book data
13678 ratings, 3.97 average rating, 978 reviews
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published
November 1st 1998
(first published 1997)
by Back Bay Books
binding
Paperback, 144 pages
isbn
0316779237
(isbn13: 9780316779234)
description
Holidays on Ice is a collection of three previously published stories matched with three newer ones, all, of course, on a Christmas theme. Davi...more
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avg 3.97
To the tune of “Frosty the Snowman”
Da-vid Se-daris
Was a writer oh-so-droll
With a quirky style and take on life
That will put you on the floor.
Da-vid Se-daris
Writes the weirdest stuff you’ll see
About the Christmas whore and the Macy’s elves
And deathly children’s pageantry.
There must have been some crazy
In the Sedaris family tree
‘Cause David ain’t the only one
Have you seen his sister Amy?
Oh! Da-vid Se-daris!
Can your stories all be true?
It matters ...more
Da-vid Se-daris
Was a writer oh-so-droll
With a quirky style and take on life
That will put you on the floor.
Da-vid Se-daris
Writes the weirdest stuff you’ll see
About the Christmas whore and the Macy’s elves
And deathly children’s pageantry.
There must have been some crazy
In the Sedaris family tree
‘Cause David ain’t the only one
Have you seen his sister Amy?
Oh! Da-vid Se-daris!
Can your stories all be true?
It matters ...more
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8 comments
Read in December, 2007
David Sedaris is messed up! I can't even begin to tell you, you'll just have to read these Christmas stories on crack and find out for yourself.
Holidays on Ice is a collection of six short stories all wrapped up in a black Christmas bow. They are dark, sarcastic, evil, irreverent, funny, real, revealing, and sweet.
SantaLand Diaries recounts Sedaris's experience working as a Christmas elf in Santaland at Macy's in Manhattan. He encounters overzealous, self-centered, and racist parents....more
Holidays on Ice is a collection of six short stories all wrapped up in a black Christmas bow. They are dark, sarcastic, evil, irreverent, funny, real, revealing, and sweet.
SantaLand Diaries recounts Sedaris's experience working as a Christmas elf in Santaland at Macy's in Manhattan. He encounters overzealous, self-centered, and racist parents....more
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Read in December, 2007
After reading the first short story, I thought this was going to be a delightful book. "SantaLand Diaries," after all, had me rolling down the isle of the plane on which I was reading it... Okay, I was just giggling constantly with frequent bursts of loud laugher interspersed. No rolling, but still very humiliating on the whole. At any rate, I came home in a dither to read the other stories as well. Ugh. Appalling. Not a single chuckle among them. Worse, they were gross, often o...more
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Read in December, 2004
In 2004 I was in a relationship where partner and I had very different ideas of what the holidays should look like. He's all about family and one-up-manship in the category of who brought the most unique/popular gift and who created the best dish for the potluck end of the Christmas meal.
Me, I'd rather vacate. So I packed up the dog this one year and drove to a secret get-away for Christmas alone. (Think "ahhh," not "awww") His gift to me was this book on CD, which I listen...more
Me, I'd rather vacate. So I packed up the dog this one year and drove to a secret get-away for Christmas alone. (Think "ahhh," not "awww") His gift to me was this book on CD, which I listen...more
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Okay. Let it be said: "Santaland Diaries," the first essay of this book, is wonderful. But the rest of the book is basically filler; this was before Sedaris found his niche (humor essayist), and it really shows. He should never, ever write fiction, for example, and yet he tries to here. The results are not pretty, or even very readable.
It's also notable that half of the pieces in this short book have appeared in other collections of his. So, really, this is not worth buying;...more
It's also notable that half of the pieces in this short book have appeared in other collections of his. So, really, this is not worth buying;...more
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Now you know that I love David Sedaris. I want to be his best friend--although I know that I would end up as a wacky and pathetic character in one of his essays. These essays, most which have been printed in other works, all deal with holidays. Some of them were wonderful (The SantaLand Diaries) and some of them bordered on really, really mean. Hope, don't read this book, there is one essay that I really don't think you would appreciate--I didn't. However, others sparkle with that unique ta...more
Note: this collection is not remotely politically correct or heartwarming. Thank God. Like most Sedaris junkies I read the original years ago and this re-issue with new pieces is simply frosting on the fruitcake.
After striking out at U.P.S., the comic writer David Sedaris famously found work as an elf named Crumpet in SantaLand at Macy’s, at the (somewhat) tender age of 33. When children — tramping through the fake-snowed, be-penguined paradise — acted up, Mr. Sedaris, 5-foot-5...more
After striking out at U.P.S., the comic writer David Sedaris famously found work as an elf named Crumpet in SantaLand at Macy’s, at the (somewhat) tender age of 33. When children — tramping through the fake-snowed, be-penguined paradise — acted up, Mr. Sedaris, 5-foot-5...more
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Read in December, 2007
This book gets one star instead of zero because I did not completely hate "Dinah the Christmas Whore" and thought "SantaLand Diares" was just kind of okay. I didn't like any of the other stories even the slightest bit.
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the one that started it all...you will laugh 'til your stomach aches! The "Christmas newsletter" is a scream.
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Read in November, 2008
The reason it is only getting rated 2 stars is that have previously read most of the stories that appear in this holiday themed collection in his various other books. I think only about three were first-time read for me.
The only never before published story is a not even fice page long sory that is about an Animal Farm-esque Secret Sant, which was very original but crushed my spirit right before bed.
I do like that there are completely fictional stories that dont involve the author's li...more
The only never before published story is a not even fice page long sory that is about an Animal Farm-esque Secret Sant, which was very original but crushed my spirit right before bed.
I do like that there are completely fictional stories that dont involve the author's li...more
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Almost that time of year. I reread every holiday season.
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One less star due to baby in the dryer story....
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Sedaris does nothing for me.
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Read in September, 2008
I think this is a great book to read, especially when you're stressed. Like many books written by David Sedaris it's outright funny and addictive. I think Sedaris takes all the petty, and painful parts of life and just flips them upside down, shakes out all the headaches and nonsense and places the remain comfortably in your lap. The best part about all of this is that he doesn't just make his books funny, or real. But he is able to bring light to many problems within the humor that we find. In ...more
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Read in October, 2008
I laughed so much while reading this book that my husband finally gave in and asked, "What in the world are you reading?!?!" Doesn't that say it all? This quick, entertaining collection of essays by David Sedaris is FUNNY.
The book consists of 12 stories that range from darkly comic and macabre to sarcastic, witty accounts of family interactions that most of us can relate to.
The comic range of these essays means that the book will appeal to many different readers in terms of t...more
The book consists of 12 stories that range from darkly comic and macabre to sarcastic, witty accounts of family interactions that most of us can relate to.
The comic range of these essays means that the book will appeal to many different readers in terms of t...more
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Read in November, 2008
recommends it for:
holiday humbugs
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Read in July, 2008
Bah. Needless to say, this should not be your introduction to Sedaris. This book consists of six-or-so stories; many of them had already been published in his other books, but are combined here to fit a holiday-themed collection. The first chapter, an original, is the strongest of the new additions, relating Sedaris' short-lived job as a Christmas elf (that man has held some really weird jobs). In a couple of chapters, Sedaris moves away from personal recollection and experiments with fiction sh...more
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Read in December, 2006
I wanted to get in the spirit early this year, so I picked up a copy of David Sedaris's holiday stories, but they failed to incite much spirit or, excepting the first item in the collection, much laughter. There are six items in this collection: they include a presumably autobiographical description of Sedaris's working as an elf at Macy's in New York City, another presumably autobiographical story about a Christmas when Sedaris was a youngster, and then four fictional monologues. The only stori...more
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Read in December, 2007
recommends it for:
large printing conglomerate editor as a cautionary tale;someone working a demeaning part-time job
Reading this copy of Santaland Diaries clearly illustrated how deeply the cover art and the book's condition affect the reader's first and subsequent perceptions of the writing. Instead of buying this book, I borrowed a sad little copy from the library. It didn't even have a proper spine. The once red now faded to pink in parts, slightly tattered front and back cover of almost-construction paper got even worse when I noticed - STAPLES -instead of the spine it needed. The bad impression went ...more
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