Rating: 
Summary: when only the weirdest will do
Review: I crankily believe that 90% of modern American pop culture is generated by the same six people. Davis Sedaris is not, thankfully, one of those people. His book is so weird and unpredictable that I found myself alternately gasping and giggling throughout the short time in which I devoured it.
I too spent my childhood in NC and had that delicious, goofy "HEY! I'VE BEEN THERE!" reaction when he mentioned places like Greensboro and the Raleigh Art Museum, and when he commented that his speech teacher thought "pen" was a two-syllable word. I am also a former student of French, a sometime participant in odd theater pieces, and blessed(?) with a remarkably peculiar family. Therefore my laughs were that much louder because of the classic "It's funny because it's true!" principle of comedy.
In the Seinfeld era of mass-produced catchphrases, I appreciate Sedaris' dry and inventive manipulation of language. Several of his turns of phrase have already wormed their way in to my daily conversation. I have begun to nurture my inner vachette. I would like to personally thank the author for writing the phrase "I was sitting at home, braiding the bristles on my whisk broom" because it is the most inexplicably hilarious image I've encountered in a long time. It's funny because it's true. Most of us are really that weird.
Rating: 
Summary: David Sedaris, the caustic charmer
Review: David Sedaris's latest is both memoir and travelogue, a compilation of the foibles and reflections of the sardonic social critic and humorist. Made popular by 1998's Naked and long-standing appearances on NPR, Sedaris again delivers the same wit and insight as in previous volumes, with the addition of his skewed version of the American living abroad-in this case, France. Sedaris's family and upbringing are the subject of many of the essays, most notably "You Can't Kill the Rooster," a hilarious description of the fantastically foul-mouthed youngest member of the Sedaris clan. "Twelve Months in the Life of the Artist," delves into Sedaris's brief stint in the land of human hair sculpture and performance art. Equally raucous and charming as the family pieces are Sedaris's commentaries on French culture. Having gone to live in France with his boyfriend, Sedaris finds himself mired in a new culture and-much to his horror-a new language, the consonants and vowels of which both escape and dumbfound him. The title essay takes its name for one of many classroom scenes in which Sedaris attempts, along with other, equally handicapped students, to master French. Enter the sadistic French teacher who mocks student responses and a scene in which the multi-ethnic classroom tries to explain the differences between French and American observance of Easter, revealing the inherent idiocy of the both versions. In "Picka Pocktoni," Sedaris finds himself face-to-face with two American tourists who assume that he is both French and-as they loudly and damningly discuss-a body-odor-ridden subway pickpocket. Sedaris's razor-sharp insights and devious queries into human nature make him the popualr humorist he is and will remain, wehther imported or domestic.
Rating: 
Summary: Just short of the mark...
Review: David Sedaris certainly has the knack for spinning a hilarious yarn, but a number of these stories left me wondering how they passed the test for being included in a book.It has a some laugh-out-loud moments, but not quite as good as Barrel Fever.
Rating:
Summary: You'll roar out loud -- absolutely HILARIOUS!
Review: CAUTION: "Me Talk Pretty One Day" is one of the FUNNIEST books you'll EVER read. You'll laugh out loud until you're embarrassed. You'll roar at wisecracks so biting and mean that you'll feel guilty. And if you read a certain (in)famous chapter you'll howl with laughter, pretend you shouldn't have read it -- and read it again...and howl.. again. The acid-pen Sedaris shot to fame reading his humorous stories over National Public Radio (and he still insisted on cleaning houses for money). The book's first half has stories on various subjects (family, art class, teaching writing, working for tough bosses etc.). The second deals with his experiences in moving to France with his lover. Sedaris spares no one -- not his father, sister, teachers, artists or himself -- from his scapel-sharp, insight-filled humor. Some wisecracks are instant classics. When he tries to
become an artist, dabbling in questionable performance art, he writes of artists: "Their artworks were known as 'pieces,' a phrase I enthusiastically embraced. 'Nice piece,' I'd
say. In my eagerness to please, I accidentally complimented chipped baseboards and sacks of laundry waiting to be taken to the cleaners. Anything might be a piece if you looked at
it hard enough." When a museum wants him to do some performance art it seemed "as though I should play hard to get, but after a moment or two of awkward silence, I agreed to do it for what I called 'political reasons.' I needed the money for drugs." In a chapter detailing the lives and deaths of his various pets: "When my mother died and was cremated herself we worried that, acting on instinct, our father might run out and
immediately replace her." When he's invited to teach: "I was clearly unqualified yet I accepted the job without hesitation, as it would allow me to wear a tie and go by the name
Mr. Sedaris." And what a sadistic French teach told him:"Every day spent with you is like having a cesarean section." In his most innovative "piece," a chapter called Big Boy, he describes his battle with (ahem) something he sees in a toilet. You'll roar while you read this short three page story
and hate yourself for reading it...and read it again. The book contains some adult language and adult situations. DESERVES MORE THAN FIVE STARS!!
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful, biting collection of offbeat essays
Review: There aren't many writers who can force me to laugh out loud, but David Sedaris can--and did. Before reading Me Talk Pretty One Day, I knew Sedaris only through his semiregular commentaries on NPR's This American Life. Now I can't wait to read the rest of his books. Sedaris's writing style is utterly unique, and his ability to summon thoughts and feelings from days long gone make him a wonderfully vivid storyteller. I don't know a single person like him--let's just say his background is not that of the "typical" American--which is one of the reasons why I found his essays such a pleasure to read. The first half of the book was great, but the second half, chronicling Sedaris's experiences living in France, was my favorite--especially a brilliant essay on how an American abroad views other Americans. I'd say more, but I went to the library yesterday and have two other Sedaris books waiting for my attention.
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious!!!
Review: I'm reading this book again on the eve of a family week-long trip to Paris. Although I know I thoroughly enjoyed the book the first time, it is just and funny and fresh on the second read. I'm not the type who normally laughs out loud while reading or watching t.v. for that matter, but certain pieces in this book have had me in TEARS!!! David Sedaris is a genius! I strongly recommend this book to anyone who likes brainy satire and enjoys a good laugh...
Rating:
Summary: A primer for those traveling to France
Review: A friend recommended this book to me, saying that it is "hilarious". While I didn't find it rolling-on-the-floor funny, it does have its smile-inducing moments. Basically a series of personal essays about the author's life in North Carolina, New York, and ultimately France, it is filled with amusing bits that can be appreciated by the resident of a country town or an urban dweller. I, for one, could really relate to his dislike of computers and his appreciation for the typewriter. His takes on our fascination with technology, youth, and intelligence are on the mark. The book takes flight in part "Deux" where the humorist relates much about life in France. When he discusses the American couple mistaking him as a Parisian pickpocket, I couldn't stop laughing at these dim-witted "ugly Americans." His revelation of French customs will be beneficial to anyone planning a trip to that much-visited country. I thank my friend for this introduction. I will be reading more by this author.
Rating:
Summary: side-splittingly funny
Review: My absolute favorite humor writer is Dave Barry, but Sedaris gives him a run for the money. His sense of humor is different than Barry's, but his ascerbic observations will have most readers howling in the aisle. One of his crasser stories, Big Boy, had me gasping for breath. Who hasn't encountered a giant turd "no toilet paper or anything, just this long and coiled specimen, as thick as a burrito" in a bathroom and has had to deal with it? If this kind of humor offends you, pick another book to read. His stories of trying to learn French are hilarious as well, particularly the American couple on the train who assume that Sedaris does not speak English because they are in Paris. The husband says loudly to his wife, "Peeeew, can you smell that? That is pure French baby...this little froggy is ripe," referring to our narrator! Of course, he understands everything, but doesn't want to give away his English abilities until he hears what other stupid things they have to say. I also loved the final story about his immigrant father who stashed away ancient food items so that they didn't go to waste. After insisting on eating a very old carrot, his father pretends to enjoy it as the carrot, "too weak to resist, quietly surrendered to the force of his jaws." Sedaris is very observant and these essays are filled with self-deprecating humor and funny tales that will keep you reading until people on the train with you with wonder what is making you laugh so uncontrollably.
Rating:
Summary: Classic
Review: This man can write. Its one of the funniest things I've ever read. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy.
Rating:
Summary: Refreshingly Funny Light Reading
Review: I was laughing out loud while reading this book--the people around me kept asking if it was really that funny! It certainly was! What a light, refreshing read of about 3-4 hours that went by all too quickly. This book would be great to take to a beach or somewhere where you could not get into deep reading. This was my first Sedaris novel and I am now eager to read the rest, hoping for more pleasant afternoons spent giggling at his hilarious stories.
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