 "An absolute riot" | 2009-09-12 |
| - Reviewed By User: A34HL54S3R2O3 |
| I thought my family was insane, and they are- but Sedaris's family makes mine look boring in comparison. He is insightful, his descriptions are always very visual and funny and his cynicism has an unexpected warmth! |
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| "Naked is clearly the best book ever" | 2009-08-09 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1O2L2T1ITNQTF |
I love all of David Sedaris' books, and Naked is my absolute fave. Sedaris is funny and smart without "mugging" for laughs. His use of language and tempo is spot on. One of my favorite quotes of all time comes from the story, "Dinah the Christmas Whore," when Dinah, the Christmas Whore, drunk at the Sedaris family home, lovingly refers to Sedaris and his siblings as "A pack of goddman angels."
The author is glaringly open about his insecurities, hopes, dreams, downfalls, and it is this is why we can laugh at his criticisms of those around him because he is always most critical of himself.
"Get Your Yaya's Out," about Sedaris' depressed, unassimilated (though having lived in the US for four decades at least)Greek grandmother with a tendency to gather and eat the neighbor's plants, is both hilarious and sad. I don't want give anything else away because it's a treat to explore this book on your own.
I don't believe that this should be labled as a "gay memoir." Good writing, humor, the human condition, the universal unconscious: all supercede sexual identity, race, or religion. I adore Naked and I find myself relating to Sedaris more than any other author and that is the stark truth.
Audrey Spilker Hagar, author, Our Lives Have Gone to the Dogs
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| "Glorious and Painful Recognition" | 2009-07-15 |
| - Reviewed By User: A34J4P8E6G0AFO |
I picked up the book Naked by David Sedaris at a thrift store and it's been collecting dust on my computer cabinet at home ever since. Not because I didn't want to read it but because my floor-to-ceiling bookcases are crammed full and I just hadn't gotten around to it yet. The reason for my sudden interest is due, in full, to a Facebook note that circulated yesterday instructing the reader to grab the first book nearest you and post the fifth sentence from page 56 as your Facebook status. "Pimps and circus clowns have been dressing that way for years." jumped off the page at me and after going through several pages on my train commute to work this morning, I was hooked.
Perhaps because I can (painfully) relate, the section entitled "A Plague of Tics" where the author recounts his earliest memories of OCD, was hysterically funny to me. I tried to read it during my lunch break but was seriously afraid I was going to choke, I was laughing so hard - I had to put my fork down. I imagine even non-sufferers of this wretched and embarrassing absurdity of a disorder will find humour in his comical narrative.
I owe it to my Facebook friends for inspiring me to finally dust the cover and crack this one open. I haven't laughed this much in one setting since watching Kevin James perform his onstage act Sweat the Small Stuff.
I've barely gotten through the first few chapters, but I am completely enamored. More later . . . |
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| "great book!" | 2009-06-26 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2XOQV602BRFFS |
| Crazy, laugh out loud funny, especially if you can relate to the quirky obsessive compulsive behaviors, the mother who has her own FUNNY (nutty) way of dealing with her life, ...and this is just the first few chapters! |
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| "A Zany Cup of Tea" | 2009-05-30 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1MCAHDE1F3Q6L |
As the author of a humorous novel entitled "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude," I especially appreciate anyone who writes in the comedy genre. Like myself, David Sedaris has created a delightfully zany book that will tickle your funny bone. The wonderful thing about this book is that it is autobiographical and that the author has learned how to embrace the humor connected to his dysfunctional past.
I especially related to him for two personal reasons: that he is gay and that he suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. What is delightful is how he comes to a place of acceptance concerning these life challenges. The author is witty and satirical. The writing is incisive.
The book ends up with a madcap romp through a nudist camp. The characters and situations that he encounters there are over-the-top. Trust me, this book will keep you laughing as you keep turning the pages. I enjoyed every minute of it.
Davis Aujourd'hui, author of "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude" |
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 "Decent, but not as funny as I expected" | 2009-05-17 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3RTNA9THAU2OP |
| I've been told this book was laugh out loud funny. The back cover says "sidesplitting". While there were a few laugh out loud moments, I thought it fell somewhat short of all the great things I'd heard. Some essays were just downright sad, like the one where his mom gets cancer. My favorite was probably "A Plague of Tics" where he develops these "tics" in elementary school. Everytime his teacher would turn her back, he'd get up and lick the light switch. Overall, it was a decent read, but definitely not as funny as I expected it to be. |
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