Naked
by David Sedaris
published
March 1997
(first published 1998)
by Little Brown and Company
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binding
Hardcover, 291 pages
isbn
0316779490
(isbn13: 9780316779494)
description
Hip radio comedy fans and theater folks who belong to the cult of Obie-winning playwright/performer David Sedaris must kill to get this book. These wo...more
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avg 4.06
Read in June, 2008
I'm being told that this is funny... but so far all I want to do is gather David Sedaris into my arms and rock him back and forth and tell him everything is okay.
Okay, finished. Is it really supposed to be funny? I found myself pretty saddened by most of the stories. He's got a great writing style and I definitely felt pulled into each of the stories, but I think I felt more empathetic than anything.
Especially in "C.O.G":
I didn't want to quit my job. Quitting involved a certain degree of responsibility I didn't want to assume. Rather, I hoped that Jon might remove that burden and dismiss me as soon as possible. I had felt contempt for him, even occasional hatred, and now I was fighting the urge to feel sorry for him. He must have known it, and clearing his throat he proceeded to cut me off at the pass.
"Let me tell you a little something," he said finally. "I don't appreciate being used. I'm not talking here about all the free coffee and rides I've given you. I mean used in here." He meant to point at his heart but, swerving to pass another car, wound up gesturing toward his lap instead. "You're a user, kid. You used my tools and my patience and now you want me to pat you on the head and tell you what a good little boy you are. But you know what? You're not a good boy. You're not even a good girl."
More, I thought. More, more ...more
Okay, finished. Is it really supposed to be funny? I found myself pretty saddened by most of the stories. He's got a great writing style and I definitely felt pulled into each of the stories, but I think I felt more empathetic than anything.
Especially in "C.O.G":
I didn't want to quit my job. Quitting involved a certain degree of responsibility I didn't want to assume. Rather, I hoped that Jon might remove that burden and dismiss me as soon as possible. I had felt contempt for him, even occasional hatred, and now I was fighting the urge to feel sorry for him. He must have known it, and clearing his throat he proceeded to cut me off at the pass.
"Let me tell you a little something," he said finally. "I don't appreciate being used. I'm not talking here about all the free coffee and rides I've given you. I mean used in here." He meant to point at his heart but, swerving to pass another car, wound up gesturing toward his lap instead. "You're a user, kid. You used my tools and my patience and now you want me to pat you on the head and tell you what a good little boy you are. But you know what? You're not a good boy. You're not even a good girl."
More, I thought. More, more ...more
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Read in August, 2007
About a third of the way through David Sedaris's book, I wondered how I had not heard of this guy before. This guy was funny. No, not just funny, he was really funny. He didn't just make me laugh while reading his book, he made me cry I was laughing so hard. So why, why had I not heard of someone so side-splittingly funny? A couple chapters later, I understood why. A few more chapters after that and Naked went into a dive bomb. While there were some redeeming moments near the end, he never fully...more
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Read in July, 2008
Maybe part of my problem with the book is that I first read the back cover, which told me two things that I didn't find to be true:
1. This book is side-splittingly hilarious
2. It turns the "mania for memoir on its proverbial ear."
Sure, maybe it's not fair to judge the book based on my preconceptions, but there's some merit to this I think.
First, my sides are completely unsplit. I laughed a few times, found some things whimsical, and did find a few lines to be very funny....more
1. This book is side-splittingly hilarious
2. It turns the "mania for memoir on its proverbial ear."
Sure, maybe it's not fair to judge the book based on my preconceptions, but there's some merit to this I think.
First, my sides are completely unsplit. I laughed a few times, found some things whimsical, and did find a few lines to be very funny....more
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Read in August, 2007
I can't get enough of this guy; his books are what I would imagine crack would be like, had I ever tried crack. Which I haven't.
Seriously -- I just sit and read and laugh, read and laugh. He's just so damned candid about things. For example, the story of how he was sent to Greece for Greek-American summer camp as a teenager:
"If my sister was anxious about our trip, she certainly didn't show it. Prying my fingers off her wrist, she crossed the room and introduced herself to a gi...more
Seriously -- I just sit and read and laugh, read and laugh. He's just so damned candid about things. For example, the story of how he was sent to Greece for Greek-American summer camp as a teenager:
"If my sister was anxious about our trip, she certainly didn't show it. Prying my fingers off her wrist, she crossed the room and introduced herself to a gi...more
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Read in September, 2008
I don't like David Sedaris. The risk you take when writing memoirs or personal essays is that the reader (me) isn't going to like the author (you) and the result is that no matter how funny you are, I don't like you, your essays, or your tales of woe. I do feel sorry for you though. I feel like I was watching an upscale episode of Roseanne. All the characters are cruel to each other in a way that is supposed to make you laugh becau...more
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I started reading this book at a particularly pathetic stage in my life. I'd just left grad school and was sharing a room in my parents' house with one of my sisters. I had a 1.5 hour commute each way to work and even though I had to go to bed at like 9 p.m. to have the energy to face the next day, Monica (said sister) always thought I was up too late. One night, she started yelling at me because for several consecutive nights I'd stayed up late reading, giggling out loud in my bed. Luckily, whe...more
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Read in August, 2006
If I read The Da Vinci Code for all those people who prefaced their enjoyment of the book with "I don't read much," I finally read my first Sedaris book for all my smartass indie literary-type friends who stared aghast at me every time for the last five years I said I'd never read him.
"You mean you've read Eggers, but not Sedaris? I'll bet you like the Stones better than the Beatles too, dont you?"
"You think your family's bad, wait'll you read about his!"
...more
"You mean you've read Eggers, but not Sedaris? I'll bet you like the Stones better than the Beatles too, dont you?"
"You think your family's bad, wait'll you read about his!"
...more
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Read in July, 2000
I had the opportunity to personally thank David Sedaris for this book but I don't think I was able to fully articulate what it meant to me at the time. This was in no small part due to the fact that I was standing before a personal hero of mine. Also I was drunk. I will attempt to write what I wish I could have expressed that night.
Naked played a significant role in one the fonder memories of my adult life. It was during Fiesta in Santa Barbara (Old Spanish Days), which if you live in SB and...more
Naked played a significant role in one the fonder memories of my adult life. It was during Fiesta in Santa Barbara (Old Spanish Days), which if you live in SB and...more
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Read in January, 2006
This is a highly unusual autobiography of David Sedaris, who, according to the New York Magazine, is a "Playwright, author, radio star, and retired elf". I wasn't sure what he is actually. I came across his name when his book (also in my already-bought-please-read-it-quickly list) Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim made it into the various reading lists of newspapers and magazines. I thought he was quite interesting and I started to take note of his name.
The book is a collecti...more
The book is a collecti...more
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Read in July, 2005
This wonderfully amusing book took me by surprise. Each chapter is a short memoir of David Sedaris' childhood, filled with some unusual adventures, from hitch hiking with a paraplegic to having servants wax your change. Sedaris writes in a very humorous tone, basically turning some of his misfortunes into the readers entertainment. Come to think of it, it really wasn't the stories that made the book enjoyable. It was how Sedaris wrote them. A very unique, consistent style throughout the book, lo...more
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I love David Sedaris. I wish that he lived next door. In this collection of essays, he touches on his life experiences--both offbeat and disturbing. In "A Plague of Tics" he explains how his youth was plagued by a variety of behaviors that made him less than popular with both his teachers and other students (licking the lightswitch repeatedly in the classroom, etc.). In "Next of Kin" he tells about finding a cheesy porn novel in the woods (which was full of typos) and eve...more
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David Sedaris's biting, hilarious memoir about his family and his teenage years made me laugh out loud. Not your typical, chuckle to yourself on the bus laugh, no, Sedaris made me guffaw as he recounted his firat job working at a mall cafeteria, and when his sister first got her period. Sedaris's family is quirky, sure, but it is like every family: hilarious, embarassing and tragic. Sedaris's wit is sharp and dark, and I think reading about his experiences helped me recognize that I have to laug...more
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Read in January, 2004
Like all of Sedaris' books, this one has some MAJOR, masterful escapades, made all the better because they are true...
Two favorite scenes:
Sedaris' mom and sister watch crime shows all summer and then... a mystery arises in their own household- who is wiping their butt on the towels? The BROWN towels, so the offense isn't recognized until one gets a face full. Who is it? "I don't know, but I know he had corn yesterday," is one quote that sticks in my mind.
I think Naked is al...more
Two favorite scenes:
Sedaris' mom and sister watch crime shows all summer and then... a mystery arises in their own household- who is wiping their butt on the towels? The BROWN towels, so the offense isn't recognized until one gets a face full. Who is it? "I don't know, but I know he had corn yesterday," is one quote that sticks in my mind.
I think Naked is al...more
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Read in May, 2008
Naked is my first exposure to the humor of David Sedaris, and not only did I enjoy it, I will definitely read more by him. The comedic memoir is a collection of short stories from his childhood through his adulthood, including his experiences with OCD, the death of his mother, and coming out. I can't say that I can relate to his tales, but I experienced many laugh out loud moments. One of the more hilarious chapters chronicles the time he spent in a nudist colony. Underneath all of the silli...more
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Read in June, 2004
I was sad when I started Naked because at the time, it was the last Sedaris book that I hadn't read, but it kept me sane throughout a senior road trip. I enjoy Sedaris because his writing is sharp and witty, but he also manages to be sensitive and insightful without being maudlin or preachy. I think "Ashes," in which he describes his mother's cancer and her relationship with himself and his siblings, is some of his best work.
Also, it's always nice, when someone calls and asks what...more
Also, it's always nice, when someone calls and asks what...more
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David Sedaris is a very funny writer and this is one of his better collections. I highly recommend it. Though my favorite among his books is still the gut-splitting "Me Talk Pretty One Day". Archived episodes of the radio program, This American Life, contain portions where Sedaris reads some of the stories in these collections, and they are really well worth tracking down and listening to.
Oops! I just ended a sentence with a preposition. So, sue me!
Oops! I just ended a sentence with a preposition. So, sue me!
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So many incredible moments. In nearly every story, I found myself laughing out loud, which I rarely do when reading. Even just thinking about some of the stories sets me laughing again. One of the funniest books I have ever read. And, impressively, there is an emotional weight at the same time.
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Read in April, 2008
David Sedaris's "memoir" is funny, sad, and aggressively weird.
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Read in November, 2008
I enjoyed this book more in the beginning than I did toward the end. At first it was entertaining to read about all of Sedaris's mishaps and "woe is me" type of moments, but that theme got too repetitive (for me) and eventually I just wasn't impressed anymore. It seemed like he was looking for sympathy while trying to put a humorous spin on pretty humbling and shitty moments in his life. There were parts that were truly funny, but I think it would have worked out better if every story ...more
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