Rating: 
Summary: Occasionally humorous, more often pitiable
Review: NAKED by David Sedaris comprises seventeen chapters of ostensibly amusing autobiographical reminiscences spanning his North Carolina childhood through teenage years to young adulthood. Finishing NAKED didn't leave me feeling good. There's a tinge of unhealthiness about the author's humor that reminds me of the faint odor of sickness perceptible while walking down an otherwise spotless hospital corridor. Perhaps it's because David's wit is based on the shortcomings of others and/or his own poor self image. Quite often, his target is other family members. About a sister: "Lisa couldn't be trained to scoot the food scraps off her soiled sheets, much less shake out the blanket and actually make the bed." About his father: "My mother had stopped listening to him years ago, but it was almost a comfort that my father insisted on business as usual, despite the circumstances (of his wife's cancer) ... He had made a commitment to make her life miserable, and no amount of sickness or bad fortune would sway him from that task." About himself: "The moment I realized I would be a homosexual for the rest of my life, I forced my brother and sisters to sign a contract swearing they'd never get married. ...My fear was that ... one by one they would abandon us until it was just me and my parents ..." Sedaris characterizes his mother as a chain-smoker and an alcoholic; his father as one that ignores a daughter's terror when her first menstrual period begins even as they're attending a pro golf tournament. And family togetherness is the time they confront the mystery of which one in the group - parents, six children and grandmother - is substituting the bath linens for toilet paper. However, it's not always about dysfunction. I did find it droll when one of David's sisters, a waitress, brings home on Christmas Eve a co-worker who's also a part-time prostitute. Ho, ho, ho! There's more to NAKED than remembering warm familial fuzziness, as when Sedaris was off at college, on a cross-country bus ride, picking apples in Oregon, or visiting a nudist camp. Yet, the humor during these interludes follows much the same tenor - occasionally amusing, more often pitiable and sad, always joyless, and ultimately tiresome. Is Sedaris a gifted writer? Yes, he is. And I'm giving NAKED three stars instead of two for his different perspective on life. But I don't think I'll buy any more of his books.
Rating:
Summary: Worth a chuckle
Review: In an uneven series of stories Sedaris displays the same irony and sarcasm that make his bits on NPR so good. These are confessional stories about his childhood and early adulthood, and mostly are stuff you'd never want anyone to ever know about you or your family. Some of the stories really are outrageously funny. As a collection, it drags a bit. These stories suffer from the lack of the particular lilt of the voice which makes him so terrific on the radio. Without having heard it I suspect the audio version of this would be quite a bit more entertaining.
Rating: 
Summary: Much better than I thought
Review: I got this book for my birthday, and I was less than pleased at first: Autobiographical stories of death and other rather somber topics, sprinkled with humour - this was what I was promised at Dave Egger's "Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" - and even though that book WAS quite funny until the real book started, I didn't really connect to the humour. This is quite different here. Sedaris partly writes about stuff that could be rather tedious and boring, but which becomes interesting quickly even in the less outrageous stories pretty soon. I caught a few quizzical glances while laughing out loud in the subway twice - something that happens rarely to me (really !). I also liked Sedaris approach to autobiographical writing. He doesn't work in chronological order, and that is quite interesting, especially when certain angles appear in different stories again. I was particularly impressed by the story Ashes, which handles death absolutely non-sappy and yet heartbreaking. I'll be sure to check out Sedaris' other books - you should too.
Rating: 
Summary: wow?! really? could it be?!
Review: Naked tells such funny stories about David Saderis' life it's hard to believe! Starting from childhood when his neurotic mind forces him to lick light switches, to when he visists a nudist camp, this book is OUTRAGEOUS!!!
Naked held some of the most ridiculous,original things I have ever read. Few books have held my attention like this. I kept finding myself lyling on the coutch reading instead of watching TV. For a while there, Naked was my TV.
Joey-one false mover
Rating:
Summary: Naked by David Sedaris
Review: Naked is my first book by David Sedaris and I was pleasantly surprised at how funny he is. His wit and humor provide many laugh out loud moments. In this series of essays, we learn about some of the author's trials from childhood through adulthood. He handles some pretty deep issues with a sense of humor, keeping them light and entertaining. In the end I found I enjoyed the first half of the book much more than the latter half. His interaction with his mother and other members of the family, while somewhat dysfunctional, also manages to be touching and funny. As he moves into his teen years and becomes adventurous, we learn of his exploits in the art of hitchhiking and vacationing at a nudist colony. This book does have a lot of "bathroom" humor, so I wouldn't reccommend it for the easily offended reader. I have heard that Me Talk Pretty One Day is his finest yet, so will definitely read that one.
Rating:
Summary: It's the little things that count...
Review: ...not only when it comes to being naked but also when it comes to writing a book. Sedaris not only has the capability to observe closely, he moreover succeeds in portraying details in well-crafted and enjoyable prose. While the book has some less interesting stories, it made me laugh out loud at other times. And the mother is simply one of the funniest characters ever.
Rating:
Summary: Very humorous memoirs
Review: I had heard Sedaris speak at a local bookstore, and this collection of his was recommended highly to me. This recommendation proved an excellent one, as the book was one of the funniest things I had ever read. The memoir nature of the essays lends a lot to their humor, as many of the stories would seem contrived if not for the fact that they are true, or purported to be true.
Rating:
Summary: Nudity of the finest quality
Review: Don't read this book in the company of other people. The first few times you burst into laughter, they may smile up at you with an inquisitive look, hoping to hear a short excerpt that gives them cause to do a bit of giggling themselves. The fiftieth time you do so is more likely to result in their carving out your tongue with the nearest sharp object. Fortunately, I was reading this at an airport, where every sharp object larger than a thumbtack had been scrupulously removed by the security personnel on the way in. If you enjoy humor that is as darkly twisted as it is sharp-witted, your sides are guaranteed to be hurting after the first chapter.
Rating:
Summary: Starts strong, finishes a little weaker
Review: The best part of this collection of essays is the first half, the ones covering his childhood. They're funny in an offbeat and skewed way, and are easy to breeze through. Once Mr. Sedaris starts talking about his hitchhiking travels, the comedy subsides quite a bit. His last essay, Naked, was hard to get through; he tries to end with a triumphant message, but it falls flat. If you've heard him on PBS or seen The Santaland Diaries, you'll like this.
Rating:
Summary: Witty and relentless
Review: Sedaris's witty and relentless observations make for an entertaining book that will keep readers laughing. I found the bathroom humor tiresome at times, but that pervades even some of the best books and movies today. Still, Sedaris stands above most writers of humor with his honesty and his keen, cruel sense of observation, especially in scenes like his excursion into nudism.
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