Book info

• Title Me Talk Pretty One Day
• Author David Sedaris
• Year 2000
• Genre Memoir

Anyone that has read NAKED and BARREL FEVER, or heard David Sedaris speaking live or on the radio will tell you that a new collection from him is cause for jubilation. His recent move to Paris from New York inspired these hilarious new pieces, including 'Me Talk Pretty One Day', about his attempts to learn French from a sadistic teacher who declares that 'every day spent with you is like having a caesarean section'. His family is another inspiration. 'You Can't Kill the Rooster' is a portrait of his brother, who talks incessant hip-hop slang to his bewildered father. And no one hones a finer fury in response to such modern annoyances as restaurant meals presented in ludicrous towers of food and cashiers with six-inch fingernails.

Thoughts

My foray into books featuring amusing anecdotes/columns has been limited to a bit of Bill Bryson, the occasional Jeremy Clarkson and now David Sedaris. I’ve heard him on This American Life before, although I haven’t listened to that show in far too long. Regardless, I was a bit concerned that reading his words wouldn’t translate as well to the page, and I did suffer a little because I couldn’t remember what his voice sounded like in my head. I find with this kind of thing, it often helps to hear their intonation as you are reading along.

Regardless, I enjoyed this selection of stories from Sedaris’ life. In two parts, he talks of life in America and life in France, discusses the failings and highlights of his family with surprising honesty, and delves into what it’s like to be a stranger in a strange land - whether at home or abroad. I enjoyed it and would read more, but I’m not sure I would go so far as to actively recommend this to others. It wasn’t laugh out loud funny, more a pleasant distraction with some finely-crafted observations.

Rating: 3 / 5