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Summary: bones about the book
Review: i'm glad snoop diggity-d has decided to come out of the closet with his film talents!i mean i was really getting mad because there isn't a wide distribution of his earlier work...or david sedaris' for that matter. i have to go to the little specialty/foreign shop off broad st. to get them both. but when i came out yesterday with snoop's last skin flick and dave's Naked i immediately read Naked before watching Snoop. i must say that the cat story is a stroke of cheese-wiz like genius.
LONG LIVE SOUP! uh..i mean snoop.
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Summary: Laughter & Lessons
Review: While I was browsing Amazon one day, I came across the reviews for David Sedaris's "Naked." Immediately, I decided that I had to read it because I am the kind of person that will laugh at almost anything; Sedaris's book proved to be no exception. Filled from cover to cover with wacky stories, this book provided the "comic relief" that I needed from my normal routine of nonfiction books. And while this book may be categorized as nonfiction, it is obvious that the stories have been greatly exaggerated to induce more laughs. One such story was "A Plague of Tics," in which Sedaris takes on the form of a hopeless epileptic child that is obsessed with licking metal objects and causing injury to himself. If Sedaris had actually acted in such a manner as a child, he would have most likely been placed in a mental rehabilitation center similar to the one described in the story "Dix Hill." In this story, Sedaris recalls his volunteer hours served helping patients at a local asylum. His descriptions of being attacked by the elderly patients are raucously hilarious, if not entirely believable. It is important to note, however, that not every essay in this book is directly aimed at producing a laugh. In a personal narrative titled "Ashes," Sedaris describes the death of his mother, which is hardly a jovial event. Still, there was a certain value to this essay that cannot parallel the trivial ones. Sedaris painfully articulates the feelings of knowing what it's like to see your entire family together for the last time; knowing that each phone conversation with a terminally ill family member could be your last. Sedaris abruptly ends one of the last phone calls to his mother with the phrase "I love you," words that he never could seem to speak before her illness. When I read this, I silently wondered if I would ever be in the same situation since the words "I love you" do not come easily from my lips either. Hopefully, after reading this, I can avoid putting myself in a place where I learn to appreciate someone only after they're (almost) gone. It is amazing that you can learn so much from a book primarily devoted to humor. My favorite essay from "Naked" shares the book's title. In this final piece, Sedaris talks about his voluntary one-week stay at a nudist colony. Besides the obvious humor in such an experience, the story is also an exploration into the way people place importance in things (such as clothes) that Sedaris concludes aren't really important at all. The essay was an excellent combination of the books two themes: the comic and the serious. Overall, "Naked" is a remarkable collection of stories that should appeal to almost anyone with its bold sense of humor and multifarious assortment of topics. Sedaris's ability to make a joke out of everyday experiences is the sign of very talented writing. Needless to say, "Naked" makes for a very enjoyable read -- just don't read it in the middle of an important event because I guarantee that you're likely to bust out laughing at any moment.
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Summary: A Delightful Introduction...
Review: "Naked" is a delightful introduction to David Sedaris for those of you who enjoy "real-life" humor and have never read Sedaris. I had not read his books, but heard him on occasion on National Public Radio, so this really primed my palate for his histerical, "Me Talk Pretty One Day." "Naked" reels you through what it's like, or perhaps, reminds one what it's like to grow up misunderstood, confused, and desperate to belong, maybe... What makes him funny is his cadence of language and quick segues to keep you interested, laughing and flipping pages
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Summary: Don't even attempt to drink milk while reading this book
Review: This book is so funny, the first four chapters are just priceless. The last book I read where I laughed out loud, was "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot". And that was years ago. I never thought I'd laugh so hard again, and now this book comes along. What a treasure. This book would be best for someone open minded, with a great sense of humor and positive outlook on life. There are definitely a few people I know who I would never recommend this book to. Which says something about them.
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Summary: Not Entirely Believable
Review: First, let me say that, if pressed, I would give this book 3 1/2 stars (but definitely not 4) because it is well written and, at times, interesting. However, while I enjoyed Sedaris' writing style and did, in fact, laugh out loud once or twice (the "towel mystery" cracked me up), I found the bookjacket comments that I would not be able to stop laughing, etc. to be more than a tad bit exaggerated (like these "true" stories themselves). I bought this book based on the fact that I had heard good things about "Me Talk Pretty Some Day" and wanted to read it. However, I couldn't find it in the store, so I bought "Naked" instead. Having read it, I have some questions. Number one, who is this David Sedaris guy and what makes him so important that he would think he should publish his life story? Two, why should we want to read his life story? Three, how can anyone be expected to believe that these stories are "actual events"? I find that extremely hard to swallow. It would seem that Mr. Sedaris survived several attempted kidnapping/murders/rapes, etc. (without once learning the dangers of hitchhicking or relying too heavily on the "kindness" of strangers) by the time he was 20 years old or so, not to mention a myriad of other adventures. Okay, I can believe it once, even... if I stretch my mind... twice; but after the THIRD attempt at his safety/virtue/peace of mind, it got a little hard to buy. And, while I'm on the subject of completely unrealistic, I found it absolutely impossible to belive that - in the 1960s/early 70s, Mr. Sedaris a) not only lived in a co-ed dorm but actually shared a room with a female; b) that said female was a quadriplegic; and c) that the school actually expected him, a young man, to be responsible for the daily grooming/toilet activities, etc. of said young woman (since such institutions usually err on the side of caution I would imagine that the concept of a young paralyzed woman being bathed, etc. by a young healthy man [they wouldn't know whether he was gay or not] would be a bit suspect). This, supposedly, is a "true" event. However, even now, you would never encounter this scenario (even if it would happen, I find it hard to believe that the parents of a quadriplegic female would consent to it). Also, I found nothing particulary endearing about his family and was hard pressed to figure out why I should be interested in their goings on. I did enjoy the "tic" sequence and his mother's interactions with the teachers; I found the "Ya-Ya" sequence appalling. Quite frankly, his entire family came off as self-important blowhards (and, yes, I ALSO "believe" his sister beat up a man who was beating a prostitute... completely realistic as well). Sedaris focuses mainly on his sister, Lisa -to whom the book is dedicated; however, the reader never really learns anything about her. All characters are painted one-dimensionally, something you wouldn't expect from a person who had grown up with them. Perhaps I would have enjoyed this book more had it not been so prominently advertised with an "all events are true" disclaimer. Quite frankly, I found it to be 99% exaggerated (that's the most polite way to phrase it) truth stretching. Incidentally, as a matter of geography and fact, Sedaris mentions his yearly childhood trips to "Western New York" (Binghamton/Corning, according to him). As a sidebar, I wanted to point out that Binghamton, New York is not "Western New York". The Buffalo area is Western New York (and there are hundreds of miles between the two). Just wanted to clarify that because I can't stand when "facts" are wrongly stated in "true" books... regardless of how petty they are. Anyway, I might venture a perusal of a borrowed copy of "Me Talk Pretty Someday" but think its more likely that my next "autobiographical" book will come from someone who actually has something to say or a point to make. Sedaris comes off as a Lewis Grizzard (who always had something to say and a point to make) "wanna-be" and fails miserably in his attempt.
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Summary: Not to be Read in Close Quarters
Review: This book sent me into such uncontrollable fits of laughter, that everyone near me on the plane became quite uncomfortable. What a great collection of stories!!
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Summary: Funny, insane, interesting
Review: Because it's been over a year since I read "Me Talk Pretty One Day", I'm not completely sure of this, but I think I liked "Naked" even more. There is a lot of laugh-out-loud stuff here, at least for me, juxtaposed with all kinds of crazy and
serious things that happened to David. I think he's lucky to be alive, given several events explained in this book. If you liked "Me Talk Pretty...", this is definitely another one you should read.
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Summary: Hysterically funny!
Review: This was one of the funniest, wackiest books I've ever picked up. At first I thought it was fiction because the life of David Sedaris seems too implausible to be real. There were times when I laughed so hard, I had to put the book down to catch my breath.
I dare anyone with any sort of a sense of humor to pick this one up and NOT laugh.
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Summary: I finally read something everyone is reading......
Review: I first heard David Sedaris on public radio reading "The Santaland Diaries". I nearly ran off the road laughing so hard, and then went around trying to explain to friends and family exactly how funny it is to hear a grown man imitate Billie Holiday. Everyone gave me a perplexed look and an answer that implied that I had the stupidest sense of humor around. A couple years have passed and now the very same people and grabbing me and saying, "You have to read this book by David Sedaris...." Well, they're right. It's hilarious. And I finally feel like I can participate in the conversations at parties.
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Summary: Laugh Out Loud Funny
Review: This book was my second adventure into Sedaris's work, my first being "Me Talk Pretty One Day". I enjoyed that book, but I have to say that "Naked" was even better. This book had me laughing out loud on such a regular basis, my boyfriend must have thought I was crazy! As with the other book, I feel that the strongest points in the book are toward the beginning, and the story slows down as you reach the end. However, this book starts off at such a fast pace, you won't mind the slowdown. This is a book that any fan of Sedaris MUST read, and everyone else should give it a try as well. Funny, eye opening, and clever...check it out.
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