Reviews

Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules by David Sedaris

ellie_gard_1998's review

dark funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I wish that the audiobook collection contained the entirety of the anthology (where was my O'Connor? My Lahiri?) but alas! The stories which were included, however, were brilliant and deeply strange. Their narrators were perfect. Ranked by how pensive and strange they made me feel the rest of the day, and by the likelihood I will reread them:

• "Gryphon" by Charles Baxter
• Bullet in the Brain" by Tobias Wolff
• "Where the Door Is Always Open and the Welcome Mat Is Out" by Patricia Highsmith
• "Cosmopolitan" by Akhil Sharma
• "In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is Buried" by Amy Hempel

I desperately need to be in a book club with David Sedaris but at least I get to see him live next month!

casspro's review against another edition

2.0

When my mother-in-law loaned me this book, I was ecstatic. Short stories handpicked by the one of my favorite authors, how could this be anything other than genius? And some of the stories were beautiful and witty and sad, a perfect match for Sedaris. But others were really bland and uninteresting. I skipped past a good number after only read the first couple of paragraphs.

It wasn't my favorite Sedaris or my favorite short story collection, but there are a few gems in here to look forward to.

labunnywtf's review

2.0

Stories hand picked by David Sedaris, a masterful story teller. What could go wrong?

::head desk::

Everything. Everything goes wrong.

Every damn story had a great opening plot. It's like, okay, the roller coaster is leaving the gate...it's going upwards...oh, wow, we're almost vertical, this is going to be such a great ride.......

..............................

..............................

Wait. What happened? Why are we stopped? Did....did I fall asleep?

Ugh.

jojobacat's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.0

theseventhl's review against another edition

5.0

I desperately want my own copy of this now. It is that good. David Sedaris, you have damn good taste in short stories. Although that isn't much of a surprise, is it?

crayzikat's review

emotional funny sad medium-paced

3.75

A collection of stories introduced by David Sedaris. The best part is his introduction. I was hoping for something more humorous. The stories are well told, but not what I was looking for.

sarahhautman's review against another edition

3.0

To Read

roserin25's review against another edition

3.0

The stories aren't by David Sedaris- they're by various authors he's been influenced or inspired by. I really liked half to three quarters of the selections.

rebcamuse's review against another edition

4.0

This is a compilation of David Sedaris' favorite short stories by literary greats such as Alice Munro, Flannery O'Connor and Dororthy Parker, just to name a few. With a crowd like this, you can expect stories that will leave you ever so slightly unsettled, such as Tobias Wolff's "Bullet in the Brain" and Lorrie Moore's troubling tromp through a pediatric cancer ward in "People Like That Are the Only People Here: Canonical Babbling in Peed Onk." The stories seem to gather eccentric value as the book progresses. They are provocative and probably not best read right before bed. But Sedaris has indeed gathered the best of the best, and each of the stories represents an intricate piece of literary art.

But there is another reason to buy this book. All the proceeds benefit 826NYC, an afterschool tutoring organization that also does community outreach by way of writing workshops for young people. Literature to help foster literature-it is a great idea and one worthy of support.
|

amandaretta's review against another edition

5.0

This book is the first book I remember really causing me to pause and think. The short stories are intimate and profound. I was originally given this book as a homework assignment and then I went back and reread it and was incredibly moved by it. It is one of my all time favorites and I will recommend it to everyone I know.