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Amazon.co.uk Review
David Sedaris became a star autobiographer on public radio, onstage in New York, and on bestseller lists, mostly on the strength of Santaland Diaries a scathing, hilarious account of his stint as a Christmas elf at Macy's department store. Sedaris's caustic gift has not deserted him in his fourth book, which mines poignant comedy from his peculiar childhood in North Carolina, his bizarre career path and his move with his lover to France.
Though his anarchic inclination to digress is his glory, Sedaris does have a theme in these reminiscences: the inability of humans to communicate. The title is his rendition in transliterated English of how he and his fellow students of French in Paris mangle the Gallic language. In the essay "Jesus Shaves", he and his classmates from many nations try to convey the concept of Easter to a Moroccan Muslim. "It is a party for the little boy of God", says one. "Then he be die one day on two... morsels of... lumber", says another. Sedaris muses on the disputes between his Protestant mother and his father, a Greek Orthodox man whose Easter fell on a different day. Other essays explicate his deep kinship with his eccentric mother and absurd alienation from his IBM-exec dad: "To me, the greatest mystery of science continues to be that a man could father six children who shared absolutely none of his interests".
Every glimpse we get of Sedaris's family and acquaintances delivers laughs and insights. He thwarts his North Carolina speech therapist ("for whom the word pen had two syllables") by cleverly avoiding all words with "s" sounds, which reveal the lisp she sought to correct. His midget guitar teacher, Mister Mancini, is unaware that Sedaris doesn't share his obsession with breasts, and sings "Light My Fire" all wrong--"as if he were a Webelo scout demanding a match". As a remarkably unqualified teacher at the Art Institute of Chicago, Sedaris had his class watch soap operas and assign "guessays" on what would happen in the next day's episode. It all adds up to the most distinctively skewed autobiography since Spalding Gray's Swimming to Cambodia. --Tim Appelo --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
Still keeps me company like a party guest who's been asked to spend the night...His essays about living in Paris are full of piss and vinegar and achingly funny. (Armistead Maupin )
Audaciously combining memoir, essay, and what has to be fiction, this fourth collection of short pieces offers pleasures normally to be found only in the best novels and the rare standup act that is actually funny. (THE NEW YORKER )
He is, simply, very funny... refusing to find anything an unfit subject for humour. (SUNDAY TIMES )
A sophisticatedly funny take on modern life. Treat yourself to this book. (IRISH TIMES )
Audaciously combining memoir, essay, and what has to be fiction, this fourth collection of short pieces offers pleasures normally to be found only in the best novels and the rare standup act that is actually funny. (THE NEW YORKER )
He is, simply, very funny... refusing to find anything an unfit subject for humour. (SUNDAY TIMES )
A sophisticatedly funny take on modern life. Treat yourself to this book. (IRISH TIMES )
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First Sentence
ANYONE WHO WATCHES EVEN THE SLIGHTEST amount of TV is familiar with the scene: An agent knocks on the door of some seemingly ordinary home or office. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
ANYONE WHO WATCHES EVEN THE SLIGHTEST amount of TV is familiar with the scene: An agent knocks on the door of some seemingly ordinary home or office. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Great opening chapter to what is an awesome story all the way to the end. This is one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. The odd characters made it all the more funny. Being the first Sedaris book I have read, I am up and ready for more of his stories. He is a witty and humorous writer and reminds me of the funny book The Usurper and Other Stories.The story flows smoothly, backed by a rich choice of words, deep knowledge and excellent descriptions. I am glad I read this book.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is not a novel as such, but more a series of short stories from various phases of the author's life... and being raised by Greek immigrant parents, before moving to France, via a series of odd jobs gives plenty of opportunity for some hysterical anecdotes.
This book has the same feel as an entertaining acquaintance recounting his experiences over a drink or the dinner table, and even the events that aren't that funny by nature are transformed by this natural storyteller.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
What a discovery!
I heard David Sedaris read from selections of his work on radio 4 and he made me laugh out loud. So I ordered this book and it has had me in stitches, he is just so funny! Read more
Published 1 month ago by stew71
Love this man.
Do try to listen to David Sedaris reading his own material. I think it adds to the joy of reading his slightly surreal comedy when you have his voice in your ear.
Published 2 months ago by B. Klein
Witty ditty
Sedaris is probably an aquired taste, but I find his observations on life witty and occasional 'laugh out loud' The material is in chunks rather than a single narrative and... Read more
Published 2 months ago by chris53
So good I bought it twice!
I first downloaded this from Audible but decided it was so good, I wanted a hard version for my collection. Read more
Published 3 months ago by MikeC
Disappointing
I've recently been introduced to "This American Life", and having enjoyed what I've heard of David Sedaris's contributions to the show, I decided to try one of this books. Read more
Published 4 months ago by kelper
Just about audible...
I've just bought the "Audible" download of this book. Unfortunately it appears on iTunes as a gigantic 5 3/4 hour blob. Where are the chapters? Why aren't they separate tracks? Read more
Published 4 months ago by David Roberts
loved it
My wife and I just adored this book in every way. It was great to hear it adapted for the radio recently also. Read more
Published 8 months ago by jimble
you may need continence pads with this
Me Talk Pretty One Day is the 6th book of collected essays by David Sedaris. In part one, Sedaris touches on speech therapy for his lisp at school, guitar lessons from a midget,... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Cloggie Downunder
why the rave reviews?
It is not often that I actually don't want to finish reading a book, but this book had me feeling that way after only a few chapters. Read more
Published 10 months ago by L. Davidson
Clever stuff
David Sedaris' observational humour is genuinely funny. His upbringing as one of a large (and quirky) family in North Carolina and his later life in New York and France provide... Read more
Published 11 months ago by JoTownhead
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