, he doesn't appear to be grieving) it really is a great read.
Like Cleveland Amory, Deric gives his cat Thermal a voice and a personality all his own. Later accidentally adopted cats, Tigger and Arthur, as also given voices, though none are as erudite and haughty as Amorey's beloved Polar Bear. Instead, Thermal is more of a man's man, er, cat. More of an average Joe.
The kitten and his antics are adorable and incredibly funny, and Deric's affection for both his cats and his wife comes through loud and clear.
The other thing that makes this tale a little different is that Derric is English, and all the other man adopts cat books I've read have been written by American authors. The change in vernacular is charming and unlike other times when I've read a book by an English author and occasionally had trouble figuring out what a particular word meant due to the difference in word choice for the same object or just a different spelling ("kurb" still throws me for a moment) I didn't have any trouble with this book.
Deric also reminded me more than a little of my dad, who my mom and I joke has "cat phermones" and is without a doubt the "alpha dog." Almost all cats are drawn to him like a magent. Other animals probably are to, but he's around cats the most.
Thermal was a neighbor's kitten that Deric and his wive adopt when the kitten is left out in the rain and he feels sorry for it. (It's not until much later he learns that the cat did have a cat flap and could have gone inside his neighbor's house at any time). It's a sweet, very funny story, but as someone who has owned cats and is very attached to the cats my parents have, I can't imagine how I'd feel if someone took my cat(s) for whatever reason. Then again, my cats and my parents' cats have all been indoor animals.
Anyway. Once you get past how the kitten is required (and while the neighbor seems somewhat concerned when the kitten doesn't turn up, he doesn't appear to be grieving) it really is a great read.
Like Cleveland Amory, Deric gives his cat Thermal a voice and a personality all his own. Later accidentally adopted cats, Tigger and Arthur, as also given voices, though none are as erudite and haughty as Amorey's beloved Polar Bear. Instead, Thermal is more of a man's man, er, cat. More of an average Joe.
The kitten and his antics are adorable and incredibly funny, and Deric's affection for both his cats and his wife comes through loud and clear.
The other thing that makes this tale a little different is that Derric is English, and all the other man adopts cat books I've read have been written by American authors. The change in vernacular is charming and unlike other times when I've read a book by an English author and occasionally had trouble figuring out what a particular word meant due to the difference in word choice for the same object or just a different spelling ("kurb" still throws me for a moment) I didn't have any trouble with this book.
Deric also reminded me more than a little of my dad, who my mom and I joke has "cat phermones" and is without a doubt the "alpha dog." Almost all cats are drawn to him like a magent. Other animals probably are to, but he's around cats the most.
December 21, 2018
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Having been owned by an albino Siamese for nearly twelve years, I am a sucker for white-kitten stories, though I have often been disappointed by them. Animal lovers please note: No animals die in the course of this memoir!! Instead, the author, who while he enjoys animals in general did not identify as a cat-lover until he was adopted by his neighbour's kitten, was wise enough to quit while he and the reader were both ahead. We see the first year of Thermal's life with his family, and that's all. It's quite enough to be going on with.
Some reviewers use the word "hilarious", or "hysterical", to describe this book. I wouldn't go that far, though I did have to stop reading it on a sleepless night for fear of waking up my hubby with my chuckles. Longden resists the temptation to become self-conscious or self-indulgent in his attempts to amuse until the very end of the book, when he began to repeat himself just a bit. That earned him the fifth star.
Some reviewers use the word "hilarious", or "hysterical", to describe this book. I wouldn't go that far, though I did have to stop reading it on a sleepless night for fear of waking up my hubby with my chuckles. Longden resists the temptation to become self-conscious or self-indulgent in his attempts to amuse until the very end of the book, when he began to repeat himself just a bit. That earned him the fifth star.
September 8, 2017
I've read this book a few times, and come back to it every time as an old friend. The conversational style of the narrative can be a little hard to parse, but worth it for the comfort and humor in the read.
My favorite element of these sort of rambly anecdotal chapters is how Deric, the narrator, anthropomorphizes his entire world. From Thermal the kitten, his beleaguered sidekick the raisin and a host of neighborhood pets, to kitchen devices, buckets, rakes and delivery vans - everything has an opinion on its lot in life. It's all delivered in a deadly droll humor, with the effect of creating a brilliant, living world for what's essentially a series of everyday occurrences for a person with a new pet.
I recommend reading this book aloud to someone - Thermal's misadventures in damson wine are even more hysterical when you can make someone else shriek with laughter in the telling.
My favorite element of these sort of rambly anecdotal chapters is how Deric, the narrator, anthropomorphizes his entire world. From Thermal the kitten, his beleaguered sidekick the raisin and a host of neighborhood pets, to kitchen devices, buckets, rakes and delivery vans - everything has an opinion on its lot in life. It's all delivered in a deadly droll humor, with the effect of creating a brilliant, living world for what's essentially a series of everyday occurrences for a person with a new pet.
I recommend reading this book aloud to someone - Thermal's misadventures in damson wine are even more hysterical when you can make someone else shriek with laughter in the telling.
November 26, 2008
A long time ago I received the audiobook as a gift and absolutely fell in love with it. I played it over and over until I literally played the tapes to death. The tapes were lost for good in a house fire, and for years I kept looking for replacements. Cue to this year, when I found the release of the book.
I'll start by saying that you definately lose something in the switch from the audiobook to the print version. The book isn't quite as charming, or witty, and the flaws stand out much more. I'd characterize it as short, fluffy, and sweet. Perfect for cat lovers.
I'll start by saying that you definately lose something in the switch from the audiobook to the print version. The book isn't quite as charming, or witty, and the flaws stand out much more. I'd characterize it as short, fluffy, and sweet. Perfect for cat lovers.
July 8, 2011
When I was about 9, my family embarked on a road trip and took a number of books-on-tape with us. Londen's tale of adorable kittens, raisins, and such became an instant family favorite and we checked it out of the library for almost every trip after that (until we no longer had a tape deck in the car.) About 2 years ago, my mom found a copy for me for Christmas. It was wonderful reliving this text.
It's not your typical animal book (there really isn't a Marley and Me moment, thank goodness). It's just funny and clever. If you can find a copy (which is not easy), definitely pick it up.
It's not your typical animal book (there really isn't a Marley and Me moment, thank goodness). It's just funny and clever. If you can find a copy (which is not easy), definitely pick it up.
June 5, 2014
In "The Cat Who Came in from the Cold" we are introduced to Thermal the kitten. Thermal knows when he's onto a good thing and decides to adopt Deric and Aileen as one of his own. Enjoy reading about Thermal, Deric and Aileen's domestic adventures as they pitch and lurch themselves through (what is for them) normal life. A gentle and very funny memoir about nothing in particular. Warning - tissues required - you'll cry with laughter!
April 18, 2009
I just love Longden's style; chatty and witty, and quite humble (very British!). Reading his stories about his new kitten, cat owners can just picture exactly what's going on, and I ended up laughing out loud on many occasions (even on the second reading!)
Deric starts as a dog lover, but by the end is firmly in the cat camp, and proud owner of 4! (and how could he NOT have converted?)
Deric starts as a dog lover, but by the end is firmly in the cat camp, and proud owner of 4! (and how could he NOT have converted?)
October 19, 2014
I discovered this not long after it first came out, and it's been one of my favourites ever since. Deric had the skill of making a reader laugh out loud one moment and then cry the next. All of his books are wonderful to read, his characters jump from the page, but this one, which I read over and over, is my all-time favourite - how often is it that you read about a cat who has a pet raisin?!
April 17, 2008
Cute memoir of a cat who adopts a family. I was promised hilarity by the recommender, though, so my expectations were set too high. It was warm and amusing in bits, but if you are looking for laugh-till-you-cry cat stories, check out Doreen Tovey's books instead.
October 26, 2008
Truly my all time favourite cat book. The whimiscal narration leads you along into Deric Longden's world and his life with Thermal and Ralph. One of those feel-good comfort reads that I return to time and time again.
November 19, 2008
I love this book. It has all the comforts of a warm and inviting home, with a big, comfy chair to read in while sipping hot tea with, of course, a cat curled up on your lap. One of my perennial favorites. It is also wonderful in audio, if you can find it.
August 17, 2010
A warm friendly book about a man who finds a 'stray' kitten in his garden and how it charms its way into his and his almost blind authoress wifes life and home.
It is a feel good book but it has its hard edges as do all Deric Longdens books, he knows life is not just the good things.
It is a feel good book but it has its hard edges as do all Deric Longdens books, he knows life is not just the good things.
September 28, 2011
I listened to this one on audiobook. I enjoyed it well enough. It had a certain charm to it and I finally found out how Thermal got his name. Humourous and the author really brings the cats in his world, to life.
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