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Me Talk Pretty One Day

by David Sedaris

3.84 · rating details · 256,774 ratings · 9,329 reviews

David Sedaris's fourth book mines poignant comedy from his peculiar childhood in North Carolina, his bizarre career path, and his move with his lover to France. Though his anarchic inclination to digress is his glory, Sedaris does have a theme in these reminiscences: the inability of humans to communicate.

The title is his rendition in transliterated English of...more

Paperback, 272 pages

Published 2001 by Little, Brown and Company (first published June 1st 2000)

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Community Reviews

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Oct 02, 2007

Brian rated it

I just don't care for David Sedaris.

There, I've said it. I've made peace with the fact. I have stared deep into the cockles of my heart, and forced myself to come to the only obvious-but-unpopular conclusion.

I just don't care for David Sedaris.

It was somewhat of an existential struggle for me to reach this conclusion because I'm exactly the kind of person who should like David Sedaris.

I am a sarcastic Generation Xer with an overdeveloped sense of ...moreI just don't care for David Sedaris.

There, I've said it. I've made peace with the fact. I have stared deep into the cockles of my heart, and forced myself to come to the only obvious-but-unpopular conclusion.

I just don't care for David Sedaris.

It was somewhat of an existential struggle for me to reach this conclusion because I'm exactly the kind of person who should like David Sedaris.

I am a sarcastic Generation Xer with an overdeveloped sense of irony. I enjoy reading personal essays about poignant and humiliating events in people's personal lives. Understated comedy is favorite genre. I look at myself in the mirror and practice being droll. Hell, I even like listening to This American Life on NPR. I am exactly the target demographic for the witty, petty misanthropy with which Mr. Sedaris plies his trade.

But, I just don't care for David Sedaris.

I find him to be thoroughly unlikable. He comes across as the type of person who might be fun to have a beer with, but, afterwards, he'd probably make fun of you behind your back. When I was reading this book, I thought that his stories and characters were a little too colorful and a little too perfect to be true. And, as he tells the stories of his childhood, he comes across as a 40 year-old gay man trapped in an eight year-old's body (wow, that sentence doesn't sound right!). After I finished the book, I found that Mr. Sedaris does, indeed, subscribe to a rather fluid definition of "truth"--some of the instances were exaggerated. And, by "exaggerated', I mean "completely made up".

But these revelations have done little to stem the tide of bare-knuckled enthusiasm of his legion of fans. I am confronted by people who are adamant that, despite my protests to the contrary, I really do like David Sedaris. It seems that Mr. Sedaris' work has become a litmus test for a certain level of sophistication. If you tell people that you just don't care for David Sedaris, they look at you like you've got a mullet tucked into the collar of your shirt, a six pack of Old Milwaukee in the fridge, and a Tivo filled up with NASCAR races.

Well, I for one refuse to be pigeon-holed. And, today, I am calling on all like-minded people to join me! And, together, we can...uh not like Sedaris.

Say it with me! We're loud, we're proud...

...and we just don't care for David Sedaris!
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Aug 01, 2007

Tim rated it

witty, wry, bitter, delightful.

My mom gave me the book. I was living in France at the time, so she thought David Sedaris and I would have a ton in common. She went to a Sedaris booksigning to get a personalized message to her gay son in France. After he was done reading, she jumped up to get him to write a note to me, "David! My son is gay! He's living in France right now, please sign this copy for him!" He had already started an orderly signing process, going down the ...more

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Jan 01, 2010

Kasia rated it

Shelves: non-fiction, funny, neurotic-literary-snoot, half-read, biography-memoir, modern-lit

That about sums it up.

Because, what's the point to these anecdotes? Are you trying to tell me something Mr. Sedaris? I think not. You think you're funny? Meh, not that funny. Special? You're not that special either. You're a writer, just another writer. What's the big deal?

As I said, I don't care much for your little stories. Seriously, my dear, I don't give a damn.

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Aug 24, 2010

David rated it

Shelves: low-calorie

I've been thinking a lot about this, and I have come to the conclusion that David Sedaris is one of the worst human beings in history, i.e., since human beings were first invented by an incompetent, Jerry Lewis-like god or by the inscrutable permutations of natural phenomena. This isn't a moral judgment. It's more like when someone tells you that you have spinach stuck in your teeth. It's both the mere reportage of a fact and a public service. Because, after all, you wouldn't want to walk arou...moreI've been thinking a lot about this, and I have come to the conclusion that David Sedaris is one of the worst human beings in history, i.e., since human beings were first invented by an incompetent, Jerry Lewis-like god or by the inscrutable permutations of natural phenomena. This isn't a moral judgment. It's more like when someone tells you that you have spinach stuck in your teeth. It's both the mere reportage of a fact and a public service. Because, after all, you wouldn't want to walk around all day with spinach in your teeth, and you wouldn't want to spend your life mistakenly thinking that David Sedaris wasn't evil and unfunny.

Maybe I hate David Sedaris so much (abstractly; not with the visceral hatred I have for Mariah Carey) because I imagine all of these young straight couples in J. Crew worsted wool sweaters throwing back their heads like Mrs. Howell, laughing at his weak but fashionable humor. Maybe they're in their Toyota Highlanders driving out to Restoration Hardware to look at the brushed steel knobs and the faux-Victorian gewgaws. Have you been to Oak Brook? They probably live there and have heated floor tiles and towel warmers in their bathroom. The women all look like cut-rate Carolyn Bessette-Kennedys (before the plane crash), and the men look like the guy getting married in The Hangover.

David Sedaris is an entry-level gay for these people, right? They're all liberal, sure, but out in Oak Brook their gay contacts are limited to the service industry. The housewares clerk at Lord & Taylor, the hairdresser, or that one swishy waiter at Maggiano's who's stingy with the bread basket. You know, the usual A-Team of tanned men with shaved forearms and hyperreal hairdos.

What I am saying is that David Sedaris is a nice accessory. Sure, your grandparents might find some of his humor off-color or distasteful, but in the age of Sarah Silverman he's almost quaint. Anal sex (and its intimations) take on a Bombeckian glow in his hands. And that kerrunk, kerrunk sound you hear is Jean Genet rolling over in his grave (and masturbating on a pile of his own feces).

There are currently twenty-one people on my friends list who have rated this book. Only two have assigned it fewer than three stars. Defend yourselves, bourgeois scum. I mean that affectionately. You probably thought Bob Saget was funny on America's Funniest Home Videos too, didn't you?
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Feb 13, 2008

Gemma rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2008

This book has been my tube companion for the past fortnight. It is the perfect accompaniment to the London commute for two reasons:

1) The essays are perfectly formed, so you can be assured that you'll be able to finish 3 little chunks over 40 minutes or so. Once the train trundled into Westminster station I would know to quicken my pace so as to finish another section before alighting at Blackfriars and elbowing some bankers.

2) My tube line is the epitome of the British stiff...more

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Apr 29, 2008

Carrie rated it

If I were in someone else's bathroom and there were no other reading materials except for something by David Sedaris, I would pick it up and flip through it. I probably would even find myself slightly amused. But my basic opinion about David Sedaris - which is that he is boring, not very funny, mean and bitchy, and too lazy to write a novel - would remain unchanged.

Remember when people who had fucked up or interesting lives drew on their personal experiences to create artful, o...more

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Mar 31, 2008

Erica rated it

"You could turn up your nose at the president or Coke or even God, but there were names for boys who didn't like sports."

"Lisa had been born with a lazy leg that had refused to grow at the same rate as it's twin. I liked the idea that a part of one's body might be thought of as lazy--not thoughtless or hostile, just unwilling to extend itself for the betterment of the team."

"She was what we called Tanorexic."

"My father is the...more

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Jul 28, 2011

Shovelmonkey1 rated it

Recommends it for: people who talk pretty but think weird

Recommended to Shovelmonkey1 by: people who already know who david sedaris is

Shelves: brain-fluff, read-in-2011

Before I picked up this book I knew nothing about David Sedaris. If someone said to me now, "so why should I give a damn about David Sedaris" I probably still wouldn't be able to offer an adequate defence. What does David Sedaris do? Ummmm, I think he writes books about being David Sedaris.

But, to be fair and accurate he writes pretty funny books about being David Sedaris so if you think that comedy trumps vanity then come on in and join the David Sedaris club. On the whol...more

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Jan 24, 2012

Tanu Das rated it

Shelves: favorite, hah-hah, short-and-sweet

Very very funny and David reading these stories himself was just the icing of the cake. Lots of lol moments, especially precious memories.

Read again on 22 January, 2012 ,

Recently a goodread friend asked me whether he should read David Sedaris. I said yes, of course, but at the same time, I started rummaging around my place, turning my house upside down looking for my audiobook CD. Reading Margaret Atwood got me in a really gloomy mood recently, but David Sedaris has suc...more

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Sep 28, 2007

Lissa rated it

I read Me Talk Pretty One Day on the recommendation of my roommate, the fabulous WER. She gave me her copy of the book, so with a strong recommendation and a free read, I couldn’t possibly refuse.

Me Talk Pretty One Day is a rough autobiography of writer and humorist David Sedaris. I say a “rough” autobiography because it is not told in chronological order, nor is it a straightforward chronological account of the events of his life. Instead, he presents life as a series of vign...more
I read Me Talk Pretty One Day on the recommendation of my roommate, the fabulous WER. She gave me her copy of the book, so with a strong recommendation and a free read, I couldn’t possibly refuse.

Me Talk Pretty One Day is a rough autobiography of writer and humorist David Sedaris. I say a “rough” autobiography because it is not told in chronological order, nor is it a straightforward chronological account of the events of his life. Instead, he presents life as a series of vignettes, some of which are from when he was a small child (such as his struggles with his speech therapist), from his college years (and his dabbling in drugs and performance art), with the last 1/3 chronicling his experiences as an American in France.

Me Talk Pretty One Day is extremely funny in parts. As a New Yorker, I especially liked his observations working for a moving company in New York City. (As anyone who has lived in New York long enough can tell you, conversations inevitably always turn to real estate if you get m ore than two of us in a room together). For example:

It was generally agreed that a coffin-size studio on Avenue D was preferable to living in one of the boroughs. Moving from one Brooklyn or Staten Island neighborhood to another was fine, but unless you had children to think about, even the homeless saw it as a step down to leave Manhattan. Customers quitting the island for Astoria or Cobble Hill would claim to welcome the change of pace, saying it would be nice to finally have a garden or live a little closer to the airport. They’d put a good face one it, but one could always detect an underlying sense of defeat. The apartments might bigger and cheaper in other places, but one could never count on their old circle of friend making the long trip to attend a birthday party. Even Washington Heights was considered a stretch. People referred to it as Upstate New York, though it was right there in Manhattan.

However, I found that autobiographies (no matter how good they are) often become relentlessly self-indulgent in parts, and this book is no exception to the rule. For instance, in one vignette Sedaris describes a series of dreams that he often has. This particular section doesn’t fit as well with his other stories about living in France and seemed to drag on and on.

All in all, not great literature, but a fun read nevertheless. I read it on the plane ride from New York to Amsterdam, and it was perfect for that kind of trip. Mindless and entertaining, to pass the time.

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Dec 26, 2007

Núria rated it

Shelves: 2007, mios, literatura-en-ingles

Siempre había tenido curiosidad por leer algo de David Sedaris. Lo que me acabó de animar fue una comparación de su mirada sarcástica y crítica con la de Dorothy Parker. Ahora no me acuerdo de dónde leí esta comparación, pero ya os digo que quien la dijo se lució de lo lindo. No digo que esté mal, porque se lee muy bien y muy rápido, y tiene momentos graciosos, aunque nunca desternillantes, y encima cuando ya llevas unos diez cuentitos suyos se hacen algo cansinos, porque es como ir a cenar con ...moreSiempre había tenido curiosidad por leer algo de David Sedaris. Lo que me acabó de animar fue una comparación de su mirada sarcástica y crítica con la de Dorothy Parker. Ahora no me acuerdo de dónde leí esta comparación, pero ya os digo que quien la dijo se lució de lo lindo. No digo que esté mal, porque se lee muy bien y muy rápido, y tiene momentos graciosos, aunque nunca desternillantes, y encima cuando ya llevas unos diez cuentitos suyos se hacen algo cansinos, porque es como ir a cenar con alguien muy pagado de sí mismo y muy quejica y tener que escuchar sus batallitas. Aunque tampoco son aburridas, mientras vas leyendo no dejas de pensar que en lugar de aguantar a este hombre ahora podrías estar sola en casa leyendo un buen libro y estarías mucho mejor.

El libro tiene dos partes: en la primera nos cuenta episodios de su infancia/juventud con mucho protagonismo de los miembros de su familia y en la segunda parte nos cuenta sus aventuras en Francia, donde se fue a vivir con su novio. No sé, es que tener que leer todo un cuento en el que lo único que hace es quejarse porque el francés tiene género para todos los objetos inanimados no es precisamente mi idea de diversión. A mí no me va el humor cascarrabias. Claro que luego hay la otra opción del humor excéntrico basado en describir las excentricidades (¡cómo no!) de los miembros de su familia, que tampoco me va, por más que me haga gracia cada vez que menciona a su hermana Amy. Es mejor cuando se pone a contar historietas de su infancia con cierta nostalgia o ironía entrañable, como cuando le mandaron al logopeda o cuando su padre se emperró en que tenía que aprender a tocar la guitarra. Tampoco está mal el cuento en que se muestra envidioso por la infancia novelesca de su pareja, ni el que describe los crueles métodos de enseñanza de su profe de francés, pero en general ha sido todo bastante decepcionante. Y por supuesto totalmente prescindible. Lo he terminado y me he quedado igual que estaba antes de empezarlo.
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Sep 27, 2007

Nina rated it

So I know this is totally cheating, but I never actually read this book, I listened to it on CD. And I am against the whole book-on-tape idea to begin with, but I needed something easy to listen to on my commute home a few months ago when I was still living all the way in NJ with my parents, and a lot of people whose sense of humor I appreciate told me David Sedaris was hysterical. Actually, I didn't even listen to the whole book, it was so bad I think I only made it past 4 stories. So here i...more

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Jul 23, 2008

Bob rated it

Recommended to Bob by: Dion Garrett

Shelves: stopped-reading

Yes. I realize this book is supposed to be hilarious. Yes. I realize I'm not a hip gen-x'er if I don't happen to think it is. Yet...

I feel like Sedaris accurately summed up his entire approach to writing on page 44: "True art was based upon despair, and the important thing was to make yourself and those around you as miserable as possible." He meant this as satire, I'm sure...but what I found truly halarious was that he didn't even realize that he just described the boo...more

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Dion i can see your perspective, maybe it goes back to life experience though... finding humor in the misery is a way of survival for some. I didn't have ...more
Jul 10, 2008 06:39am

Bob I see what you say here, and I agree with you whole heartedly. Misery can be comforting and often times, my favorite art is based on sadness, disappo...more
Jul 10, 2008 06:57am

Dion linday lohan...hehe that makes me laugh

I definitely think there IS some of the "i'm a poor persecuted gay american" thing going on...more
Jul 10, 2008 07:29am

Nov 12, 2007

Ayla Harbin rated it

So, maybe not exactly literary fiction as it would technically fall under creative non-fiction. However, I personally think creative non-fiction should be considered a form of literary fiction considering not everything, or even most things, in a creative non-fiction story have to be strictly “real”. Besides, this is one of my all-time favorite books!

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris takes place in two parts: Part One and Part Deux. In part one Sedaris tells stories of his chi...moreSo, maybe not exactly literary fiction as it would technically fall under creative non-fiction. However, I personally think creative non-fiction should be considered a form of literary fiction considering not everything, or even most things, in a creative non-fiction story have to be strictly “real”. Besides, this is one of my all-time favorite books!

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris takes place in two parts: Part One and Part Deux. In part one Sedaris tells stories of his childhood and family. Part Deux captures his experiences in France first as a visitor to his partner’s property in Normandy and later as an inadvertent transplant from New York to Paris.
The wry sarcasm and sardonic sense of humor that permeate Sedaris’ stories make the occasional moments of sweetness and vulnerability unexpected and all the more poignant. From his early years as a child stammering through grade school to his middle years back in school and struggling with a new language, Sedaris manages to capture characters and settings excellently and eloquently. With only a little description and a line or two of dialogue he is able to create a vivid character that jumps off the page. His language is clear and concise, not overly flowery, and that is reflected in the clarity and vibrancy of his characters.
For anyone who has struggled with learning a second language the stories of Sedaris’ attempts to learn French will leave you rolling on the floor. I have never before encountered a writing that so aptly portrays how it feels to be stuck in that sort of limbo where you know enough words to speak, but not nearly enough to make sense. For instance, he describes how his French class tries to tell a Muslim student about Easter (en français of course) “He call his self Jesus and then he die one day on two…morsels of …lumber.” “He die one day and then he go above of my head to live with your father.” “He weared of himself the long hair and after he die, the first day he come back here for to say hello to the peoples.” “He nice, the Jesus.”
Sedaris’ knack for finding the essence of a character, setting, culture or conversations and disposing with extraneous bits that would hamper the sharpness of his stories makes for makes for entertaining, moving, thought provoking, and, most of all, entertaining reading.

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May 22, 2007

Jonathan rated it

What did I learn from this book? That embellishing your life can be okay when you're a great storyteller, no harm's done to anyone, and everyone who reads it knows it's ridiculous and loves you for the constant chuckles.

David Sedaris knows all about timing and spacing. Many of his essays and quips are built around the perfectly turned phrase, the expertly used grammar, and the flat-out zaniness of the subjects. (He's probably not hurting for ammo with a sibling like Amy Sedaris of St...more

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Feb 20, 2008

Ellabella rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Ellabella by: Stephanie

Shelves: favorites

I must have brought at least three books to Paris with me for the summer, and I read them all within the first week or two. So it was that I found myself to be extremely bored trekking with Stephanie through Paris to all of these different offices to make sure her student visa was in order. And as I waited in the hall, I pulled this book from her bag which she'd been to busy to read yet.

And I couldn't stop laughing. From page one, I was hooked and laughing in a loud, ugly, America...more

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Oct 20, 2011

Lena rated it

Shelves: humor

I originally read this collection of comic essays when it came out ten years ago. But after picking up a used copy for a friend who had never heard of David Sedaris (how is that even possible?) I found myself unable to resist rereading it.

Despite my familiarity with the book, I enjoyed it as much if not more than the first time. All of the essays are interesting (presuming you find the oddball musings of a neurotic gay misanthrope interesting, that is) but there are also many piece...more

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Jan 28, 2009

Ian rated it

Recommends it for: people who think all one needs to produce in life is an opinion

This book had a bit going for it, in that I do like monologue type books, such as Nick Hornby's work. The main character of this book, however, is what ruined it for me. Regardless of how real it is, having a main character who seems lazy, boring and overly-judgmental just wasn't interesting enough. And sure, a lot of Hornby narrators are similar, but usually it's told in such a way that you know they're off-base. So much of the narration in this book had a tone of arrogance when I could see no...more

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Mar 17, 2008

J rated it

I've felt somewhat guilty having this book labeled "nah" all along. Then someone (yes, you) went and mentioned it. I still wouldn't bother with it again but maybe an explanation will help assuage my guilty feelings. It started out great. I was completely digging it. Then after a while the sarcasm and bitter outlook got stale for me. It wasn't tempered with anything else. Had he wrapped it all up in far fewer pages maybe I would have still been snickering and given it more stars.

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Nov 15, 2008

Kira rated it

i get why people think he's funny, but i don't know, i just didn't. i never laughed outloud, and i'm one to cry, smile, gasp, bite my nails, and/or give big appreciative laughs when the author gives me reason (even while sitting in public places and at inappropriate times). i never was given reason. though, i can recoginze why he is enjoyed by so many, mr. sedaris and i don't connect.

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Nov 21, 2008

Jennifer rated it

Recommends it for: People who love to laugh.

Shelves: 2002, david-sedaris, fun, non-fiction

I heart David Sedaris. His stories are sooooo funny! I almost feel like you miss out when you read his book rather than listening to him tell his stories. Especially when he talks about how he wants to sing old radio jingles in the voice of Billy Holiday. You read it and it's funny - but when you hear him - in a voice so like Billy Holiday it's shocking - singing My bologne has a first name...it's o...s...c...a...r. it's just a hoot!

Man is he funny. Like if Garrison Keillor were gay ...more

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Dec 13, 2008

Zach Worthington rated it

there's nothing wrong with laughing until you cry

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Aug 30, 2008

Jennifer (aka EM) rated it

Recommends it for: those who can see and appreciate tragedy in comedy and vice-versa

Shelves: read-only-coz-of-gr

The word that is coming to mind as a descriptor for Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris is deceptive. But, that word has all kinds of negative connotations, and I'm struggling thesaurusless to find a word that evokes the right combination of simplicity plus cleverness with a twist of ironic self-deprecation hiding a heartfelt (or is it disingenuous? or perhaps just conflicted and complex?) poignancy.

Sedaris (at least here in Me Talk Pretty...) is Budweiser with an absinthe ch...more

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May 30, 2008

Jude rated it

David Sedaris... I can't really say enough. With an ascerbic wit and sometimes uncomfortably unflinching eye he relates the stories of his growing up in this hilarious but dark memoir. The brushstrokes with which he paints the characters of his family are sometimes broad and loving, sometimes knife-sharp, always insightful (I suppose, since it's only through this book that I know his family). There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, such as a time when,as a young boy, his mother was tailor...moreDavid Sedaris... I can't really say enough. With an ascerbic wit and sometimes uncomfortably unflinching eye he relates the stories of his growing up in this hilarious but dark memoir. The brushstrokes with which he paints the characters of his family are sometimes broad and loving, sometimes knife-sharp, always insightful (I suppose, since it's only through this book that I know his family). There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, such as a time when,as a young boy, his mother was tailoring a pair of pants for him. He and his sisters had recently found some hilariously pornographic book full of bestiality and incest, which they passed around to each other dutifully. Being too young to understand how outrageous it was, they took it as a sort of manifesto on family life, and when this mother accidentally brushed his crotch while tailoring his pants, he blurts out "I just want to be friends, nothing more!!" To which his mother responds "And you've been leading me on all this time." And his scathing review of "home cooking" in New York in "The Daily Special" was so funny I had to read it out loud to other foodie friends of mine.

But other remembrances are dark to the point of painful. The raw exposure of his worst (and best) days as a drug addict is so unflattering, and manages to translate the utter eggshell of his existence during this time. It is only the courage of his telling the story that allowed me to keep reading, but it was like the slowly-unfolding car wreck that you can't quite look away from, much as you might want to. He doesn't tell us how he manages to climb out of his hole, only the existence of his books tells us that he does. Instead, he allows this period to stand without any self-pity, effacement or redemption, it just was what it was.

It sometimes seems as if he's totally dispassionate about his family, how else could he portray them in such unflattering lights? But also, anyone who's ever had a sibling or a childhood not-quite-friend can relate to the petty cruelties and crimes perpetrated on us in childhood by our siblings, that, later in life, turn into fond if rueful memories. If anything, it is his awareness and appreciation for the little absurdities that living presents to us every day, the petty crimes we (sometimes) unknowingly perpetrate on our loved ones, and the honesty of his wry sense of humor that makes this, in my mind, his most brilliant book.(less)

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Apr 09, 2008

Hilary rated it

so i wrote a book review on this book for a class assignment (haha-i'm not that nerdy that i write lengthy book reviews in my spare time)
David Sedaris is bringing back the funny with his new novel, Me Talk Pretty One Day. His sidesplitting humor stems from his North Carolina upbringing and his colorful parents, siblings, and friends. This work is a collection of autobiographical essays that seem too obscure to come from a true account of his life, but I guess Sedaris is just that weird. ...moreso i wrote a book review on this book for a class assignment (haha-i'm not that nerdy that i write lengthy book reviews in my spare time)
David Sedaris is bringing back the funny with his new novel, Me Talk Pretty One Day. His sidesplitting humor stems from his North Carolina upbringing and his colorful parents, siblings, and friends. This work is a collection of autobiographical essays that seem too obscure to come from a true account of his life, but I guess Sedaris is just that weird. His cynicism and communication problems are the constant threads that help keep the collection afloat.
The book is broken into two sections, one and deux. Both sections made me embarrassed to read the book in public, because I frequently laughed out loud. Part one starts in a somewhat chronological order reliving his elementary school days and speech impediments. His father, Lou Sedaris is the star character. If this were a film, he would win the Oscar for “Best Supporting Actor.” His desire for all of his children to be musical prodigies led him to sign Sedaris up for guitar lessons from the local ‘midget’ guitarist. Sedaris said, “Although I had regularly petitioned for a brand-name vacuum cleaner, I’d never said anything about wanting a guitar”. His one-liners made me keel over.
He also mentions his mother’s antics, such as reviving a dying puppy by placing it in a casserole dish and popping it in the oven (on low heat, of course). Paul, his brother liked to call himself the “rooster” when he felt threatened. Sometimes the only decipherable words in his common slue of profanity were, “You can’t kill the rooster”. His sister, Amy, fooled their father for Christmas one year by wearing a fat suit for days. He whispered about her weight gain to Sedaris and asked her to go on a ten-mile run with him. He was practically in tears when she confessed.
One of my favorite chapters, Twelve Moments in the Life of the Artist details his attempt at visual art from tracing comic book characters to live performances at the local art museum, where he is upstaged by his father’s comments from the audience. David is open about his drug use and homosexuality, which made for interesting anecdotes about the riffraff he hung around.
Take Robin Williams in Dead Poet’s Society and multiply his eccentric style of teaching by one hundred, and you get Sedaris as a college professor. Having no training as a teacher, Sedaris takes on a teaching position. On the first day of class, he showed up with nametags shaped like maple leaves and the daily schedule from then on consisted of Celebrity Corner, Feedbag Forum, and Pillow Talk.
His self-deprecating humor and delivery continue in part deux when he moves to France with his lover. One memorable incident occurs when they are on the subway, and two American tourists assume Sedaris is French so they speak in English about him. They comment on his smell and cling to their belongings in fear that he is a pick-pocketer. Sedaris plots to steal his boyfriend’s wallet out of his back pocket, while they are getting off the train and have the American couple call the police. Sedaris planned to say, “What’s the problem? Is it against the law to borrow money from my boyfriend?” Unfortunately, before he can carry out his plot, the couple gets off the train.
While living in Paris, he tries to combat his inability to speak the language by taking a French class. In Jesus Shaves, he tells of the eclectic mix of translation difficulties. For instance, his classmates try to explain the concept of Easter to a Moroccan student with explanations that translated as, “He weared of himself the long hair and after he die, the first day he come back here for to say hello to the peoples.”
This is a book you will not put down, unless it falls, because you are laughing so hard. Sedaris leaves us wanting more. I have a feeling this is not the last of Sedaris, because he will never run out of material to write about as long as his family is still alive. His caustic cynicism and wit will continue to help him sell books, and I will be the first to buy them.
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Jan 01, 2008

Don Rea rated it

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I've had to pause to savor the finish of Sedaris's writing's bouquet before making any remarks. I apologize for the stupid metaphor, but a really good Beaujoulais nouveau is what I keep thinking of when trying to describe this collection of memoir essays.

Sedaris somehow manages a feat I would have said was not merely impossible but unimaginable: He comes across with the sharp wit of the urban sophisticate, somehow lacking the smarmy outsider's stance such wit requires. His hilarious ...more

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Oct 25, 2010

Mariel rated it

Recommends it for: sashaying essaying

Recommended to Mariel by: stop me if you think you've heard this one before

Shelves: mymemoir, high-larious, oldfools

Me Talk Pretty One Day is my favorite David Sedaris collection. Later works feel too "that joke isn't funny anymore" hitting close to home for me. Trying too hard to make okay what is not okay. I loved the simplicity of letting things be and laughing 'cause you can and not "You'll laugh about this some day" force choke feeling. The one that adults told you would happen when something really shitty happened that there was never going to be a good explanation for. Laugh if you ...moreMe Talk Pretty One Day is my favorite David Sedaris collection. Later works feel too "that joke isn't funny anymore" hitting close to home for me. Trying too hard to make okay what is not okay. I loved the simplicity of letting things be and laughing 'cause you can and not "You'll laugh about this some day" force choke feeling. The one that adults told you would happen when something really shitty happened that there was never going to be a good explanation for. Laugh if you actually feel like laughing, I'd want to scream.

Okay, I didn't like the essay about his work mate that told bullshit stories to impress people. Sedaris was more impressed by that than I would be. I don't know, I got fed up listening to coworkers make up not even GOOD stories about their sex lives (the only way this would work is if there is a super model agency in town. There can't be 'cause no one has approached me for a job yet). I just don't see the point in listening to it if the lies aren't going to be entertaining. Sedaris did seem full of shit closing off with some message about how charmers charming the pants off you is fun (pants are overrated), and fine and dandy because it took imagination. Not really. That's the only time I remember being annoyed with this Sedaris book. (If they charm your pants off, they should be able to sell the pants back to you. Otherwise they aren't that good at it. Just saying.)

I loved the stories about French classes. I'd recommend reading Me Talk Pretty One Day to anyone struggling with learning a foriegn language. Masculin/feminin isn't the hard stuff for me. It's being tongue-tied and remembering anything once I try to open my mouth that's hard. Of course, I also struggle with my first language, English. I've had to overcome stuttering when confronting groups larger than one person.

I also loved that he taught soap operas to his students so that he wouldn't miss out on his favorite story lines. I loved the characterizations of the "not going to waste any more time" older students. I'd peg people in my classes as such because of Sedaris. Boy, was he right! Anyway, I'd have gotten into the soap opera assignments. One of my favorite school memories is the time my twin did an oral book report on a romance novel. Or the sordid royal histories. Crowd pleasers! (Myself would, of course, stutter over "He touched her boo---assssssssss *blushes and runs away*.")

I also loved another Sedaris story about his mom and him trying to imitate the way a woman said, oh so casually because sounding rich was like breathing to her, "Well, one of my homes". I once did this when I saw a poseur rich lady try on a Cruella "Dahling" 'tude. This guy she knew was thinking of buying a house. She goes, "When the time comes... I will be there for you, DAHLING!" I imitated it all the time because I too wanted to be able to sound that put on airy. (Years later, I know the guy's nephew and can't stand him.) Anyway, I loved how the Sedaris ma and son couldn't get it right. It IS hard to get that money accent right. We can't all talk like Daisy in The Great Gatsby.

I've not read this in years and I'm going totally by my crapola memory. I remember laughing a lot. I'd see this on my bookshelf and beam at it. I test my enjoyment of books by my ability to beam fondly at it. The other Sedaris book I'd beam at is Holidays on Ice. I love anything that has jokes about Uncle Phil Collins.

p.s. His sister Lisa trained her parrot to give her pep talks to boost her self-esteem. I must be more fucked up 'cause I trained my Senegal parrot to call me "evil white man".

P.s.s. D'oh! English isn't my first language. Until the age of three my twin and I spoke our secret twin language (which we didn't even do right since our grandfather made up words for us to use. Guess I'm not properly exclusive enough. Our gramps egged us on in all our "bad behavior". His ability to be fun didn't offset his psychotic tendencies one bit. Just taught me to appreciate parallel lines in behavior). Now I have an excuse for my speech problems.(less)

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Jul 02, 2008

Meghan rated it

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Recommended to Meghan by: RGBC

Shelves: biography, comedy, own, rg-bookclub

Sedaris is good enough with words to make you chuckle at what otherwise would be considered mundane experiences (guitar lessons, becoming a mover, taking French classes), but he is much better at telling the stories of other people. In this memoir about his life, I found myself wishing he would spend more time on his parents or siblings (like Amy). Through his words, I found myself appreciating where Strangers with Candy originated and Amy Sedaris' comic genius came from.

Overall, I f...more

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Nov 18, 2008

Kerry rated it

Recommends it for: someone who wants a chuckle or anyone who thinks only their family is odd

Fun. Silly. Wacky. So I have heard David Sedaris on the radio and even seen him in person at a book reading, but this is the first time I actually delved into one of his written works. I did wish I could have heard him actually reading the stories with his particular stresses and pauses, but overall it was a quick and enjoyable read.

I particularly enjoyed some of his descriptions about goofy and odd things that his family members would do. They were great! Also, I could completel...more

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Dec 12, 2007

Colin rated it

Uneven. Some portions of this book are utterly hilarious and pitch-perfect: his descriptions of his sister's sun-tanning regime, the interaction of his parents with family dogs, and the relationship of his brother "The Rooster" and his father were all incredibly engaging, very funny, and unvarnished without being diminishing of the people involved.

The stories of narcotic dissipation and personal development (more or less) were less interesting, and painful to read. Perhaps...more

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About David Sedaris

David Sedaris is a Grammy Award-nominated American humorist and radio contributor.

Sedaris came to prominence in 1992 when National Public Radio broadcast his essay "SantaLand Diaries." He published his first collection of essays and short stories, Barrel Fever, in 1994. Each of his four subsequent essay collections, Naked (1997), Holidays on Ice (1997), Me Talk Pretty One Day ...more

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“If you aren't cute, you may as well be clever.” — 278 people liked it

“Certain motherfuckers think they can fuck with my shit, but you can't kill the Rooster. You might can fuck him up some times, but, bitch, nobody kills the motherfucking Roster. You know what I'm saying?” — 206 people liked it

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