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For me, it's not a re-reader, thus three stars. Maybe I saw the cynicism behind the humor.
The routine is publishable, doesn't stick in the mind, and would be 'meh' if you saw it a second time. This book is like one of those comedians you see on TV that you think is funny enough to channel squat around, but you don't remember a single joke s/he told in a week.
Dave comes on strong with opinions, though they are couched in wit, and I didn't always agree. That's how I feel about this book.
It's amusing, but ultimately lacking substance.I thought the funniest parts were about Dave's sister Amy and not about Dave. This soured the good mood the book creates.This is a great book to borrow from a library, but not a good book to own unless you find it hilarious.
I enjoyed it while reading, but I would not enjoy reading it again.
I have to agree with the minority reviewers who thought this wasn't very funny. I don't get why people think this is so hilarious. I hate to say it, but I think on a bad day I'm funnier than this. Mind you, I have a wicked, twisted sense of humor, am gay, a former writer, and make my friends crack up constantly. I wanted to laugh. So, I figured someone like Sedaris would have me in stitches. This is my first Sedaris book and I've heard lots of hype about how hilarious he is. It's not awful by any stretch, but it's hardly side-splitting humor.
I'm about halfway through the book and I think I snorted a little (in laughter, not illicit chemicals) only once. Other than that I've barely cracked a smile. Honestly, I'm a little bummed. Really I did.
If you've ever known that mortifying feeling of making a hilarious gaffe when trying to speak a second language, then you simply must read this book. I was crying with laughter when David described his transition from sounding like an 'evil baby' to a 'hillbilly' when trying to express himself in French. 'Is them's the thoughts of cows.' is a phrase that will always be burned in my memory, and which makes this my favorite of all of David's many excellent books. Thank you, David, for sharing your torment with us.
David is a great writer. Just like no one cares that I'm straight. You don't feel like you're stopping in the middle of the good part. Let's start out with the good things about this book. Sexual orientation wasn't supposed to be the point of the book, but I think it turned out to be a strong theme throughout.I wish the editor would have told David that he is funny enough, his stories are original enough and his writing is entertaining enough that he didn't need to make darn sure the reader was clear on the author's sexuality. Big deal - no one cares.
For those of you who don't know already, the author is gay.
He's not the most eloquent or original writer on the planet, but he's not a big idiot either.
But when the author makes it a point to remind us of his sexual orientation in every chapter, it makes the book difficult to relate to unless you're gay or maybe grew up with a gay sibling.
Each chapter can be a story unto itself, so its an easy book to pick up for a few minutes and put down again when you get busy.
As long as its well written and entertaining, I could care less.
The book is a personal account, so the reader really feels like she gets a personal experience.
The parts that are funny, are really funny, especially if you are a fan of sarcasm, which I am.The bad part, however, is bad enough to be a big disappointment.
Since neither of those scenarios pertain to me personally, it was difficult for me to really get into the stories in this book with constant references to the author's sexuality - just like I imagine he would get bored reading a story sprinkled with references to my sexuality.
I think if the homosexual references were fewer, I would have been much happier with this piece of work.
Sedaris is amazing. The north meets the south and decides to move to France.This is a book only for the individual who can appreciate smart humor. If you have ever taken a look at yourself, your family and your past and still had the character to laugh this book is for you.
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