Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris is a collection of humorous essays that provide insight into the author's life experiences, from childhood to adulthood. The book covers a wide range of topics, including learning a new language, family dynamics, and cultural differences. Sedaris' writing style is described as witty, clever, and self-deprecating, offering a unique perspective on everyday situations and personal anecdotes. The stories are a mix of funny and poignant moments, showcasing the author's ability to find humor in both the mundane and the extraordinary.
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From The Publisher:
Me Talk Pretty One Day is a new collection of hilarious, satirical observations from David Sedaris, inspired by his life in Paris.
A new collection from David Sedaris is cause for jubilation. His recent move to Paris has inspired hilarious pieces, including Me Talk Pretty One Day, about his attempts to learn French. His family is another inspiration. You Cant Kill the Rooster is a portrait of his brother who talks incessant hip-hop slang to his bewildered father. And no one hones a finer fury in response to such modern annoyances as restaurant meals presented in ludicrous towers and cashiers with 6-inch fingernails. Compared by The New Yorker to Twain and Hawthorne, Sedaris has become one of our best-loved authors. Sedaris is an amazing reader whose appearances draw hundreds, and his performances, including a jaw-dropping impression of Billie Holiday singing I Wish I Were an Oscar Meyer Weiner, are unforgettable.
"Sedaris's essays on living in Paris are some of the funniest he's ever written. At last, someone even meaner than the French! The sort of blithely sophisticated, loopy humour that might have resulted if Dorothy Parker and James Thurber had had a love child." - Entertainment Weekly on Barrel Fever Sidesplitting
"Not one of the essays in this new collection failed to crack me up; frequently I was helpless." - New York Times Book Review on Naked
Ratings (101)
Incredible (21) | |
Loved It (49) | |
Liked It (13) | |
It Was OK (11) | |
Did Not Like (7) |
Reader Stats (147):
Read It (101) | |
Want To Read (24) | |
Did Not Finish (2) | |
Not Interested (20) |
6 comment(s)
David Sedaris has a way of finding humor with pure observation. He does not insert his own emotion and allows for you to process and feel whatever comes up organically on its own as if you are personally experiencing it. I wish I could write like him.
My overall take away from this book was 'eh'. I enjoyed it, but not all of it. For some moments, it seemed too brutish and cruel. I chuckled a few times and I finished it, so there's that. But it might be a while before I pick up another David Sedaris book.
I became a Sedaris fan through his radio work first, so the title essay was a favorite of mine. However, I think "The Youth in Asia" is my favorite essay from this collection, if only because anything about dying pets is guaranteed to make me cry. Read this if you want to laugh out loud and feel smarter.
****5.0****
Sedaris is a very funny writer. I laughed out loud throughout the book and some occasions brought tears in my eyes , of course laughing.
“Sometimes the sins you haven’t committed are all you have left to hold onto.”
Starting from his childhood in North Carolina, early adulthood in New York and his recent adventures living with his boyfriend Hugh in Paris, Sedaris puts forward lively stories with the reader. His struggle with lisp and speech therapist, with learning guitar were hilarious. He also recalls the animal presence and it’s effects in his family that is family dog/s and cat/s and his own bonding with parents and siblings. His sexuality is also included along with his sister’s addiction to tanning and incidents equally hilarious.
“When shit brings you down, just say ‘fuck it’, and eat yourself some motherfucking candy.”
Let me tell you Sedaris has put together several essays that are worth much more into this book. Reader jumps from one part of his life to another which are funnily narrated but are serious issues.
“Hugh consoled me, saying, “Don’t let it get to you. There are plenty of things you’re good at.”
When asked for some examples, he listed vacuuming and naming stuffed animals. He says he can probably come up with a few more, but he’ll need some time to think.”
Brilliantly written, Sedaris is, again, a very funny writer.
Happy Reading!!!
I'm not a huge Sedaris fan, even though I know that is sacrilege to say in certain circles. I find him just mildly amusing/interesting
Sedaris is the OG - hysterical and finding comedy gold in the mundane!!! I’d devour anything he writes and if you get the chance to see him in person. - do it. He’s classic and it’s amazing!
What can you read after
Me Talk Pretty One Day?
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