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And while I got the point of tales like his companion, Hugh, proving his love by treating a noisome boil, for example, the world-weary, catty observational humor and the high-strung emotionalism just largely fell flat this time, almost sounding contrived. "Me Talk Pretty One Day" was one of the most acidly funny books I ever read, and his short story "The Santaland Diaries" is nothing less than a masterpiece. But, the book has side-splitting and thoughtful gems, too. But I admit to being very disappointed in "When You Are Engulfed in Flames." I cannot explain exactly why I was disappointed.
Funny, but always thought provoking. It's not that the writing, overall, was bad. It was just not terribly interesting. I disclose up front that I am a huge Sedaris fan. If you are new to Sedaris, this is not the book for you. Since this was Sedaris' "mid-life crisis" book, I cannot object to that overmuch, but the sometime artless joylessness made "Engulfed" a numbing chore.
The tale of Mrs. Peacock, the smelly babysitter from hell, the external catheter called "The Stadium Pal," and a harrowing piece about the nature of guilt and shame when he befriends an old sex offender shunned by society are Sedaris at his vintage best.
"Naked," "Barrel Fever," and "Me Talk Pretty One Day" are where your attention should be. And, I do not expect Sedaris to be "funny." Much of his most elegant prose, especially about his family, is not.
So, on balance, half the book is wonderful, half less so. And the last tale about quitting smoking in Tokyo was, in my opinion, a stream of consciousness nightmare.
And overall, there is a gloom settled over these pages. If you are a Sedaris fan, you will enjoy it, but be prepared for some odd forays that do not work well.
Recommended, but with noted reservations.
I had a big boil, my queen lances it, the fluid inside smells. This book is, no question, the worst book I have ever read. I had high expectations going into this book based on all the hype. Are you serious. I did not laugh once, not even a chuckle. This life situations this dude tackles are not funny. That's just gnarly, not humorous. Don't waste your time or money on this set of booooooring stories.
this was my first Sedaris book and although not totally blown away, it was definitely entertaining and good fun. and a more recent effort to quit smoking. i listened to the audio version, which is narrated by Sedaris himself and although this is not an old book (pub. 2008), the dry sarcasm and tone of his voice was reminiscent of an older style of stand up comedy.the book is written in short stories of various happenings in Sedaris's life, including babysitting experiences of his younger days, what it what like going public about being gay, his crazy neighbors (which i can completely relate to). there were definite highs and lows in the stories, with some absolutely hysterical laugh out loud moments in between. some stories held my interest more than others, notably That's Amore and The Smoking Section, but regardless, it was worth the time spent and i would probably pick up another Sedaris book someday.
Not a bad track record, of course, but just not as uproariously funny as others. I'm a big David Sedaris fan, but I didn't love this book as much as some of the others. My favorite stories were those that chronicled his interactions with other people--the one with him fighting with the woman who sat next to him on the plane (I did laugh out loud during this one); the story of Helen, who lived in the same apartment building he and Hugh did; the horrible babysitter, Mrs. When I read "Barrel Fever" and "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim," I found myself laughing out loud numerous times. In this book, there were a few stories that made me laugh out loud, but mostly I smiled or chuckled. Peacock; and the final story, which chronicled his attempt to quit smoking while living in Japan. Those new to David Sedaris, I would recommend you start with a different book so you truly appreciate his amazing sense of humor.
I love David Sedaris, but this book felt darker and less funny to me. Plus, there were uncomfortable sexual undertones that made it sound much more like a regular autobiography instead of one that was supposed to evoke a comedic reaction. Overall, I just really didn't enjoy it nearly as much as, say, "Me Talk Pretty One Day" or "Naked".
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