Rating:  Summary: I was sorry when it ended. Review: After finishing David Sedaris' latest, I found myself missing him in the same way tend to miss Holden Caufield. A true and funny friend gone away. Like most most gay guys I find Sedaris endlessly endearing while endless annoying. I wish he would write a novel but he's probably too lazy. A wonderful read.
Rating:  Summary: Me laugh loud and out at book by Sedaris! Review: "Me Talk Pretty One Day" was my first introduction to the warped mind of David Sedaris. I don't intend for this to be my last introduction. I laughed out loud at some of the hilarious tales Sedaris tells, which sometimes are so outlandish, they can only be true. (Hording spoiled fruit? A brother who talks to his dad like he would his bar buddy? Performance art with sock puppets? No one can make up this stuff!) His essays on the more mundane, like the challenge of New York Times crossword puzzles and the idiosyncracies of Americans in Paris, are also funny. It might take a certain sense of humor to get some of this, though. I read a few stories out loud to my husband, and he didn't laugh at all of them. Must have something to do with my husband's IQ... (But that is another Sedaris story!)
Rating:  Summary: David's At It Again- Only This Time in Full Force Review: I have always been an avid reader of David Sedaris since I first went to a live reading of his at my University auditorium. His true-to-life stories always make me chuckle; his poignant and descriptive narrative is very relative to what my peers and I experienced growing up in the 80's. I highly recommend the text to any new reader of Sedaris' work. The chapters are short and always keep your attention. Enjoy! and T'amuse bien! (have fun!)
Rating:  Summary: Bubble gum for the brain - just what I wanted Review: I can't remember laughing outloud so much while reading. Proves that truth is funnier than fiction. Sedaris has a unique ability to poke fun at himself and his family, and it was fun going on this ride with him. This was a selection in a book club I'm in, and all of us got a kick out of it. Favorite chapter - The Rooster - totally killing me!
Rating:  Summary: Another Good One Review: I think David Sedaris and Henry Alford are the two funniest people writing right now. Sedaris's new book is perhaps more commercial than his other ones--some of the topics are a little more obvious than ones he's tackled before--but it is no less funny. Can we blame him if he wants to laugh about foreigners making funny lingual mistakes, or waiters in pretentious restaurants? Granted, these topics are sort of like shooting fish in a barrel. But they're no less funny for being obvious.
Rating:  Summary: Very disappointing Review: I decided to order this book after hearing the author read two of the chapters on national Public Radio (NPR). Both chapters covered his life in France. It seemed quite a novel idea; an American sharing his experiences on life in France, unsuccessfully trying to come to grips with the vagaries of the French language. On each occasion, the stories were very witty, and delivered superbly. On this basis, and on the understanding that the book would be "more of the same", I decided to order it without delay. Unfortunately, I found the book very disappointing. Why? First, the number of words per dollar is very low. Okay. Never mind. What else? Second, only 2-3 chapters (toward the end of the book) are devoted to the challenges of life in France. The rest covers the authors' earlier years in the USA, and is not in the same league as what I heard on NPR. Overall, the book cannot be described as "funny". The chapters are generally unrelated to each other, merely representing a relatively disjointed collection of anecdotes lacking a true punchline or meaning. It took me approximately three hours to read the book, and I felt no enlightenment or fulfillment afterwards. Repeatedly, I gained the impression that the author is trying to emulate Bill Bryson. The problem is that he does this very unsuccessfully. Perhaps I should just blame NPR for giving an entirely false impression of the book.
Rating:  Summary: Hilarious, and better than previous books. Review: I can't imagine anyone being less than fully entertained by this book. It has its sophomoric moments, but one thing that has developed in Sedaris' writing since his early days is generosity. He is generous and forgiving while still being ascerbic and witty. I found the sensibility in books like "Barrel Fever" and "Naked" a little bitter. With the earlier books, I got tired of reading about dysfunctional monsters and horrible people page after page. With "Me Talk Pretty One Day," Sedaris has become human. He's still biting as ever, but he somehow manages to forgive at the same time.
Rating:  Summary: Me Disappointed Review: As someone who experienced big belly laughs with Naked and Barrel Fever, I anxiously awaited the release of MTPOD. Outrageously insane insights and POV. Interesting characters. The problem with MTPOD...the stories are simply not that funny. A handful of laughs, one or two chuckles. My recommendation...reread Naked.
Rating:  Summary: Soooo overrated! Review: Let the Sedaris fans lap it up, but for me, this book has no edge whatsoever. What's the difference between a performance monologuist such as Sedaris or Spalding Gray and a stand-up comedian? The latter at least has punchlines, but the former just drones on and on. This is cutesy, soft, overly-pleasant stuff - the same people who watch "Mystery" on PBS will love it - perfect for readers who do not want to be disturbed or think too much.
Rating:  Summary: A quirkily funny book Review: I have become acquainted with David Sedaris through his commentaries on NPR and various magazine pieces. This book is a collection of many of those, with some really laugh-provoking spots. Nutcracker.com is a treat (minus the last 4 paragraphs), as well as laugh out loud pieces The Learning Curve, City of Angels, and Giant Dreams, Midget Abilities. There are also wry , introspective, even touching pieces such as The City of Lights in the Darkand genetic Engineering. Sometimes, you get the feeling Sedfaris is indulging in writing along the same lines as he indulged art (Twelve Moments in the Life of the Artist). I cannot find serious fault with anyone else who is enamored with One Life to Live ( I only wish I could have taken his writing class) and who remembers the Vicki fainting at her class reunion story line.
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