A Kingdom of Tender Colors: A Memoir of Comedy, Survival, and Love

by Seth Greenland

A Kingdom of Tender Colors is a book about cancer—the funny side.

One unremarkable day at the age of 37 Seth Greenland finds himself in everyone’s nightmare – a routine doctor visit, some swollen glands, a series of tests, a biopsy, and finally a diagnosis of an aggressive form of lymphatic cancer. A screenwriter and satirist with a blooming career in Hollywood, Seth has felt pretty good about his life until now; suddenly, the world has tipped on its axis.

With the support of friends and family, Seth launches into an attempt to save his own life without losing either his sanity or his sense of humor. From chemotherapy treatments, to meditation and more alternative treatments, he battles the disease with wit, honesty, and no small amount of sheer terror. There are no pat answers or inspirational revelations here, just one man confronting hopes and fears recognizable to us all – and triumphing.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

288 pages, Hardcover

Published September 15, 2020

Reviews

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read! Hilarious and entertaining which is a remarkable achievement, as Greenland navigates the deepest territory imaginable with humor and honesty, so that the reader barely recognizes that he or she has been made more wise and enlightened about the preciousness of life itself.

[Carol]

I really enjoyed Seth Greenland's vivid and heartfelt recollections of his life-threatening bout with cancer while in his 30s. It's not a spoiler to say that he survived, since he wrote this book recently from the comfortable perspective of his 60s. But the outcome was far from certain at the time, and Greenland is very open in sharing his thoughts, fears and spiritual explorations. He chooses a rather surprising path forward after completing traditional chemotherapy treatment, and that was also interesting to read about. The fact that Greenland is an accomplished writer (who apparently kept a detailed journal during this fraught period of his life) makes this a good read even if you have no particular interest in cancer.

Please note that I don't use the star rating system, so this review should not be viewed a zero.

[Sara Gerot · Rating 5 out of 5]

The WSJ blurb on the back of this book refers it as "sassy" which I don't think quite gets it. Snappy. It snaps. The writing is vibrant and entertaining. The language performs. The structure was so tight and well-done but not in the typical memoir-ish fashion. It felt organic and chatty, but never meandered. Very enjoyable to read.
Greenland writes about the finiteness of the even the mundane moments in life. And I really appreciate this book and message that he is getting here. Even with all of the failures in my life. All the troubles. The lack. The strife. I still really really like to be alive. I like living.
Absolutely lovely book. Comfortably earnest.

[Karen Glass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take this journey, you’ll be glad you did. The author’s disarming memoir more than lives up to its evocative title. It is a very generous piece of writing about the remarkable story of his cancer diagnosis and ensuing, fascinating battle with it. But it is much more that. Greenland is a gifted writer and an astute observer what it is to be human. There are many wonderful threads to his story and there is breadth, depth and humor throughout, if not on every page.

[Mary Gwynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. The author makes his battle with Stage 4 cancer so funny that I was laughing out loud reading it. He embraces traditional Western medicine along with many wacky alternative cures and his journey is fascinating reading! It is entertaining and uplifting.

[Sam Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great memoir! Served up with joyous doses of comedy, emotion, coffee enemas, and more comedy , Seth Greenland provides nuanced insights into fatherhood, intimacy, and yes, the meaning of life, all through the prism of cancer survival. Highly recommend!!

[Melissa Cates · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful read. You’d think a book about a cancer diagnosis would be stressful to read but Greenland’s prose is funny, touching, curious and, ultimately, uplifting.

His tone is somewhat Philip Roth-like & you never know what’s coming next.

Highly recommended

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up at the library, on a whim, and finished it in a day. I won't say more, except that I thought it was wonderful.