After thoroughly enjoying David Sedaris read his own work, I decided it was time for Part II. I chose Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls on audiobook, since that’s his latest. I am sure I will get around to the others, as well. I’ve had friends who read this work and said they were starting to wear thin on Sedaris’s schtick. I totally get that. My sister believes he’s plumbed his life thoroughly, and I don’t disagree. However, since I’ve only read two books (and on audiobook at that), the novelty has not worn off yet.
While Me Talk Pretty One Day focuses a lot on Sedaris’s attempts to learn French and his experience with language, this collection is a bit more random. It starts with Sedaris’s attempt to find a stuffed (taxidermy-wise) owl for his partner, Hugh. I enjoyed that. Then there was “Obama!!!!!”, in which the 2008 election yields European and American responses to President Obama’s ethnicity. I also enjoyed “Easy, Tiger,” which I taught last fall to my Composition I students (who–props to them for being so awesome–thought it was hilarious and begged me to read more essays like it). But the money shot for me was “Author, Author,” in which Sedaris attempts to find chintzy favors to hand out at his next reading. He ends up buying an economy pack of condoms at Costco with his burly brother-in-law and suddenly becomes self-conscious about how gay (that is, homosexual) it all looks, in North Carolina, no less. The delivery on the audiobook had me clutching my sides, which was not good, since I was driving up to school.
I think Sedaris has an engaging, witty, and colorful style, and I *really* enjoy hearing him read his book. Highly recommended.
*Sidenote: I am one book away from where I ended CBR5. Hooray for progress!!!
I’m someone who experienced Sedaris burnout with this one, but I do wholeheartedly suggest both Dress Your Family in Courduroy and Denim and When You Are Engulfed in Flames. Although I have never gone the audiobook version, I can see where his delivery would make a great impact on the stories.