Rating: 
Summary: Hilarious!
Review: David Sedaris is ready for his close-up. His latest book, Me Talk Pretty One Day, confirms that the man is a Great American Humorist. Me Talk Pretty One Day is divided into two sections. The first consists of a series of autobiographical sketches ranging from Sedaris's experiences as a fifth-grade lisper to his current frustrations with cyber culture. The second, which Sedaris has titled "Deux" (helpfully adding a footnote for the linguistically impaired that "Deux" means "Two"), details Sedaris's frustrations as an American living in France. The first set of essays is notable for combining edgy, occasionally racuous humor with heightened sensitivity. Very often Sedaris is simply very funny, describing his stint as a teacher at the Art Institute of Chicago, where he assigned his students to write stories predicting the following day's happenings on One Life to Live, or relaying his annoyance at having to tolerate airport security guards' advice to trade his trusty typewriter in for a laptop ("That's their job, to stand around in an ill-fitting uniform and tell you how you should lead your life"). But like Twain, Parker, Franken, and Buckley, Sedaris has the ability to mix humor with his own experience and derive the political or philosophical. Best of all, he does so without sounding preachy or overbearing. Great stuff! I'd also like to recommend two other recent Amazon picks: WILL@epicqwest.com by Tom Grimes, The Losers' Club by Richard Perez
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious!
Review: I've read this book twice, and it was even funnier the second time. Sedaris has had very interesting and amusing life experiences, and he's more than willing to share these with us. As a chain-smoking, lisping homosexual in a country that has banned smoking for the most part and often detests gay men with "effeminate" characteristics, Sedaris is unabashed and certainly not regretful. He shares his experiences of his quirky family that includes his sister Amy Sedaris, former star of "Strangers with Candy" and his rotten-fruit-eating father. He recounts his struggles with a speech therapist who attempts to correct his lisping (the apparently obvious mark of homosexuality) and his brilliant tactics to avoid its correction. Many of his stories are taken from his time in France where he lived with his boyfriend Hugh. These stories successfully convey both the difficulties and joys of living the expatriate life - appreciating a new culture, learning a new language, and viewing American tourists in a new and often all too revealing light. The best of his stories, in my opinion, unleashes onto us his younger brother, a foul-mouthed, gangster rap fan who is a stark contrast to his father but is his most dependable support. This particular story really demonstrates what Sedaris is capable of. It's incredibly funny but so poignant at the same time. This book will make you laugh at loud, and I hope you get a chance to read it. Make sure you check out "Naked" also for more of Sedaris' brilliance.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite book
Review: If you think the written words of Mr. Sedaris are entertaing then invest in the audio version.
Rating: 
Summary: Amusing..........
Review: Author David Sedaris weaves a series of lighthearted anecdotal essays into an amusing and somewhat engaging book. Well written, the book flows easily. But I have to admit that unlike many of the previous Amazon.com reviewers I did not find Me Talk Pretty One Day to be particularly laugh-out-loud funny. Amusing and entertaining, yes. A smirk and a smile every now and then. But it's more like a good walk and a bright sunny day. Very enjoyable but not tremendously memorable. Good if you are looking for something easy to pass the time.
Rating: 
Summary: AWFUL!!!
Review: After reading glowing reviews of this book, I decided to purchase it and looked forward to laughing. The negative reviews mostly claim the book is weird. Well, that never scared me off before. However, it's whiny, too much emphasis on drugs (maybe if I'd ever done drugs this would be amusing) and just the tale of a depressing loser.
Rating: 
Summary: Is he always this weird?
Review: This is the first book I've read from David Sedaris. Sedaris tells some interesting stories, but be warned that they are all a little weird for a small town girl. His family seems to enjoy making each other crazy and/or grossing each other out far too much. Some of his essays are enjoyable reads, but the chapter on his brother was made up entirely up the 'f' word in all it's gloified variations. This is good writing? And, by the way, while some of Me Talk Pretty is good, none of it is laugh-out-loud funny as the jacket describes.
Rating: 
Summary: well-written and funny
Review: Summary:
The book is a collection of short stories, all of which I believe are based on the author's actual experiences. Some of the stories are about Sedaris's childhood and his life just before leaving for France, but the majority about his time spent in France. My Comments:
All of the stories are well-written, engaging, and entertaining. As is the case with 'Holidays On Ice', the author never reveals when a story is fictitious or not, but I was inclined to believe that all of these were non-fiction (though there might be an embellishment here or there). I'm also not sure what, if anything, I missed because I listened to this book on CD, but the live recordings for some reason were even more funny than his normal writings. Listening to them live is definitely a boon for the CD version. I was impressed by the author's candor about his personal life. To be willing to reveal one's quirks and even poke fun at them takes either a lot of money or a lot of self-security. I'm not sure which is Sedaris's motivation, but whatever it is, it's nice to hear someone being frank about life. Though the stories jump all over the place and don't really seem to have a common thread, I don't think anyone can argue that Sedaris has a gift for telling poignant and humorous short stories. The stories are a bit outlandish and the author is blunt, meaning they probably aren't for everyone, but I would definitely recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Great collection of essays
Review: This is my second David Sedaris book, and after the mixed feelings I have regarding Barrel Fever I can say this is much better overall. Sedaris describes, through vaguely connected essays, his own often difficult battle with communication, and the insights he gains are painfully funny. A bit like an autobiography, "Me Talk" is layered throughout with Sedaris' bits of wisdom and wit, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I didn't find myself rolling in the floor with laughter except on a few occasions, but the book as a whole is a good look at the difficulty we all have on occasion to say what we really mean, or let people know what we're thinking. The parts about Sedaris' efforts to learn French and justifiably cited as the funniest parts, but I also enjoyed the essay dealing with his stint as a college teacher, assigning writing projects on soap operas. This is a good introduction to Sedaris, and I recommend it highly.
Rating:
Summary: Really not that funny
Review: I'm not without humour however, I do know humour. This book simply leaves something to be desired. Its not terrible but more importantly, its not that great. It has been touted as laugh out loud funny, but it lacks the ability to, in most places, crack a smile. Don't waste your time or prepare yourself for a dissapointment. If you lower your expectations then you can be better prepared for "laugh inside, without smiling" funny.
Rating:
Summary: Forget Your Troubles -- And LAUGH!
Review: I purchased "Me Talk Pretty One Day" recently from Amazon and I'm glad that I did. I really needed this book when I got it, as I'd been stressing out over finding a job and a place to live for the past few months. The crappy economy has taken a toll on my patience and my otherwise positive outlook on life. But when I opened up this book and started reading one day, I was fully absorbed into the stories, forgetting my worries. Sedaris starts with a description of his fifth grade speech therapy lessons for a lisp he couldn't seem to shake. Observations about himself, the therapist, the other kids, and the various ridiculous notions that entered his mind abound, right from the start, and persist right through to the end of the book, describing his adult life in Paris. It's his unique perspective that really turns the stories into something worth reading. From the first chapter on, he introduces readers to his father, mother, sisters, and brother, each with their own unique characteristics, but managing to share that kookiness gene that seems to have run in the family. You will read about his experiences at college, and at attempting to make a living by creating contemporary artwork, and later becoming a creative writing teacher, a personal assistant, and a mover. You will learn of his travels from New York, to Raleigh, to Chicago, back to New York, and finally to Paris. The entire second half of the book focuses on his French adventures, adding another layer of perspective as he finds himself in completely different surroundings. I am not a particularly avid reader, but I'd quickly read through the entire book in just a few days - simply because it was so fun to read, that I couldn't put it down. I'd found myself reading chapters at a time, staying up late at night to read just one more story. Aside from Me Talk Pretty One Day, let me tell you about two other Amazon purchases I liked, Barrel Fever by Sedaris, The Losers' Club by Richard Perez. Like I said, I don't read as much as I should, but I enjoyed these books a whole lot. Happy Holidays everyone -- let's look forward to a great new year!
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