Rating: 
Summary: Great for a Laugh
Review: I took this book with me on a plane trip and found myself laughing out loud! I hope the people next to me didn't think I was crazy. A couple of chapters fell flat with a dull "thud", but the majority of the book was quite entertaining. I was amused by how he is able to rank on the French culture without coming off as an entirely arrogant American. Remembering how I felt in Germany having studied the language only two years, "Me Talk Pretty One Day" really hit home. David Sedaris is able to describe situations we can all relate to, and then put is own unique twist on them. I'm now inspired to read "Holidays on Ice".
Rating: 
Summary: Not so funny
Review: Having enjoyed the humor of Molly Ivins, P J O'Rourke, Dan Jenkins, and Larry McMurtry.... not to mention George Carlin and Steve Wright.... I kept waiting for the laughs to begin. Imagine my surprize when the book ended (thank God) without as much as a chuckle. Oh well..... can't win them all. Anyone need a slightly used book..... can't pass it along to my friends either.
Rating:
Summary: Overrated, thank you
Review: Sorry, but I had high hopes after reading all the positive reviews for this book. My boyfriend and I bought the audio and played it on a recent trip. I remember giggling once, sort of. What's the deal -- hilarious? What am I missing? It's not that it was horrible, it's just that it was flat -- purported to be funny, but to me a real disappointment. Maybe it picked up after the first two tapes, but we couldn't sit through any more than that.
Rating: 
Summary: Amusing stories, many hits, some misses.
Review: I realize that David Sedaris books are supposed to be 'really' funny, and I consider myself to have a great sense of humor, but overall I found 'Me Talk Pretty One Day' amusing at best. In this best selling book, the reader is exposed to a collection of short stories that take on a humorous spin of mundane topics, or everyday subjects that the Sedaris family has placed their own 'unique and warped' spin on.Though most stories were entertaining, I often asked that though many of these snippets of Mr. Sedaris's life were plausible, some seem to be somewhat exaggerated or embellished. Perhaps that is the authors attempt to really try to make something funny, which ordinarily isn't. Now, don't get me wrong, there are some funny stories. The book is worth it's price in three or four of these snapshots: "I'll eat what he's wearing", "Big Boy", and the one that had me rolling on the floor crying to catch my breath "You can't kill the Rooster." This last story about his younger brother is movie material! The collection overall covers a wide variety of subjects, however, there seem to be two recurring theme's that I observed. First, a decent portion of the book is devoted to his experiences living in France. Though one can make the argument that this book is about his life and it's funny moments, and he did actually live in France; for someone who has never been there to identify French absurdity I found myself saying "Oh, another story France, again". The redeeming aspect for me here was the story about learning French with a bunch of students (characters in their own right), taught by a dictatorial and stereotypical rude French teacher. Secondly, the author seems to have what I would consider some issues of reservation of his life and choices. Autobiographical in nature, the stories often reflect the author's acknowledgement of his low self-worth. He often talks about how many deplorable jobs he has had, how cheap his father is, how smart he isn't, his life with an alcoholic mother, how he got mixed up into drugs and just shuffled through life. However, he takes these normally depressing attributes and attempts to shroud them in humor, hoping that the reader can look past these events on the surface and praise Mr. Sedaris for his wit. Though this does work at times, I wasn't sure whether to laugh or feel sorry for him at times. I hope I am not giving an impression that this is a bad book. It is not. It is funny and an easy read. But it was more 'amusing' than 'hilarious' in which most people would expect.
Rating: 
Summary: HILARIOUS!
Review: I adored this book! Had fallen in love with his now deceased mother from his first book "Naked". At one point I had to put the book down to wipe my eyes and control my laughter.Picked it up and started laughing all over again. With all the hilarity there is a poignant under tone that makes one sometimes feel his puzzled alienation.
Rating:
Summary: Me Love David Sedaris!
Review: I hesitated writing an on-line review, because I wasn't sure I could possibly share how excited I was about this book and about David Sedaris. Here's a go at it though: It was hillarious, catching me off guard every other sentence. It was smart and charming, real and personal. As soon as I finished the last page, I packaged it up and sent it to my best friend in France who I know would appreciate it (a good deal of the book deals with David's adventures in France and with that language). The book gives a great introduction to this wonderful writer and wonderful person/soul. It was also great to read about his sister Amy (Jerri Blank of "Strangers with Candy"), and see how she got started. I've just finished "Naked," and am about to dive into "Barrel Fever," and "Holidays On Ice". Read this book...it subtlely reaffirms how fun humanity is!
Rating:
Summary: Non stop laughter
Review: Really rare to read a book where you are constantly giggling out loud. I would read this book in public and draw stares because I couldnt stop myself from laughing out loud. Sedaris has an incredible Oscar Wilde wit only matched by his insight into the hilarity of our everyday lives. It is a fast read( in fact, I had to force myself to stop reading it, so I wouldnt finish it too quickly), and worth it! I am going to go back and read his other books now..
Rating:
Summary: Sedaris' Best Book Yet
Review: I've read all of Sedaris' books, and this is the best one yet. Practically every selection caused me to laugh out loud. His pieces on learning French are particularly good.
Rating:
Summary: A Very Funny Man!
Review: What can I say about this author's new book that hasn't been said already? It's a wonderful and wickedly funny book. David really knows how to write and is probably the funniest author around today. The first part of the book begins with his North Carolina childhood and the second half moves to Paris. What a wonderful collection of essays. I especially enjoyed "Today's Special" and "You Can't Kill the Rooster." But really all of the essays are so funny, and true to life. To be able to put these everyday events into words that are simple yet so funny, is truly a gift. Believe it or not I haven't read his previous book "Naked", but now its being pulled off my library shelf to be read immediately. When you start to read "Me Talk Pretty One Day" you will want to sit and read it right through, forget about dinner and everything else. This book deserves more than 5 stars. David, we await your next collection with eagerness.
Rating:
Summary: The Six Missing Chapters
Review: After having read a friend's hardcover copy, and listening to the author on NPR, I decided to make my first audio book purchase. His unique voice adds another dimension to the humor. I'm told that audio books are usually abridged, but there are six chapters not included. They are as follows: Big Boy; You Can't Kill The Rooster; The Great Leap Forward; Genetic Engineering; Smart Guy; The Late Show. Regardless of the omissions, I highly recommend the audio version of this book.
|
