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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
This was my first time reading Sedaris, and while I have a lot of conflicting thoughts, I enjoyed it overall.
First off: I normally hate essays, even humorous ones, but I enjoyed almost everything in this collection. There were a few that were short and seemed familiar in ways I couldn't quite pinpoint—similarity to part of a stand-up routine, perhaps.
I consumed this book on audio and were I rating it based on the audio experience alone, I'm afraid this would be no more than a 2-star read. I do think the book was stronger for the author having also been the narrator. The pregnant pauses and punchlines were delivered perfectly. However, in the portions that were recorded (to flashback a handful of decades) "before a live studio audience," I frankly wished that some of the audience were less live, particularly the ones who howled with laughter after every sentence or two. These parts were distracting and some of those people were just fucking annoying to listen to.
The essays deal with Sedaris' life as he deals with aging, both his own and his father's. During these bits, he was in his mid-50s and his father was in his early 90s. Some of the parts were poignant, and some were hard to relate to. I do respect his willingness to display not only his strengths, but his foibles, but I sometimes wonder if he is at least partially blind to the latter. Then again, I suppose most of us hold a higher opinion of ourselves than do others.
Not factoring in the horrid live audio segments, I enjoyed this just about as much as I could any essay collection.
4 out of 5 stars.
First off: I normally hate essays, even humorous ones, but I enjoyed almost everything in this collection. There were a few that were short and seemed familiar in ways I couldn't quite pinpoint—similarity to part of a stand-up routine, perhaps.
I consumed this book on audio and were I rating it based on the audio experience alone, I'm afraid this would be no more than a 2-star read. I do think the book was stronger for the author having also been the narrator. The pregnant pauses and punchlines were delivered perfectly. However, in the portions that were recorded (to flashback a handful of decades) "before a live studio audience," I frankly wished that some of the audience were less live, particularly the ones who howled with laughter after every sentence or two. These parts were distracting and some of those people were just fucking annoying to listen to.
The essays deal with Sedaris' life as he deals with aging, both his own and his father's. During these bits, he was in his mid-50s and his father was in his early 90s. Some of the parts were poignant, and some were hard to relate to. I do respect his willingness to display not only his strengths, but his foibles, but I sometimes wonder if he is at least partially blind to the latter. Then again, I suppose most of us hold a higher opinion of ourselves than do others.
Not factoring in the horrid live audio segments, I enjoyed this just about as much as I could any essay collection.
4 out of 5 stars.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
i really enjoy this man’s bitchy little opinions. glad i’m not in customer service anymore so i’ll never have to deal with him though.
super funny moments that had me crying laughing in the car (the whole fitbit essay, the tumor being fed to a snapping turtle) interspersed with the most raw observations on death and family—how are you supposed to feel when your sibling commits suicide but you didn’t really like them? or when a beloved parent dies of cancer but they were also a severe alcoholic? what are you supposed to think when you become older than the deceased parent was? i love how sedaris makes his home in the most uncomfortable and complicated parts of life. and he does it in culottes!
also i told riley that i wish mr. sedaris had narrated his own essays instead of “some lady”. one youtube video later, turns out that actually was him! sorry sir!
super funny moments that had me crying laughing in the car (the whole fitbit essay, the tumor being fed to a snapping turtle) interspersed with the most raw observations on death and family—how are you supposed to feel when your sibling commits suicide but you didn’t really like them? or when a beloved parent dies of cancer but they were also a severe alcoholic? what are you supposed to think when you become older than the deceased parent was? i love how sedaris makes his home in the most uncomfortable and complicated parts of life. and he does it in culottes!
also i told riley that i wish mr. sedaris had narrated his own essays instead of “some lady”. one youtube video later, turns out that actually was him! sorry sir!
Sedaris never disappoints. This one is a more somber than some of his other works, but the lower moments really propel the higher ones.
funny
medium-paced
funny
medium-paced
I laughed out loud many times. The whole turtle tumor saga brought it down 1-2 stars though.