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Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk
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Featuring David Sedaris's unique blend of hilarity and heart, this new collection of keen-eyed animal-themed tales is an utter delight. Though the characters may not be human, the situations in these stories bear an uncanny resemblance to the insanity of everyday life.
In "The Toad, the Turtle, and the Duck," three strangers commiserate about animal bureaucracy while waiti ...more
In "The Toad, the Turtle, and the Duck," three strangers commiserate about animal bureaucracy while waiti ...more
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Hardcover, First Edition, 159 pages
Published
September 28th 2010
by Little, Brown and Company
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Start your review of Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk
This book is a new story each chapter. The concept of Anthropomorphism makes you believe that this book will be excellent or is it because I had to wait on a HUGE waiting list from the library? Yes this book was in my mind terrible. The concept is that animals have human traits and I think the author was trying to show that people are judgmental hypocrites, especially when it comes to choosing friends, raising children, dating, religion etc. I think it is supposed to be funny because you can rel
...more
David Sedaris is such a fudging ray of sunshine. I’m using the uncomfortable word “fudge” in this review as much as possible because I find it extra-obscene and sweetly domestic at the same time. Kind of like Sedaris. (Also, weirdly, I just found out that amazon.com will allow "fudge" as a replacement for "fuck," though to me there is a more obscene quality to "fudge," despite the fact that it is a yummy desert.) Anyway, I never realized before that it could make Sedaris' stories even more hilar
...more
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary by David Sedaris is like Aesop and William Burroughs having a tough weekend outside the methadone clinic.
Actually it is like a cross between Woody Allen absurdist neurosis and Eudora Welty Southern Gothic grotesque with a nod to Gary Larson’s The Far Side. This is the second book I have read by Sedaris, the first being When You Are Engulfed in Flames, and though I very much liked the first book, I was disturbed by Sedaris himself. He came across as se ...more
Actually it is like a cross between Woody Allen absurdist neurosis and Eudora Welty Southern Gothic grotesque with a nod to Gary Larson’s The Far Side. This is the second book I have read by Sedaris, the first being When You Are Engulfed in Flames, and though I very much liked the first book, I was disturbed by Sedaris himself. He came across as se ...more
Wow, this book is incredibly disturbing! Instead of Sedaris's usual personal essays, here are dark, dark fables starring talking animals, each story brimming with all the horrible things people say and do to each other, and ending with an even more horrible zinger. The writing is clever, and I even chuckled occasionally, but I just couldn't get past the subject matter. (Picture adorable children's picture book pig Olivia with her eyes plucked out, and you have an idea about Ian Falconer's creepy
...more
Awww, they think they're people! KAWAIII!!!
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk is not your typical David Sedaris, self-confessional book. It's a collection of short stories in which animals have, for the most part, human conversations.
Fun, fairly light stuff with a bit of clever dashed in now and then as always found in a stew of David Sedaris stories. Light reading, yes, pleasant and positive? Not always...
What else could be expected from Sedaris? Dude's got a dark sense of humor. These stories might be f ...more
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk is not your typical David Sedaris, self-confessional book. It's a collection of short stories in which animals have, for the most part, human conversations.
Fun, fairly light stuff with a bit of clever dashed in now and then as always found in a stew of David Sedaris stories. Light reading, yes, pleasant and positive? Not always...
What else could be expected from Sedaris? Dude's got a dark sense of humor. These stories might be f ...more
Nov 18, 2010
Mike H
added it
No, I did not forget to assign a star rating. This book gets ZERO stars! I hated it. Really despised it. In fact, David Sedaris should give me 5 stars for reading this piece of trash!
I have always been a fan of David Sedaris. I was thrilled when I heard he had a new book out; I saw his appearance on the Daily Show and he was hilarious! He talked about the book and it sounded awesome, so I ordered it through Amazon the next day. Paid for expedited delivery. Couldn't wait for it to arrive! I star ...more
I have always been a fan of David Sedaris. I was thrilled when I heard he had a new book out; I saw his appearance on the Daily Show and he was hilarious! He talked about the book and it sounded awesome, so I ordered it through Amazon the next day. Paid for expedited delivery. Couldn't wait for it to arrive! I star ...more
A funny little book of stories starring animals in the place of people.
The audio was fun-especially the tales narrated by Elaine Stritch.
I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much if I had read it instead. Also, the price seems kind of high to me for such a short book. Thankfully, I checked this out of my library for free.
**LIBRARIES RULE!**
...more
The audio was fun-especially the tales narrated by Elaine Stritch.
I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much if I had read it instead. Also, the price seems kind of high to me for such a short book. Thankfully, I checked this out of my library for free.
**LIBRARIES RULE!**
...more
sat·ire
ˈsaˌtī(ə)r/
noun
the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.
I've come to realize that I'm particular about satire, especially when it's supposed to be funny. I like smart humor - first make me laugh, then make me think. I like Jon Stewart, I like The Onion, I like The Simpsons... I could go on, but the point I'm making is that I like my satire to have bi ...more
I wanted to love this book, I really did. I have seen Mr. Sedaris read live several times and have always found him hilarious, so I thought I would listen to the audio version and see if I fared any better than the print version had with most of the readers on here, who seemed to be left cold by this latest offering.
On the plus side for the audio version, you get not just David Sedaris, but the incomparable Elaine Stritch, who raises the level of positively everything she is associated with (the ...more
On the plus side for the audio version, you get not just David Sedaris, but the incomparable Elaine Stritch, who raises the level of positively everything she is associated with (the ...more
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary by David Sedaris is exactly as advertised in the title. The characters in this book are animals. I cannot say that this is my favorite Sedaris book but the stories were sometimes charming, sometimes funny and sometimes tongue-in-cheek as only he can write. The saving grace of this audiobook are the narrators: Dylan Baker, Elaine Stritch, Sian Phillips and, of course, the author. If you are looking for a quick and light read, this one is for you.
David says that some journalist described this book as “bed time stories for children who drink”. Well said journalist, whoever you are.
It’s about animals behaving in the petty, vain, ignorant, arrogant way humans do. Not his best work, but it wasn’t terrible either.
It’s about animals behaving in the petty, vain, ignorant, arrogant way humans do. Not his best work, but it wasn’t terrible either.
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary by David Sedaris is a clever and witty book I got from the library. This book is filled with several short stories of all types. Some are humorous, some tragic, some clever and disgusting, some sad, some have an underlying social commentary, and I think some are just for fun! I really enjoyed it. I got the audible version and the narration was excellent!
I was hoping for some comic relief when I decided to pick this book up but what I got are mostly short, occasionally funny but more often dark fables, albeit with meaningful messages, some of them I honestly hated. I don't know why I still felt the need to keep reading until the very last story even though I would exhale a loud sigh or wince after each story. Perhaps, that's the author's power, to make you want to read even when you're already hating it.
I haven't read a lot of anthropomorphic b ...more
I haven't read a lot of anthropomorphic b ...more
If you're looking for a quick, entertaining left-field read that will supply you with the odd chuckle and occasional grin, then 'Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk' will satisfy.
Sedaris is a damn good writer. He takes the common (and occasionally not-so-common) animal and puts them in a variety of human-esque predicaments that still greatly adhere to the laws of the animal kingdom. It can be sweet and funny one moment, or surprisingly cruel and brutal at other times. Various animal characters have convers ...more
Sedaris is a damn good writer. He takes the common (and occasionally not-so-common) animal and puts them in a variety of human-esque predicaments that still greatly adhere to the laws of the animal kingdom. It can be sweet and funny one moment, or surprisingly cruel and brutal at other times. Various animal characters have convers ...more
I am struggling for words to describe this..... its definitely not on par with the author's usual work and each short story has its own weird twisted ending all of which made me feel slightly uneasy.
...more
OMG! Heard him speak recently, and he read two stories from this book - due out in October. I'm not a huge fan of his satire, preferring his autobiographical stuff rather, but these stories were certainly funny and crowd-pleasing. Ian Falconer, author of the Olivia children's books, will be doing the illustrations. Can't wait!!
Got this for Christmas, and Whoa! Liked it way better than I thought I would - much harsher and more caustic than anything he's done before. Like Aesop but much scarier an ...more
Got this for Christmas, and Whoa! Liked it way better than I thought I would - much harsher and more caustic than anything he's done before. Like Aesop but much scarier an ...more
Wow, this is ……I don’t know what or how to?…. So David Sedaris has written several essays from the point of view of different animals living in the wild and dealing with day-to-day issues. I can imagine that some people might have thought WTF? But I found it quite enjoyable, some were disturbing, but when you get right down to it situations that were plausible and true to life in the real world.
The Grieving Owl was my favorite, about an owl whose mate has died and dealing with his idiot family ...more
The Grieving Owl was my favorite, about an owl whose mate has died and dealing with his idiot family ...more
Dark, twisted, insightful, prophetic, hilarious, fun ! If you are not upset by 'foul' language, and the dark humor, this book is a belly laugh. Filled with anthropomorphic characters, with quite interesting attitudes. I have it on audio and the narrators could not have nailed they attitudes better. Short stories, a quick read. I am still chuckling.... ; ) I want to read more from this author
...more
Well... no. Just no.
I see this has been rated incredibly low overall on Goodreads, and for a David Sedaris book, that is pretty startling. Why? Sedaris is one of the great humorists of our time, maybe for me the top writer going, the one writer who has consistently made me laugh aloud. In earlier times, I can think of Dorothy Parker and James Thurber, in their era, Peter DeVries decades later, and there are plenty more satirists/humorists/comic writers, of course, but I am thinking of a particular tone: urbane, sop
...more
I normally like to listen to Sedaris read his books (so much of the humor is in his tone), but I wandered into a bookstore the day this one was released and couldn't resist it. I have listened to him enough that I heard this whole book in his voice anyway. The clerk in the bookstore where I bought it (who clearly was not familiar with Sedaris's work) had put it on a front table because he wasn't sure whether it belonged in the adult or children's section. It's most definitely not for kids. It's
...more
Let me start by saying I think that David Sedaris is one of the funniest human beings out there. I've read every book and attended his shows, laughing until I hurt. However, this book was a horrifying disappointment for me. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor, very funny turns of phrase and perect-timing endings, but the content is just a little too far over the line of dark humor to be comfortable.
Complicating matters, the illustrations are by Ian Falconer, author/illus ...more
Complicating matters, the illustrations are by Ian Falconer, author/illus ...more
A few times I wanted to cry for the little animals, until I reminded myself that "they aren't real." Then I had to fight back the urge to throw up, stopping short because "those are paper flies, so they're not actually eating... that." Finally, in nearly every story, I recognized at least one person that I know and loathe... er.. love, but because they were mere representations, I resisted the temptation to curse out said loved ones.
Ok, that last part was a lie.
Overall, I loved the book. I ...more
Ok, that last part was a lie.
Overall, I loved the book. I ...more
I bought this book because:
1) I had read a really, really great essay by David Sedaris about an episode from his childhood when his parents were considering buying a sea cottage. The essay was equal parts well-crafted, insightful, and humorous, making me want to read more from him.
2) I had a gift card to Barnes & Noble and this book was bargain priced, meaning I could get it and two others.
3) It was hardbound with a nice jacket, and I am a sucker for good-looking books (I was also tempted to buy ...more
1) I had read a really, really great essay by David Sedaris about an episode from his childhood when his parents were considering buying a sea cottage. The essay was equal parts well-crafted, insightful, and humorous, making me want to read more from him.
2) I had a gift card to Barnes & Noble and this book was bargain priced, meaning I could get it and two others.
3) It was hardbound with a nice jacket, and I am a sucker for good-looking books (I was also tempted to buy ...more
I have always enjoyed David Sedaris' books in the past. He is witty, and his commentary on people and society is always clever, sometimes hilarious, and very accurate. In some respects, this book is all that, but I think it misses the mark, and it certainly didn't live up to my expectations.
It's a collection of 16 fables that feature animals with human characteristics, attitudes, biases, and frailties. Some are wonderful. I particularly enjoyed the first story "The Cat and the Baboon". Any woman ...more
It's a collection of 16 fables that feature animals with human characteristics, attitudes, biases, and frailties. Some are wonderful. I particularly enjoyed the first story "The Cat and the Baboon". Any woman ...more
Normally, I'm a big fan of David Sedaris's work, but I'm growing more and more worried that he's tapped out his abundance of ridiculous family-related stories and, thus, has lost some of his ability to make me laugh out loud while simply retaining small chuckle inducing capabilities. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk is his latest endeavor, which veers completely away from his habit of producing semi-personal anecdotes and instead focuses on his keen observational skills. This interesting little collectio
...more
Being an animal lover, and going on the reputation of David Sedaris being a very clever and humorous writer, I eagerly went to Borders to pick up a copy of this book for myself along with another copy for a fellow animal lover's birthday. I read the first story in Borders before buying and literally laughed out loud. So, off to the counter I went with 2 copies of the book.
I have to give thumbs up to whoever chose the layout of this book -- the first story was by far the best and the only time I ...more
I have to give thumbs up to whoever chose the layout of this book -- the first story was by far the best and the only time I ...more
I love David Sedaris and this may be his best collection yet. "Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk" is a collection of short fiction stories about animals and is the perfect book for an afternoon. It's a quick read, but one that will warrent a revisit.
The stories seems simple, but have layers of meaning and often point to the faults that we have as humans. Sedaris uses animals to bring up taboo subjects and expose the ugly side of humanity. The stories often use humour as a deflection (and Sedaris really a ...more
The stories seems simple, but have layers of meaning and often point to the faults that we have as humans. Sedaris uses animals to bring up taboo subjects and expose the ugly side of humanity. The stories often use humour as a deflection (and Sedaris really a ...more
Was it well written? Yes. Were the parables clever? Yes. Did I like it? NO.
These 16 beast fables follow in the tradition of Aesop, Horace and La Fontaine. While I appreciate Sedaris's craftsmanship, I found the stories to be excessively gruesome and tongue-in-cheek, castigating a variety of modern fools without providing the "moral of the story" at the end.
Sedaris pokes fun at the sort of uneducated, bourgeois attitudes you find televised on Jerry Springer. Ignorance, hatred and fear lie at the ...more
These 16 beast fables follow in the tradition of Aesop, Horace and La Fontaine. While I appreciate Sedaris's craftsmanship, I found the stories to be excessively gruesome and tongue-in-cheek, castigating a variety of modern fools without providing the "moral of the story" at the end.
Sedaris pokes fun at the sort of uneducated, bourgeois attitudes you find televised on Jerry Springer. Ignorance, hatred and fear lie at the ...more
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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 (2000), Dress Your Fa ...more
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 (2000), Dress Your Fa ...more
Articles featuring this book
A self-proclaimed magnet for crazy people, the humorist talks about his new work of short fiction, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, and the grossest nature...
45 likes · 7 comments
2 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“When her muzzle grew more white than brown, the chipmunk forgot that she and the squirrel had had nothing to talk about. She forgot the definition of "jazz" as well and came to think of it as every beautiful thing she had ever failed to appreciate: the taste of warm rain; the smell of a baby; the din of a swollen river, rushing past her tree and onward to infinity.”
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27 likes
“but all of a sudden they’re poets, right, like that’s all it takes — being in love.”
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19 likes
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