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亘蹖丕 亘丕 噩睾丿賴丕 丿乇亘丕乇賴鈥屰� 丿蹖丕亘鬲 鬲丨賯蹖賯 讴賳蹖賲
欧宝娱乐 Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Humor (2013)丕诏乇 蹖讴 趩蹖夭 亘賴 丿乇丿亘禺賵乇 鬲賵蹖 丌賳 禺丕賳賴 亘賵丿貙 趩蹖夭蹖 丨鬲蹖 卮亘蹖賴 亘爻鬲賳蹖貙 賲丿鬲鈥屬囏� 倬蹖卮 禺賵乇丿賴 卮丿賴 亘賵丿. 丕蹖賳 乇丕 賲蹖鈥屫з嗀池� 賵 亘乇丕蹖 賴賲蹖賳 丕夭 賮乇蹖夭乇 丿賵賲 讴賴 鬲賵蹖 丕賳亘丕乇蹖 亘賵丿 氐乇賮 賳馗乇 讴乇丿賲 賵 蹖讴鈥屫必ж池� 乇賮鬲賲 爻乇丕睾 賮乇蹖夭乇 亘乇賴賵鬲 鬲賵蹖 夭蹖乇夭賲蹖賳. 倬卮鬲 賲乇睾鈥屬囏й屰� 讴賴 倬丕乇爻丕賱 鬲賵蹖 丨乇丕噩 禺乇蹖丿賴 亘賵丿蹖賲 賵 亘爻鬲賴鈥屬囏й� 诏賵卮鬲蹖 卮亘蹖賴 卮丕賴鈥屫ㄙ勝堌� 讴賴 乇賵蹖鈥屫簇з� 乇丕 賱丕蹖賴鈥屫й� 囟禺蹖賲 丕夭 亘乇賮讴 禺賵賳 乇賳诏 倬賵卮丕賳丿賴 亘賵丿貙 蹖讴 賯賵胤蹖 亘爻鬲賳蹖 倬蹖丿丕 讴乇丿賲. 賵丕賳蹖賱蹖 賵 亘賴 乇賳诏 趩乇讴. 丕蹖賳鈥屸€屬傌� 丿乇賮乇蹖夭乇 賲丕賳丿賴 亘賵丿 讴賴 丨鬲丕 賲賳 亘趩賴 賴賲 亘丕 丿蹖丿賳 亘乇趩爻亘 賯蹖賲鬲卮 丕丨爻丕爻 讴乇丿賲 爻賳蹖 丕夭賲 诏匕卮鬲賴貙 芦鄢鄣 爻賳鬲! 亘丕 丕蹖賳 倬賵賱 鬲賵 丕蹖賳 丿賵乇賴 賵 夭賲賵賳賴 賴蹖趩蹖 賳賲蹖鈥屫促� 禺乇蹖丿!禄
184 pages, Paperback
First published April 23, 2013
4699 people are currently reading
118050 people want to read
About the author
David Sedaris
102听books27.4k听followersDavid Raymond Sedaris is an American humorist, comedian, author, and radio contributor. He was publicly recognized 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. His next book, Naked (1997), became his first of a series of New York Times Bestsellers, and his 2000 collection Me Talk Pretty One Day won the Thurber Prize for American Humor.
Much of Sedaris's humor is autobiographical and self-deprecating and often concerns his family life, his middle-class upbringing in the suburbs of Raleigh, North Carolina, his Greek heritage, homosexuality, jobs, education, drug use, and obsessive behaviors, as well as his life in France, London, New York, and the South Downs in England. He is the brother and writing collaborator of actress Amy Sedaris.
In 2019, Sedaris was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Much of Sedaris's humor is autobiographical and self-deprecating and often concerns his family life, his middle-class upbringing in the suburbs of Raleigh, North Carolina, his Greek heritage, homosexuality, jobs, education, drug use, and obsessive behaviors, as well as his life in France, London, New York, and the South Downs in England. He is the brother and writing collaborator of actress Amy Sedaris.
In 2019, Sedaris was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 10,424 reviews
August 30, 2016
When I told my mom what I was reading, she thought I said "Let's Explore Dead Babies with Owls."
Bravo, Mr. Sedaris.
4.5 stars
Bravo, Mr. Sedaris.
4.5 stars
August 10, 2013
I usually like the work of David Sedaris. He鈥檚 at his best when talking about his family or childhood memories, or wryly observing society鈥檚 foibles. Let鈥檚 Explore Diabetes with Owls has moments of that trademark understated irony, but it鈥檚 more self-absorbed than his earlier collections. This book鈥檚 primary theme seems to be the travails of a successful author as he fulfills his tiresome obligations to accept invitations to read his work out loud in exotic locations like China, Rotterdam, and Costco. But travel wearies Sedaris, as do most other people. It鈥檚 no surprise that he doesn鈥檛 allow those who stand in line to purchase an autographed book to take pictures with him. Then he retires to one of his homes in England or France or Japan or New York and writes about how awful it is to be anywhere.
Although this book gave me a few chuckles, some topics are inherently unfunny, although Sedaris uses them as punch lines: teen suicide, cancer, ingestion of human feces, eye socket sex. Yuck. Let鈥檚 Explore Diabetes with Owls is a disappointment because it is so much meaner and cruder--not to mention less funny--than earlier Sedaris books.
Although this book gave me a few chuckles, some topics are inherently unfunny, although Sedaris uses them as punch lines: teen suicide, cancer, ingestion of human feces, eye socket sex. Yuck. Let鈥檚 Explore Diabetes with Owls is a disappointment because it is so much meaner and cruder--not to mention less funny--than earlier Sedaris books.
February 18, 2015
You know I'm shocked by all the high ratings for this book. Maybe it's because I'm younger than the average David Sedaris reader, but my eyes were literally bleeding towards the end of Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls. I don't even rate nonfiction, but I'm making an exception for this... thing that reads like the inane, self-absorbed ramblings of a Grampa Simpson type - 'when I was young...' I killed endangered animals, never got the approval of my dad, wrote a racist rant, got my passport stolen... is this supposed to be funny? Insightful? Flippant? No? Not even a little bit? Well, whatever it is, it's not funny, it's humorless, bitter, and offensive.
January 16, 2022
Lets Explore Diabetes with Owls, David Sedaris
Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls is a collection of narrative essays by David Sedaris. The book was released on April 23, 2013.
Essays:
Dentists Without Borders;
Attaboy;
Think Differenter;
Memory Laps;
A Friend in the Ghetto;
Loggerheads;
If I Ruled the World;
Easy, Tiger;
Laugh, Kookaburra;
Standing Still;
Just a Quick E-mail;
A Guy Walks into a Bar Car;
Author, Author;
Obama!!!!!;
Standing By;
I Break for Traditional Marriage;
Understanding Understanding Owls;
#2 to Go;
Health-Care Freedom and Why I Want My Country Back;
Now Hiring Friendly People;
Rubbish;
Day In, Day Out;
Mind the Gap;
A Cold Case;
The Happy Place;
and Dog Days.
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賮賴乇爻鬲: (芦蹖丕丿丕卮鬲 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴貙 氐9禄貨 芦丿賳丿丕賳鈥� 倬夭卮讴丕賳 亘丿賵賳 賲乇夭貙 氐11禄貨 芦亘丕乇讴鈥� 丕賱賱賴 倬爻乇貙 氐18禄貨 芦賲鬲賮丕賵鬲鈥屫� 賮讴乇 讴賳貙 氐26禄貨 芦丕夭 丿爻鬲 丿丕丿賳 丨丕賮馗賴貙 氐30禄貨 芦丿賵爻鬲 倬丕蹖蹖賳 卮賴乇蹖貙 氐42禄貨 芦賱丕讴倬卮鬲 賴丕 爻乇 诏賳丿賴貙 氐53禄貨 芦丕诏乇 賮乇賲丕賳乇賵丕蹖 丿賳蹖丕 亘賵丿賲貙 氐65禄貨 芦蹖賵丕卮 丌賯丕 亘亘乇賴貙 氐68禄貨 芦亘禺賳丿 讴賵讴丕亘賵乇丕貙 氐76禄貨 芦亘蹖丨乇讴鬲 丕蹖爻鬲丕丿賳貙 氐86禄貨 芦蹖讴 丕蹖.賲蹖賱 讴賵趩賵賱賵貙 氐97禄貨 芦賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴貙 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴貙 氐101禄貨 芦丕賵亘丕賲丕!!!!!貙 氐108禄貨 芦讴賳丕乇 丕蹖爻鬲丕丿賳貙 氐114禄貨 芦賲賳 賴賵丕丿丕乇 丕夭丿賵丕噩 爻賳鬲蹖 賴爻鬲賲貙 氐122禄貨 芦丿乇讴 噩睾丿賴丕蹖 賮賴蹖賲貙 氐128禄貨 芦卮賲丕乇賴 丿賵 亘乇丕蹖 亘乇丿賳貙 氐138禄貨 芦丌丿賲賴丕蹖 禺賵賳诏乇賲 丕爻鬲禺丿丕賲 賲蹖讴賳蹖賲貙 氐147禄貨 芦夭亘丕賱賴貙 氐152禄貨 芦賴乇 乇賵夭 倬卮鬲 爻乇 賴賲貙 氐162禄貨 芦倬乇賵賳丿賴 蹖 亘丕夭貙 氐173禄)貨
丕夭 賲鬲賳: (丕诏乇 蹖讴 趩蹖夭 亘賴 丿乇丿亘禺賵乇 鬲賵蹖 丌賳 禺丕賳賴 亘賵丿貙 趩蹖夭蹖 丨鬲蹖 卮亘蹖賴 亘爻鬲賳蹖貙 賲丿鬲鈥屬囏� 倬蹖卮 禺賵乇丿賴 卮丿賴 亘賵丿. 丕蹖賳 乇丕 賲蹖鈥屫з嗀池� 賵 亘乇丕蹖 賴賲蹖賳 丕夭 賮乇蹖夭乇 丿賵賲 讴賴 鬲賵蹖 丕賳亘丕乇蹖 亘賵丿 氐乇賮 賳馗乇 讴乇丿賲貙 賵 蹖讴鈥屫必ж池� 乇賮鬲賲 爻乇丕睾 賮乇蹖夭乇 亘乇賴賵鬲 鬲賵蹖 夭蹖乇夭賲蹖賳. 倬卮鬲 賲乇睾鈥屬囏й屰� 讴賴 倬丕乇爻丕賱 鬲賵蹖 丨乇丕噩 禺乇蹖丿賴 亘賵丿蹖賲 賵 亘爻鬲賴鈥� 賴丕蹖 诏賵卮鬲蹖 卮亘蹖賴 卮丕賴鈥� 亘賱賵胤 讴賴 乇賵蹖鈥屫簇з� 乇丕 賱丕蹖賴鈥� 丕蹖 囟禺蹖賲 丕夭 亘乇賮讴 禺賵賳 乇賳诏 倬賵卮丕賳丿賴 亘賵丿貙 蹖讴 賯賵胤蹖 亘爻鬲賳蹖 倬蹖丿丕 讴乇丿賲. 賵丕賳蹖賱蹖 賵 亘賴 乇賳诏 趩乇讴. 丕蹖賳鈥屸€屬傌� 丿乇賮乇蹖夭乇 賲丕賳丿賴 亘賵丿 讴賴 丨鬲丕 賲賳 亘趩賴 賴賲 亘丕 丿蹖丿賳 亘乇趩爻亘 賯蹖賲鬲卮 丕丨爻丕爻 讴乇丿賲 爻賳蹖 丕夭賲 诏匕卮鬲賴貙 芦爻蹖 賵 倬賳噩 爻賳鬲! 亘丕 丕蹖賳 倬賵賱 鬲賵 丕蹖賳 丿賵乇賴 賵 夭賲賵賳賴 賴蹖趩蹖 賳賲蹖鈥屫促� 禺乇蹖丿!)貨 倬丕蹖丕賳 賳賯賱
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賳賯賱 丕夭 賲鬲賳:(- 亘丕 禺賵丿賲 賮讴乇 賲蹖鈥屭┴必� 賴乇诏夭 賳亘丕蹖丿 诏賮鬲 賴乇诏夭貙 禺氐賵氐丕 丿乇亘丕乇賴鈥� 蹖 禺丕胤乇丕鬲. 賲賱鬲 倬蹖乇 賲蹖鈥屫促堎嗀� 賵 丌丿賲 丨蹖乇鬲 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀� 讴賴 趩賴 趩蹖夭賴丕蹖蹖 乇丕 賮乇丕賲賵卮 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁嗀�. 賲孬賱丕 趩賳丿 賴賮鬲賴 倬蹖卮 亘賴 賲丕丿乇賲 夭賳诏 夭丿賲 鬲丕 鬲賵賱丿卮 乇丕 鬲亘乇蹖讴 亘诏賵蹖賲貙 賴卮鬲丕丿 爻丕賱诏蹖鈥� 丕卮 乇丕. 诏賮鬲賲: 芦卮乇胤 賲蹖鈥屫ㄙ嗀� 丌乇夭賵 賲蹖鈥屭┴必� 亘丕亘丕 夭賳丿賴 亘賵丿 鬲丕 鬲賵賱丿鬲 乇賵 亘丕 賴賲 噩卮賳 賲蹖鈥屭辟佖屬�.禄貨
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诏賮鬲: 芦丕賱亘鬲賴. 倬爻 讴蹖 鬲賱賮賳 乇賵 亘乇丿丕卮鬲責禄貨
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賳賯賱 丕夭 賲鬲賳:(- 倬丿乇賲 卮亘蹖賴 丕賮爻乇賴丕蹖 賳蹖乇賵蹖 夭賲蹖賳蹖 亘賵丿貙 賮賯胤 亘賴 噩丕蹖 丕蹖賳 讴賴 賲孬賱 丌賳鈥屬囏� 丌丿賲 乇丕 丿丕睾丕賳 讴賳丿 賵 亘毓丿 丕夭 賳賵 亘爻丕夭丿 亘禺卮 丕賵賱 乇丕 丕賳噩丕賲 賲蹖鈥屫ж� 賵 賲蹖鈥屫辟佖� 倬蹖 讴丕乇卮.)貨 (氐39)貨
賳賯賱 丕夭 賲鬲賳:(- 乇丕爻鬲卮 亘毓丿 丕夭 氐乇賮 丌賳 賴賲賴 賵賯鬲 丿乇 賴賵丕倬蹖賲丕 丿賵爻鬲 丿丕乇蹖 賵賯鬲蹖 丕夭 賴賵丕倬蹖賲丕 倬蹖丕丿賴 賲蹖鈥屫促堐屫� 亘丕 蹖讴 丿賳蹖丕蹖 讴丕賲賱丕 噩丿蹖丿 乇賵 亘賴鈥� 乇賵 卮賵蹖貙 爻蹖丕乇賴鈥� 蹖 毓胤丕乇丿 賲孬賱丕貙 蹖丕 丿爻鬲 讴賲 賲讴夭蹖讴賵爻蹖鬲蹖. 賵賱蹖 丕爻鬲乇丕賱蹖丕 亘乇丕蹖 蹖讴 丕賲乇蹖讴丕蹖蹖 賴蹖趩 趩蹖夭 噩丿蹖丿蹖 賳丿丕乇丿: 賴賲丕賳 禺蹖丕亘丕賳鈥屬囏й� 倬賴賳貙 賴賲丕賳 亘乇噩鈥屬囏й� 丕丿丕乇蹖貙 讴丕賳丕丿丕爻鬲 亘丕 卮賵乇鬲 賳禺蹖貙 賱丕丕賯賱 亘乇丿丕卮鬲 丕賵賱 丌丿賲 丕蹖賳 丕爻鬲.)貨 (氐77)貨
賳賯賱 丕夭 賲鬲賳:(- 爻丕賱 2004 倬蹖卮賳賴丕丿 丿丕丿賲 讴賴 爻蹖诏丕乇蹖鈥屬囏� 亘乇丕蹖 丕賲囟丕蹖 讴鬲丕亘 丿乇 丕賱賵蹖鬲 賯乇丕乇 亘诏蹖乇賳丿. 丿賱蹖賱卮 賴賲 丕蹖賳讴賴 爻蹖诏丕乇蹖鈥屬囏� 夭蹖丕丿 毓賲乇 賳賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁嗀� 賵 賵賯鬲卮丕賳 亘丕 丕乇夭卮鈥屫� 丕爻鬲.)貨 (氐106)貨
賳賯賱 丕夭 賲鬲賳:(- 丿乇 丌賲乇蹖讴丕 讴爻蹖 丕夭 卮賲丕 爻卅賵丕賱 爻蹖丕爻蹖 賳賲蹖鈥屬矩必池� 賲诏乇 丕蹖賳讴賴 乇丕噩毓 亘賴 爻蹖丕爻鬲 賳賵卮鬲賴 亘丕卮蹖丿. 賵賱蹖 丿乇 禺丕乇噩 賴乇趩蹖 丕夭鬲丕賳 亘倬乇爻賳丿 爻蹖丕爻蹖 丕爻鬲貙 賲禺氐賵氐丕 丕诏乇 丕賲乇蹖讴丕蹖蹖 亘丕卮蹖丿. 丕诏乇 鬲丕乇蹖禺趩賴鈥� 蹖 鬲夭蹖蹖賳 讴蹖讴 乇丕 賴賲 賳賵卮鬲賴 亘賵丿賲 亘丕夭 賴賲 丕夭賲 乇丕噩毓 亘賴 诏賵丕賳鬲丕賳丕賲賵 賵 丕賲囟丕蹖 倬蹖賲丕賳 讴蹖賵鬲賵 鬲賵爻胤 讴卮賵乇賲 爻卅賵丕賱 賲蹖鈥屬矩必驰屫嗀�)貨 (氐109)貨
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 17/01/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 25/10/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls is a collection of narrative essays by David Sedaris. The book was released on April 23, 2013.
Essays:
Dentists Without Borders;
Attaboy;
Think Differenter;
Memory Laps;
A Friend in the Ghetto;
Loggerheads;
If I Ruled the World;
Easy, Tiger;
Laugh, Kookaburra;
Standing Still;
Just a Quick E-mail;
A Guy Walks into a Bar Car;
Author, Author;
Obama!!!!!;
Standing By;
I Break for Traditional Marriage;
Understanding Understanding Owls;
#2 to Go;
Health-Care Freedom and Why I Want My Country Back;
Now Hiring Friendly People;
Rubbish;
Day In, Day Out;
Mind the Gap;
A Cold Case;
The Happy Place;
and Dog Days.
鬲丕乇蹖禺 賳禺爻鬲蹖賳 禺賵丕賳卮: 乇賵夭 蹖丕夭丿賴賲 賲丕賴 丌賵乇蹖賱 爻丕賱2016賲蹖賱丕丿蹖
毓賳賵丕賳: 亘蹖丕 亘丕 噩睾丿賴丕 丿乇亘丕乇賴鈥� 蹖 丿蹖丕亘鬲 鬲丨賯蹖賯 讴賳蹖賲 貨 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴: 丿蹖賵蹖丿 爻丿丕乇蹖爻貨 賲鬲乇噩賲: 倬蹖賲丕賳 禺丕讴爻丕乇貨 鬲賴乇丕賳貨 賳卮乇 趩卮賲賴貙 爻丕賱1394貨 丿乇183氐貨 卮丕亘讴9786002293947貨 賲賵囟賵毓: 卮賵禺蹖賴丕 賵 亘匕賱賴 诏賵卅蹖賴丕蹖 丌賲乇蹖讴丕蹖蹖貙 爻乇诏匕卮鬲賳丕賲賴 胤賳夭賳賵蹖爻丕賳 丕蹖丕賱丕鬲 賲鬲丨丿賴 丌賲乇蹖讴丕貙 爻丿賴 21賲
賮賴乇爻鬲: (芦蹖丕丿丕卮鬲 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴貙 氐9禄貨 芦丿賳丿丕賳鈥� 倬夭卮讴丕賳 亘丿賵賳 賲乇夭貙 氐11禄貨 芦亘丕乇讴鈥� 丕賱賱賴 倬爻乇貙 氐18禄貨 芦賲鬲賮丕賵鬲鈥屫� 賮讴乇 讴賳貙 氐26禄貨 芦丕夭 丿爻鬲 丿丕丿賳 丨丕賮馗賴貙 氐30禄貨 芦丿賵爻鬲 倬丕蹖蹖賳 卮賴乇蹖貙 氐42禄貨 芦賱丕讴倬卮鬲 賴丕 爻乇 诏賳丿賴貙 氐53禄貨 芦丕诏乇 賮乇賲丕賳乇賵丕蹖 丿賳蹖丕 亘賵丿賲貙 氐65禄貨 芦蹖賵丕卮 丌賯丕 亘亘乇賴貙 氐68禄貨 芦亘禺賳丿 讴賵讴丕亘賵乇丕貙 氐76禄貨 芦亘蹖丨乇讴鬲 丕蹖爻鬲丕丿賳貙 氐86禄貨 芦蹖讴 丕蹖.賲蹖賱 讴賵趩賵賱賵貙 氐97禄貨 芦賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴貙 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴貙 氐101禄貨 芦丕賵亘丕賲丕!!!!!貙 氐108禄貨 芦讴賳丕乇 丕蹖爻鬲丕丿賳貙 氐114禄貨 芦賲賳 賴賵丕丿丕乇 丕夭丿賵丕噩 爻賳鬲蹖 賴爻鬲賲貙 氐122禄貨 芦丿乇讴 噩睾丿賴丕蹖 賮賴蹖賲貙 氐128禄貨 芦卮賲丕乇賴 丿賵 亘乇丕蹖 亘乇丿賳貙 氐138禄貨 芦丌丿賲賴丕蹖 禺賵賳诏乇賲 丕爻鬲禺丿丕賲 賲蹖讴賳蹖賲貙 氐147禄貨 芦夭亘丕賱賴貙 氐152禄貨 芦賴乇 乇賵夭 倬卮鬲 爻乇 賴賲貙 氐162禄貨 芦倬乇賵賳丿賴 蹖 亘丕夭貙 氐173禄)貨
丕夭 賲鬲賳: (丕诏乇 蹖讴 趩蹖夭 亘賴 丿乇丿亘禺賵乇 鬲賵蹖 丌賳 禺丕賳賴 亘賵丿貙 趩蹖夭蹖 丨鬲蹖 卮亘蹖賴 亘爻鬲賳蹖貙 賲丿鬲鈥屬囏� 倬蹖卮 禺賵乇丿賴 卮丿賴 亘賵丿. 丕蹖賳 乇丕 賲蹖鈥屫з嗀池� 賵 亘乇丕蹖 賴賲蹖賳 丕夭 賮乇蹖夭乇 丿賵賲 讴賴 鬲賵蹖 丕賳亘丕乇蹖 亘賵丿 氐乇賮 賳馗乇 讴乇丿賲貙 賵 蹖讴鈥屫必ж池� 乇賮鬲賲 爻乇丕睾 賮乇蹖夭乇 亘乇賴賵鬲 鬲賵蹖 夭蹖乇夭賲蹖賳. 倬卮鬲 賲乇睾鈥屬囏й屰� 讴賴 倬丕乇爻丕賱 鬲賵蹖 丨乇丕噩 禺乇蹖丿賴 亘賵丿蹖賲 賵 亘爻鬲賴鈥� 賴丕蹖 诏賵卮鬲蹖 卮亘蹖賴 卮丕賴鈥� 亘賱賵胤 讴賴 乇賵蹖鈥屫簇з� 乇丕 賱丕蹖賴鈥� 丕蹖 囟禺蹖賲 丕夭 亘乇賮讴 禺賵賳 乇賳诏 倬賵卮丕賳丿賴 亘賵丿貙 蹖讴 賯賵胤蹖 亘爻鬲賳蹖 倬蹖丿丕 讴乇丿賲. 賵丕賳蹖賱蹖 賵 亘賴 乇賳诏 趩乇讴. 丕蹖賳鈥屸€屬傌� 丿乇賮乇蹖夭乇 賲丕賳丿賴 亘賵丿 讴賴 丨鬲丕 賲賳 亘趩賴 賴賲 亘丕 丿蹖丿賳 亘乇趩爻亘 賯蹖賲鬲卮 丕丨爻丕爻 讴乇丿賲 爻賳蹖 丕夭賲 诏匕卮鬲賴貙 芦爻蹖 賵 倬賳噩 爻賳鬲! 亘丕 丕蹖賳 倬賵賱 鬲賵 丕蹖賳 丿賵乇賴 賵 夭賲賵賳賴 賴蹖趩蹖 賳賲蹖鈥屫促� 禺乇蹖丿!)貨 倬丕蹖丕賳 賳賯賱
賳賯賱 丕夭 賲鬲賳: (賳賲蹖鈥屫з嗁� 丕蹖賳 夭賳 賵 卮賵賴乇賴丕 趩胤賵乇 丕夭 毓賴丿賴鈥� 蹖 丕蹖賳 賴賲賴 趩蹖夭 亘乇賲蹖鈥屫③屬嗀� 賴乇 卮亘 趩賳丿 爻丕毓鬲 賵賯鬲 氐乇賮 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁嗀� 鬲丕 亘趩賴鈥� 賴丕蹖卮丕賳 乇丕 亘亘乇賳丿 亘賴 乇禺鬲禺賵丕亘 賵 亘乇丕蹖卮丕賳 丕夭 乇賵蹖 讴鬲丕亘貙 賯氐賴鈥� 蹖 亘趩賴鈥� 诏乇亘賴鈥� 賴丕蹖 亘蹖鈥� 鬲乇亘蹖鬲 賵 賮購讴鈥屬囏й� 蹖賵賳蹖賮乇賲鈥� 倬賵卮 亘禺賵丕賳賳丿 賵 亘毓丿 丕诏乇 亘趩賴 丿賵亘丕乇賴 丿爻鬲賵乇 丿丕丿 丿賵亘丕乇賴 丕夭 丕賵賱 卮乇賵毓 讴賳賳丿 亘賴 禺賵丕賳丿賳. 丿乇 禺丕賳賴鈥� 蹖 賲丕 倬丿乇 賵 賲丕丿乇賲丕賳 賲丕 乇丕 賮賯胤 亘丕 丿賵 讴賱賲賴 賲蹖鈥屭柏ж簇嗀� 鬲賵蹖 乇禺鬲禺賵丕亘 芦禺賮賴 卮賵.禄 丕蹖賳 丌禺乇蹖賳 趩蹖夭蹖 亘賵丿 讴賴 賯亘賱 丕夭 禺丕賲賵卮 卮丿賳 趩乇丕睾鈥屬囏� 賲蹖鈥屫促嗃屫屬呪€�)貨 氐20貨 倬丕蹖丕賳 賳賯賱
賳賯賱 丕夭 賲鬲賳:(- 亘丕 禺賵丿賲 賮讴乇 賲蹖鈥屭┴必� 賴乇诏夭 賳亘丕蹖丿 诏賮鬲 賴乇诏夭貙 禺氐賵氐丕 丿乇亘丕乇賴鈥� 蹖 禺丕胤乇丕鬲. 賲賱鬲 倬蹖乇 賲蹖鈥屫促堎嗀� 賵 丌丿賲 丨蹖乇鬲 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀� 讴賴 趩賴 趩蹖夭賴丕蹖蹖 乇丕 賮乇丕賲賵卮 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁嗀�. 賲孬賱丕 趩賳丿 賴賮鬲賴 倬蹖卮 亘賴 賲丕丿乇賲 夭賳诏 夭丿賲 鬲丕 鬲賵賱丿卮 乇丕 鬲亘乇蹖讴 亘诏賵蹖賲貙 賴卮鬲丕丿 爻丕賱诏蹖鈥� 丕卮 乇丕. 诏賮鬲賲: 芦卮乇胤 賲蹖鈥屫ㄙ嗀� 丌乇夭賵 賲蹖鈥屭┴必� 亘丕亘丕 夭賳丿賴 亘賵丿 鬲丕 鬲賵賱丿鬲 乇賵 亘丕 賴賲 噩卮賳 賲蹖鈥屭辟佖屬�.禄貨
诏賮鬲 芦賵賱蹖 丕賵賳 賴賳賵夭 夭賳丿賴 丕爻鬲.禄貨
芦夭賳丿賴鈥� 爻鬲責禄
诏賮鬲: 芦丕賱亘鬲賴. 倬爻 讴蹖 鬲賱賮賳 乇賵 亘乇丿丕卮鬲責禄貨
丨丕賱丕 鬲丕夭賴 倬賳噩丕賴 爻丕賱賲 卮丿賴 賵 蹖丕丿賲 乇賮鬲賴 倬丿乇賲 賴賳賵夭 賳賲乇丿賴!) (氐27)貨
賳賯賱 丕夭 賲鬲賳:(- 倬丿乇賲 卮亘蹖賴 丕賮爻乇賴丕蹖 賳蹖乇賵蹖 夭賲蹖賳蹖 亘賵丿貙 賮賯胤 亘賴 噩丕蹖 丕蹖賳 讴賴 賲孬賱 丌賳鈥屬囏� 丌丿賲 乇丕 丿丕睾丕賳 讴賳丿 賵 亘毓丿 丕夭 賳賵 亘爻丕夭丿 亘禺卮 丕賵賱 乇丕 丕賳噩丕賲 賲蹖鈥屫ж� 賵 賲蹖鈥屫辟佖� 倬蹖 讴丕乇卮.)貨 (氐39)貨
賳賯賱 丕夭 賲鬲賳:(- 乇丕爻鬲卮 亘毓丿 丕夭 氐乇賮 丌賳 賴賲賴 賵賯鬲 丿乇 賴賵丕倬蹖賲丕 丿賵爻鬲 丿丕乇蹖 賵賯鬲蹖 丕夭 賴賵丕倬蹖賲丕 倬蹖丕丿賴 賲蹖鈥屫促堐屫� 亘丕 蹖讴 丿賳蹖丕蹖 讴丕賲賱丕 噩丿蹖丿 乇賵 亘賴鈥� 乇賵 卮賵蹖貙 爻蹖丕乇賴鈥� 蹖 毓胤丕乇丿 賲孬賱丕貙 蹖丕 丿爻鬲 讴賲 賲讴夭蹖讴賵爻蹖鬲蹖. 賵賱蹖 丕爻鬲乇丕賱蹖丕 亘乇丕蹖 蹖讴 丕賲乇蹖讴丕蹖蹖 賴蹖趩 趩蹖夭 噩丿蹖丿蹖 賳丿丕乇丿: 賴賲丕賳 禺蹖丕亘丕賳鈥屬囏й� 倬賴賳貙 賴賲丕賳 亘乇噩鈥屬囏й� 丕丿丕乇蹖貙 讴丕賳丕丿丕爻鬲 亘丕 卮賵乇鬲 賳禺蹖貙 賱丕丕賯賱 亘乇丿丕卮鬲 丕賵賱 丌丿賲 丕蹖賳 丕爻鬲.)貨 (氐77)貨
賳賯賱 丕夭 賲鬲賳:(- 爻丕賱 2004 倬蹖卮賳賴丕丿 丿丕丿賲 讴賴 爻蹖诏丕乇蹖鈥屬囏� 亘乇丕蹖 丕賲囟丕蹖 讴鬲丕亘 丿乇 丕賱賵蹖鬲 賯乇丕乇 亘诏蹖乇賳丿. 丿賱蹖賱卮 賴賲 丕蹖賳讴賴 爻蹖诏丕乇蹖鈥屬囏� 夭蹖丕丿 毓賲乇 賳賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁嗀� 賵 賵賯鬲卮丕賳 亘丕 丕乇夭卮鈥屫� 丕爻鬲.)貨 (氐106)貨
賳賯賱 丕夭 賲鬲賳:(- 丿乇 丌賲乇蹖讴丕 讴爻蹖 丕夭 卮賲丕 爻卅賵丕賱 爻蹖丕爻蹖 賳賲蹖鈥屬矩必池� 賲诏乇 丕蹖賳讴賴 乇丕噩毓 亘賴 爻蹖丕爻鬲 賳賵卮鬲賴 亘丕卮蹖丿. 賵賱蹖 丿乇 禺丕乇噩 賴乇趩蹖 丕夭鬲丕賳 亘倬乇爻賳丿 爻蹖丕爻蹖 丕爻鬲貙 賲禺氐賵氐丕 丕诏乇 丕賲乇蹖讴丕蹖蹖 亘丕卮蹖丿. 丕诏乇 鬲丕乇蹖禺趩賴鈥� 蹖 鬲夭蹖蹖賳 讴蹖讴 乇丕 賴賲 賳賵卮鬲賴 亘賵丿賲 亘丕夭 賴賲 丕夭賲 乇丕噩毓 亘賴 诏賵丕賳鬲丕賳丕賲賵 賵 丕賲囟丕蹖 倬蹖賲丕賳 讴蹖賵鬲賵 鬲賵爻胤 讴卮賵乇賲 爻卅賵丕賱 賲蹖鈥屬矩必驰屫嗀�)貨 (氐109)貨
鬲丕乇蹖禺 亘賴賳诏丕賲 乇爻丕賳蹖 17/01/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 25/10/1400賴噩乇蹖 禺賵乇卮蹖丿蹖貨 丕. 卮乇亘蹖丕賳蹖
August 27, 2020
The funniest book I have ever read.
September 4, 2013
David's mah dawg, yo! I love this little guy!
I always listen to him read his own stuff in audiobook form, as opposed to reading it myself. I can't do his little elfin voice justice.
Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls is more of the same Sedaris: observations skewed by his quirky worldview, which produces within me squirmy giggles with the occasional guffaw explosion. This collection of essays gets an extra star on the rating from sheer worn-shoe comfort joy. It's no better than his previous books. Certainly not as introspective and tell-all as Dress Your Family Up.... It's just good, solid humor carpetted by light thought-bombs.
The topics this time around are mostly dominated by lots of travel stuff, obviously due to all the book tours he's done since becoming wildly famous. So, in a way he's turning into an irreverent, gay Rick Steves. Sedaris also spends a good deal of time writing about writing. In general, his material has become quite self-referential (no, I won't use the buzzword meta), and I fear that with his continued fame this is a trend on the rise. Luckily for me, he's one of those people that can make anything funny. It may get to the point when all he has left to talk about is the experience of writing the last thing he wrote, and I will read it, chortle or squeal, and tinkle in my trousers.
I always listen to him read his own stuff in audiobook form, as opposed to reading it myself. I can't do his little elfin voice justice.
Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls is more of the same Sedaris: observations skewed by his quirky worldview, which produces within me squirmy giggles with the occasional guffaw explosion. This collection of essays gets an extra star on the rating from sheer worn-shoe comfort joy. It's no better than his previous books. Certainly not as introspective and tell-all as Dress Your Family Up.... It's just good, solid humor carpetted by light thought-bombs.
The topics this time around are mostly dominated by lots of travel stuff, obviously due to all the book tours he's done since becoming wildly famous. So, in a way he's turning into an irreverent, gay Rick Steves. Sedaris also spends a good deal of time writing about writing. In general, his material has become quite self-referential (no, I won't use the buzzword meta), and I fear that with his continued fame this is a trend on the rise. Luckily for me, he's one of those people that can make anything funny. It may get to the point when all he has left to talk about is the experience of writing the last thing he wrote, and I will read it, chortle or squeal, and tinkle in my trousers.
December 4, 2013
I love David Sedaris but I HATED his last book, 'Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk'. I'm hoping he redeems himself here.
UPDATE: I read this book and I was happy to find short stories and essays. I laughed out loud many times. The story about the taxidermist is my favorite out of this collection.
UPDATE: I read this book and I was happy to find short stories and essays. I laughed out loud many times. The story about the taxidermist is my favorite out of this collection.
June 17, 2022
The wonderfully titled Let鈥檚 Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris was a real blast!
听
Sedaris at his best, small bites of la grecque cuisine deliciously smothered in a sauce of wicked, acerbic, and at times intimate hilarity imbued with an occasional, and somewhat surprising, persillade of vulgarity and abject cruelty. All sprinkled with macerated characters from his life, both family and strangers. I laughed a lot.
听
Highlights for me included Sedaris harping on about his daggy Dad. I could really identify with his father鈥檚 underpant home get-up. As soon as Dad came home from work, all clothes were shed except his undies. He would then happily open the door to strangers, receive guests and sit at the dinner table like this. It is such a relief to have my own behaviour externally validated. Hey it鈥檚 comfy!
听
The story about his dad banging on about how good or great - one of David鈥檚 classmates was at swimming, was hilarity at its underpant-wetting best. Seriously funny. His Dad wouldn鈥檛 stop going on about this other kid鈥檚 Olympic prospects, his manner, his looks, everything. One day David beat him (amazingly) and all Sedaris鈥� dad could offer in the car on the way home was 鈥淥nly Just鈥�.
听
Sedaris鈥� visit to a taxidermist was uncomfortably funny. He went there to purchase a stuffed owl. Something he had been obsessed about for quite some time. He needed one. (Sedaris seems to have these obsessions 鈥� for example, towards the end of the book 鈥� he asked Hugh for a plastic model of a human throat for a Valentine鈥檚 Day gift 鈥� oh my, that induced a spontaneous guffaw.) Anyway, back to the taxidermy shop, the taxidermist immediately identified David as a certain type of individual and didn鈥檛 hesitate at showing him his special collection, such as a stuffed pygmy he dragged out of a secret cupboard. Apparently, this poor person was shot back in the day 鈥� David Sedaris, as you would expect, had a number of questions whirling around his mind 鈥� the main question being - 鈥漢ow much?鈥�.
听
This Sedaris offering was slightly different from my previous experience as there are several short stories (4-8 pages) presented which have nothing to do with his direct life experiences. For example, in one memorable piece 鈥� the narrator was an intolerant conservative who was angry about the Government allowing Gay Marriage. 鈥漌hat next -听 marrying a pizza??鈥�. There was also another great satirical piece where the narrator made a sign where she referred to the American President as an "Indonesian Muslim Welfare Thug Hands Off My Healthcare You Kenyan Socialist Baby Grandma Killer鈥�. She asked her son for feedback, all he could say was 鈥淲ell Mom鈥�..it鈥檚 a little busy鈥�.
听
Sedaris is a master of observation to be sure.
听
4-Stars
听
听
听
听
Sedaris at his best, small bites of la grecque cuisine deliciously smothered in a sauce of wicked, acerbic, and at times intimate hilarity imbued with an occasional, and somewhat surprising, persillade of vulgarity and abject cruelty. All sprinkled with macerated characters from his life, both family and strangers. I laughed a lot.
听
Highlights for me included Sedaris harping on about his daggy Dad. I could really identify with his father鈥檚 underpant home get-up. As soon as Dad came home from work, all clothes were shed except his undies. He would then happily open the door to strangers, receive guests and sit at the dinner table like this. It is such a relief to have my own behaviour externally validated. Hey it鈥檚 comfy!
听
The story about his dad banging on about how good or great - one of David鈥檚 classmates was at swimming, was hilarity at its underpant-wetting best. Seriously funny. His Dad wouldn鈥檛 stop going on about this other kid鈥檚 Olympic prospects, his manner, his looks, everything. One day David beat him (amazingly) and all Sedaris鈥� dad could offer in the car on the way home was 鈥淥nly Just鈥�.
听
Sedaris鈥� visit to a taxidermist was uncomfortably funny. He went there to purchase a stuffed owl. Something he had been obsessed about for quite some time. He needed one. (Sedaris seems to have these obsessions 鈥� for example, towards the end of the book 鈥� he asked Hugh for a plastic model of a human throat for a Valentine鈥檚 Day gift 鈥� oh my, that induced a spontaneous guffaw.) Anyway, back to the taxidermy shop, the taxidermist immediately identified David as a certain type of individual and didn鈥檛 hesitate at showing him his special collection, such as a stuffed pygmy he dragged out of a secret cupboard. Apparently, this poor person was shot back in the day 鈥� David Sedaris, as you would expect, had a number of questions whirling around his mind 鈥� the main question being - 鈥漢ow much?鈥�.
听
This Sedaris offering was slightly different from my previous experience as there are several short stories (4-8 pages) presented which have nothing to do with his direct life experiences. For example, in one memorable piece 鈥� the narrator was an intolerant conservative who was angry about the Government allowing Gay Marriage. 鈥漌hat next -听 marrying a pizza??鈥�. There was also another great satirical piece where the narrator made a sign where she referred to the American President as an "Indonesian Muslim Welfare Thug Hands Off My Healthcare You Kenyan Socialist Baby Grandma Killer鈥�. She asked her son for feedback, all he could say was 鈥淲ell Mom鈥�..it鈥檚 a little busy鈥�.
听
Sedaris is a master of observation to be sure.
听
4-Stars
听
听
听
July 8, 2013
As part of the promotional tour for this book, David Sedaris made a stop in a Barnes and Noble in my city, and I ended up going sort of by accident (I bought a copy of the book on a whim the day before the event and learned that, by purchasing the book, I had also unknowingly purchased a ticket to the reading the next day). It was a fun event - Sedaris is charming and adorable in person, and was very polite to the requisite crazy people who tend to show up at every author reading I've ever attended (I remember one particularly memorable woman at a Margaret Atwood reading who started out asking Atwood's opinion about Britney Spears and her costumes throughout the years, and ended by shrieking that "What they did to Britney was A SIN! It was A SIN!" and it was the most amazing thing I've ever seen). A word of advice for anyone attending a Sedaris event in the future, though: the man is chatty. There were only a few dozen people in line to get their books signed, but he stopped and talked with every single person, sometimes for almost five minutes each. It took a long fucking time, which I wasn't expecting, so be prepared for that. By the time it was my turn, I was just tired and didn't have anything fascinating to say, but he was very nice and asked me some polite questions as he drew an owl on my book, and then he offered me one of the chocolates that another fan had apparently made for him. I suggested jokingly that they had been poisoned, because I don't know how to talk like a normal human being, and he just kind of blinked at me, so I thanked him, grabbed my signed book, and ran. Anyway, add that to the list of Madeline's Awkward Author Encounters and let's get to the real review bit.
Like Sedaris's previous collections, the essays here can be divided into three categories: stories about Sedaris's childhood and early twenties, stories about his travels (usually featuring his boyfriend Hugh, who I'm sort of in love with), and essays written from the perspective of a fictional character. The last category is the hardest to spot, because often they'll have the exact same tone and voice as his other essays, so you assume that they're nonfiction until he reveals that the speaker is not, in fact, him. My favorite kind of Sedaris essay has always been the travel kind, and this book has plenty of those. I always love reading about his experiences learning new languages, and there's a good passage about the differences between Japanese and German lessons:
"There's no discord in Pimsleur's Japan, but its Germany is a moody and often savage place. In one of the exercises, you're encouraged to argue with a bellhop who tries to cheat you out of your change and who ends up sneering, 'You don't understand German.'
'Oh, but I do,' you learn to say. 'I do understand German.'
It's a program full of odd sentence combinations. 'We don't live here. We want mineral water' implies that if the couple did live in this particular town they'd be getting drunk like everyone else. Another standout is 'Der Wein ist zu teuer und Sie sprechen zu schnell.' ('The wine is too expensive and you talk too fast.') The response to this would be 'Anything else, Herr Asshole?' But of course they don't teach you that."
The essays dealing with Sedaris's childhood are distinctly bittersweet, because although they're still funny, there's an underlying sadness to them that's brought into the open much more than it was in his previous collections. This was the first time I had read anything about the abuse of the Sedaris children, and the saddest thing about these details was the way David Sedaris seems to calmly accept it as a normal part of everyone's childhood, which I don't think is true. Someone at the reading actually asked him about how his parents would beat him when he was a kid, and his response was essentially the same as it is in the book: he shrugged, and said that that was normal at the time and that he still didn't find anything unusual about it.
Like Sedaris's previous collections, the essays here can be divided into three categories: stories about Sedaris's childhood and early twenties, stories about his travels (usually featuring his boyfriend Hugh, who I'm sort of in love with), and essays written from the perspective of a fictional character. The last category is the hardest to spot, because often they'll have the exact same tone and voice as his other essays, so you assume that they're nonfiction until he reveals that the speaker is not, in fact, him. My favorite kind of Sedaris essay has always been the travel kind, and this book has plenty of those. I always love reading about his experiences learning new languages, and there's a good passage about the differences between Japanese and German lessons:
"There's no discord in Pimsleur's Japan, but its Germany is a moody and often savage place. In one of the exercises, you're encouraged to argue with a bellhop who tries to cheat you out of your change and who ends up sneering, 'You don't understand German.'
'Oh, but I do,' you learn to say. 'I do understand German.'
It's a program full of odd sentence combinations. 'We don't live here. We want mineral water' implies that if the couple did live in this particular town they'd be getting drunk like everyone else. Another standout is 'Der Wein ist zu teuer und Sie sprechen zu schnell.' ('The wine is too expensive and you talk too fast.') The response to this would be 'Anything else, Herr Asshole?' But of course they don't teach you that."
The essays dealing with Sedaris's childhood are distinctly bittersweet, because although they're still funny, there's an underlying sadness to them that's brought into the open much more than it was in his previous collections. This was the first time I had read anything about the abuse of the Sedaris children, and the saddest thing about these details was the way David Sedaris seems to calmly accept it as a normal part of everyone's childhood, which I don't think is true. Someone at the reading actually asked him about how his parents would beat him when he was a kid, and his response was essentially the same as it is in the book: he shrugged, and said that that was normal at the time and that he still didn't find anything unusual about it.
February 7, 2017
David Sedaris is a unique American humorist. Sometimes I love his essays and other times I hate them, so ranking a collection of his work fairly is difficult. I listened to the audiobook of Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls on my daily commute and he's a wonderful narrator. Actually, having read a handful of his other books, I'd recommend listening to him read his essays. His timing and inflections are perfection. He's one of the few humorists who has literally made me laugh out loud.
The high points of this collection are Understanding Understanding Owls, Laugh Kookaburra, and A Guy Walks into a Bar Car. They're unbelievably funny and have a lot of heart. The low points were: Health-Care Freedoms and Why I want my Country Back, If I Ruled the World, and Dog Days. It's as if he ran out of material and tacked the worst of it on the end. Dog Days was awful and reminded me of which I couldn't stand. Vulgar prose just isn't my thing, I guess.
Recommended for adult readers who are looking for a laugh and don't mind some profanity and general silliness. More humorous books that I've enjoyed: , , and .
The high points of this collection are Understanding Understanding Owls, Laugh Kookaburra, and A Guy Walks into a Bar Car. They're unbelievably funny and have a lot of heart. The low points were: Health-Care Freedoms and Why I want my Country Back, If I Ruled the World, and Dog Days. It's as if he ran out of material and tacked the worst of it on the end. Dog Days was awful and reminded me of which I couldn't stand. Vulgar prose just isn't my thing, I guess.
Recommended for adult readers who are looking for a laugh and don't mind some profanity and general silliness. More humorous books that I've enjoyed: , , and .
April 30, 2013
Let's get one thing out of the way right now - David Sedaris is the preeminent satirist/essayist working and writing today. Maybe it's because of his radio readings or listening to his audio books, but his is a distinctive voice that fills your head as you read his work. For me, I can't help but think as I read a Sedaris essay that he's standing right there next to me, speaking word for word what is written on the page, which makes for interesting mental company.
When I delved into "Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls" (a great title if ever there was one), I expected the same rat-a-tat yet subdued sarcasm that made his other works so completely hilarious. Perhaps it was those expectations that contributed to my disappointment in this latest effort. There is still the trademark wit of Sedaris's prose and observations, but it also comes with a sizable dose of regret, disappointment, and an undercurrent of mid-life crisis. It almost seems in this book that Sedaris is coming to terms with being at the 'half-way' marker in life and can't quite believe how little has changed since his youth. It's a familiar theme that has been described many times before, but I was hoping that Sedaris would bring a fresh perspective to it. Instead, the theme seems to creep into his humor and sour it. Sedaris explores death, the regret of missed opportunities(or misunderstood, as in the essay "A Guy Walks Into A Boxcar") fear and the idea of helplessness (in particular during an essay that recounts an attack on his sister Gretchen). Not that there is nothing to laugh about in this work - the essay in which he describes a colonoscopy is classic Sedaris... that is to say, hilarious - but there seem to be too few moments of levity in what turns out to be a heavy tome.
The last half of the book offers up some fictional social commentary as Sedaris takes on the guise of various characters steeped in conservative ideology. The first story, in which a man murders his wife, adult daughter, and mother-in-law as a reaction to legalization of gay marriage, rings a bit hollow and seems more harsh than funny. Then again, I can understand Sedaris's anger at living in a society that still denies him the rights afforded to others - I just hoped that he would approach it with a more measured and biting style than the rather unimaginative product put out in this book. However, the piece about the woman who plans to join a Tea Party march in Washington by enlisting the help of her son is quite funny. While I don't find Sedaris's fictional efforts to be his strong point, the latter is the sort I would hope to see more of from him in the future.
It's disappointing when an writer steps out of his or her expected realm to try new things and doesn't quite deliver; but in the case of "Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls", it also allows for a reflection on one's own life, missed chances, regrets - and the hope that at the end of this day, another one will present new chances and new opportunities tomorrow. And if not, you'll at least have enough snark on hand to mock it appropriately.
When I delved into "Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls" (a great title if ever there was one), I expected the same rat-a-tat yet subdued sarcasm that made his other works so completely hilarious. Perhaps it was those expectations that contributed to my disappointment in this latest effort. There is still the trademark wit of Sedaris's prose and observations, but it also comes with a sizable dose of regret, disappointment, and an undercurrent of mid-life crisis. It almost seems in this book that Sedaris is coming to terms with being at the 'half-way' marker in life and can't quite believe how little has changed since his youth. It's a familiar theme that has been described many times before, but I was hoping that Sedaris would bring a fresh perspective to it. Instead, the theme seems to creep into his humor and sour it. Sedaris explores death, the regret of missed opportunities(or misunderstood, as in the essay "A Guy Walks Into A Boxcar") fear and the idea of helplessness (in particular during an essay that recounts an attack on his sister Gretchen). Not that there is nothing to laugh about in this work - the essay in which he describes a colonoscopy is classic Sedaris... that is to say, hilarious - but there seem to be too few moments of levity in what turns out to be a heavy tome.
The last half of the book offers up some fictional social commentary as Sedaris takes on the guise of various characters steeped in conservative ideology. The first story, in which a man murders his wife, adult daughter, and mother-in-law as a reaction to legalization of gay marriage, rings a bit hollow and seems more harsh than funny. Then again, I can understand Sedaris's anger at living in a society that still denies him the rights afforded to others - I just hoped that he would approach it with a more measured and biting style than the rather unimaginative product put out in this book. However, the piece about the woman who plans to join a Tea Party march in Washington by enlisting the help of her son is quite funny. While I don't find Sedaris's fictional efforts to be his strong point, the latter is the sort I would hope to see more of from him in the future.
It's disappointing when an writer steps out of his or her expected realm to try new things and doesn't quite deliver; but in the case of "Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls", it also allows for a reflection on one's own life, missed chances, regrets - and the hope that at the end of this day, another one will present new chances and new opportunities tomorrow. And if not, you'll at least have enough snark on hand to mock it appropriately.
December 9, 2013
Yay! David Sedaris is even older than I am. (Every year it gets harder and harder to find someone who is...) BUT, he IS close enough in age that we are basically contemporaries, therefore, his gripes are my gripes, and this makes me happy.
Like Sedaris, I can clearly remember mundane incidents that occurred in third grade - the day THAT BASTARD, Marty W., pushed me down in the playground and tore my favorite pants (true, they were plaid, so maybe he did it as a favor), but, no, I cannot remember the birth of my first child. He CAME OUT OF ME, and I don't remember it happening!
And I, too, get annoyed that no one dresses up for air travel anymore:
It's as if the person next to you had been washing shoe polish off a pig, then suddenly threw down his sponge saying, "Fuck this. I'm going to Los Angeles!"
Maybe it was just the right book at the right time, or maybe it's due to the jittery stage of life I'm currently experiencing, but from the joys of colonoscopies to finding the perfect taxidermied owl, I loved every essay in this book.
I guess the only question still remaining is how am I going to get my mother-in-law, a woman who still sends me regular e-mails about the distinct possibility of President Obama's being born in another country, to wear a conical-shaped hat emblazened with the words:
Another
Savvy
Senior
Hopes
Obama
Loses
Everything
Like Sedaris, I can clearly remember mundane incidents that occurred in third grade - the day THAT BASTARD, Marty W., pushed me down in the playground and tore my favorite pants (true, they were plaid, so maybe he did it as a favor), but, no, I cannot remember the birth of my first child. He CAME OUT OF ME, and I don't remember it happening!
And I, too, get annoyed that no one dresses up for air travel anymore:
It's as if the person next to you had been washing shoe polish off a pig, then suddenly threw down his sponge saying, "Fuck this. I'm going to Los Angeles!"
Maybe it was just the right book at the right time, or maybe it's due to the jittery stage of life I'm currently experiencing, but from the joys of colonoscopies to finding the perfect taxidermied owl, I loved every essay in this book.
I guess the only question still remaining is how am I going to get my mother-in-law, a woman who still sends me regular e-mails about the distinct possibility of President Obama's being born in another country, to wear a conical-shaped hat emblazened with the words:
Another
Savvy
Senior
Hopes
Obama
Loses
Everything
June 11, 2024
Humorist David Sedaris rummages through his life to compose the entertaining anecdotes in his books. Sedaris's stories range from his childhood, through his drug-hazed young adulthood, to his successful career as a writer and speaker.
Sedaris was brought up in a large family; had a varied higher education (he dropped out a lot); held an assortment of jobs; met his life-partner Hugh; traveled widely; lived in Europe; and met many memorable people.....and he writes about all of it.
Among other essays in the book Sedaris writes about his father, who liked to hang around the house in his boxer shorts; was captivated by a boy he thought was 'a future Olympic swimmer' on David's pre-teen swim team; touted Donny Osmond as a role model; spanked David for refusing to stop singing 'Kookaburra' after bedtime; constantly put David down; nagged (adult) David to get a colonoscopy; and more.
As a child David was hurt by his father's incessant criticism and was convinced his dad would have preferred the prize-winning swimmer as a son. David also resented his mother for not interceding on his behalf, and constantly 'stirred the turd' - his mother's term for diverting negative attention to his siblings: too fat; gets bad grades; etc. David's stories about his family are funny, but also a little heart-breaking.
In other essays Sedaris talks about his compulsion to record everything in his diaries.....to the point he has no time to actually DO things; the people in France censuring Americans before the 2008 election, certain we wouldn't elect a black President; giving condoms and hotel shampoos to teens who come to his readings; his entire colonoscopy.....from the induced diarrhea before to the obligatory farting afterwards; 馃榿 and much more.
David Sedaris giving a reading
Here are snippets from some stories I found especially amusing and/or memorable:
- Sedaris went to a taxidermy shop in London, looking for a stuffed owl to give his boyfriend Hugh for Valentine's Day. The store had a couple of owls, but not the one David really wanted: a barn owl with "a spooky white face like a satellite dish with eyes."
David Sedaris (right) with his boyfriend Hugh Hamrick
Barn owl
Sensing an interested customer, the shop owner brought out some "odd bits and pieces": a pygmy skeleton from a victim shot for sport; a man's hairy forearm, lost during a bar fight; and the 400-year-old head of an adolescent girl from South America. Afterwards, Sedaris mused, "The taxidermist....looked into my soul and recognized me for the person I really am: the type who鈥�....could easily get over the fact that [the pygmy] had been murdered for sport, thinking breezily, Well, it was a long time ago.鈥� 馃槒
Pygmies with a Caucasian man
Before Sedaris takes a trip to a foreign country he tries to learn a little of the language using a Pimsleur Language Program. The humorist didn't have time for a Mandarin program prior to a jaunt to China, so he made do with a phrase book. The book was divided into chapters like Banking, Shopping, Border Crossing, etc.
One section, labeled 'Romance' had expressions like:
- Would you like a drink?
- You're a fantastic dancer.
- You look like a cousin of mine (which would only work if you're Asian....and is kind of creepy anyway 馃檪).
A sub-section labeled 'Getting Closer' contained phrases like:
- I like you very much.
- Do you want a massage?
- I want you. How about going to bed?
Sedaris notes that the booklet didn't include the translation for "Leave the light on".....a MUST if you actually want to say any of these things. He pictures the vacationer naked on a bed squinting into his or her little book to moan, "Oh yeah! Easy tiger!".....and so on.
Sedaris always chats with the people who come to his book signings, and advises that "the trick is to ask the right person the right question." One time a young woman stepped up to the table and David went blank, finally blurting out, "Uh....um....er.....when did you last touch a monkey?"
The gal took a step back, saying, "Oh. Can you smell it on me?" Turns out she worked for 'Helping Hands', an organization that teaches monkeys to assist paralyzed people. 馃槑
When Sedaris visited China he was appalled by the sanitary conditions (or lack thereof). The Chinese people were constantly dredging up phlegm and spitting it out everywhere - on staircases, escalators, sidewalks, walls, and so on. If people weren't spitting they were coughing without covering their mouths or shooting wads of snot out of their noses. Over dinner one night, a woman acquaintance told David, "We Chinese think it's best to just get it out."
Another thing Sedaris noticed were the turds. Beijing had an "overwhelming amount of shit" - some from pets, but a lot from people. Chinese babies go without diapers, and - when they have to go - their parents direct them to the curb. One friend told David she saw a child go in the produce aisle of Walmart. To which David replied, "They have a Walmart here?" 馃槃
(I'm not sure I buy this story about China, which seems exaggerated.)
At the end of the book Sedaris includes six monologues that teenagers can use for 'Forensics Competitions", in which participants memorize and deliver previously published short stories or essays.
Sedaris's 'forensics stories' are generally more sardonic than funny, but I got a few laughs.
In one story, a self-satisfied woman slowly reveals that she stole her newly paralyzed sister's husband and wed him at a grand affair; in a second tale, a man goes crazy when same-sex marriage is legalized, and murders his wife and daughter; and in a third monologue, a high school coed goes on a class trip to England and returns completely 'anglicized'.....with a British accent and a slew of britishisms. This story really IS funny.
I listened to the audiobook of 'Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls', narrated by David Sedaris, and found it very entertaining. I'd highly recommend the book to people who like humorous memoirs.
You can follow my reviews at
March 20, 2020
I needed this at the moment. The Coronavirus is pretty heavy and I will admit it's easy to get swept away in the cloud of panic hanging over the world and anxiety is high with most people right now. I would get in my car while all this was going on and listen to David spin his witty tales about life and his family and for the brief time I was in my car I was laughing and forgetting the anxiety of the world for the moment.
I don't think this is his best collections, but there are plenty of laughs to be had and the levity was much needed. I think these laughs are important. I need to find some more funny authors and just run through them in my car. Who knows, I might not be driving so. As acupuncturist, we are part of the medical field and we are still open to help people, but that could change soon. Then I will need it in my home to listen too.
The is something comforting to hear the neurotic stories of David that I have heard for years and it feels normal, a reminder of life that was normal. I know we will get through this and life will go on, but this is like 9/11 and life will change after this happens. It's good to hold onto the laughs from another time until the new laughs can come. I'm sure people will take this and help lift our spirits with comedy. Stephen Colbert is doing a decent job right now. I think laughter is a great medicine and we need that right now.
Stories in this book are:
Dentists Without Borders
Attaboy
Think Differenter
Memory Laps
A Friend in the Ghetto
Loggerheads
If I Ruled the World
Easy, Tiger
Laugh, Kookaburra
Standing Still
Just a Quick E-mail
A Guy Walks into a Bar Car
Author, Author
Obama!!!!!
Standing By
I Break for Traditional Marriage (The also got a laugh out of me)
Understanding Understanding Owls
#2 to Go
Health-Care Freedom and Why I Want My Country Back
Now Hiring Friendly People
Rubbish (This one made me hee-haw. I love it.)
Day In, Day Out
Mind the Gap
A Cold Case
The Happy Place
Dog Days
I don't think this is his best collections, but there are plenty of laughs to be had and the levity was much needed. I think these laughs are important. I need to find some more funny authors and just run through them in my car. Who knows, I might not be driving so. As acupuncturist, we are part of the medical field and we are still open to help people, but that could change soon. Then I will need it in my home to listen too.
The is something comforting to hear the neurotic stories of David that I have heard for years and it feels normal, a reminder of life that was normal. I know we will get through this and life will go on, but this is like 9/11 and life will change after this happens. It's good to hold onto the laughs from another time until the new laughs can come. I'm sure people will take this and help lift our spirits with comedy. Stephen Colbert is doing a decent job right now. I think laughter is a great medicine and we need that right now.
Stories in this book are:
Dentists Without Borders
Attaboy
Think Differenter
Memory Laps
A Friend in the Ghetto
Loggerheads
If I Ruled the World
Easy, Tiger
Laugh, Kookaburra
Standing Still
Just a Quick E-mail
A Guy Walks into a Bar Car
Author, Author
Obama!!!!!
Standing By
I Break for Traditional Marriage (The also got a laugh out of me)
Understanding Understanding Owls
#2 to Go
Health-Care Freedom and Why I Want My Country Back
Now Hiring Friendly People
Rubbish (This one made me hee-haw. I love it.)
Day In, Day Out
Mind the Gap
A Cold Case
The Happy Place
Dog Days
April 12, 2017
I needed a laugh and Sedaris didn't disappoint. A few times I was laughing so hard, I expected angry neighbors to kick in my door and duct tape my mouth shut while shaking their heads disapprovingly or sighing theatrically at the evidence that I have finally gone insane. It鈥檚 not just the jokes and the context they鈥檙e in, it鈥檚 also the parallels I can draw with my own life, with my own cynical personality and my facetious nature. And a bit of empathy is essential when it comes to memoirs.
For full disclosure, I should mention that this is the first David Sedaris book I've read and it was great. On the surface, all the trivial experiences presented here are not that interesting. Just boring little life stories most of us don鈥檛 pay attention to let alone write down in a diary to ponder on them days or, god forbid, years later. What makes them interesting is David Sedaris鈥� voice, his wit, his irony and, occasionally, his depth.
Here we have the blistering drama of the middle class dysfunctional family in 1960s U.S., the nostalgic recounting of missed chances, the joyous preparations for an author tour, the morbid fascination with the skeleton of a Pigmy girl in a taxidermy shop on Valentine鈥檚 Day, the cultural peculiarities of foreign countries, the harassment women have to deal with, Obama drama, a poem about dogs and six fiction stories in which Sedaris impersonates different types of people in order to mock their ugly traits. I could have done without the fiction stories which I consider to be the low points of the book.
If I were to choose, A Guy Walks into a Bar Car would be my favorite story because it blends humor with nostalgia with some touching moments that hit home for me, but they鈥檙e all very strong pieces.
Now, if only I could get the damn Kookaburra song out of my head鈥�
For full disclosure, I should mention that this is the first David Sedaris book I've read and it was great. On the surface, all the trivial experiences presented here are not that interesting. Just boring little life stories most of us don鈥檛 pay attention to let alone write down in a diary to ponder on them days or, god forbid, years later. What makes them interesting is David Sedaris鈥� voice, his wit, his irony and, occasionally, his depth.
Here we have the blistering drama of the middle class dysfunctional family in 1960s U.S., the nostalgic recounting of missed chances, the joyous preparations for an author tour, the morbid fascination with the skeleton of a Pigmy girl in a taxidermy shop on Valentine鈥檚 Day, the cultural peculiarities of foreign countries, the harassment women have to deal with, Obama drama, a poem about dogs and six fiction stories in which Sedaris impersonates different types of people in order to mock their ugly traits. I could have done without the fiction stories which I consider to be the low points of the book.
If I were to choose, A Guy Walks into a Bar Car would be my favorite story because it blends humor with nostalgia with some touching moments that hit home for me, but they鈥檙e all very strong pieces.
Now, if only I could get the damn Kookaburra song out of my head鈥�
August 30, 2019
鈥檚 Explore Sedaris
While I loved Sedaris' other book, Calypso, at first I was not so fond of this book and found it rather depressing. Not funny, Sedaris, I thought to tell him. Perhaps, Sedaris isn鈥檛 always supposed to be funny. I don鈥檛 know.
There were just too many Dad stories. His verbally abusive father is a person that I would rather not think about or be around, much less desire to write about. Let sleeping dogs lie. So, I did not laugh much at all when listening to his father stories. But as I later found out, I had fallen to sleep when listening to his rants about his father, and when I awoke, and actually much later, I realized that I had missed many other stories.
But before going on about the other chapters, there was one about his putting baby Logger Head turtles in an aquarium when he was a boy, and the horrible deaths of these three creatures, which felt like listening to a science project, as in, what happens when you don鈥檛 clean their little home and don鈥檛 feed them.
Such is youth if you have parents that are not 鈥渁ware鈥� as they say and do not teach their children the value of animal life. Anyway, that was a bummer story. It will probably remain in my mind forever just as my sociopath psychiatrist boss came in to work one day and talked about frogs dying in water that was slowly heated up. Whenever the story pops up in a book or article, I cringe.
But hey, my parents were not 鈥渁ware鈥� either and it took me many years to know the value of animal life. I recall burning ants with a match as they were crawling up a tree, and this just for the fun of it. But that was temporary and I didn鈥檛 do it but once or twice. But who knows what else I had done. Well, I remember, I shot frogs at the river once. Once was enough, and I still think about those frogs from time to time. Yet, I have known adults who still like to hunt, who still kill gophers in their yards, etc. I have cats for the latter, but we don鈥檛 have gophers. Never had. Used to have mice. And is it any different than buying meat? While the Buddhists think it is, I don鈥檛. Yet, I eat meat. Just not much. So, actually, I haven鈥檛 really learned the true value of all life, except that I know that you sometimes have to eat meat in order to survive or even be healthy.
Sedaris just tells it like it is, I suppose, and lets the chips fall where they may. Maybe that is why people like him. Me, I wonder how he comes up with these strange stories. I like that he is quirky and can deliver a story extremely well and that many of them are very funny.
Whereas, a person he had narrating one or two of his books bored me because they couldn鈥檛 tell the story like he could. The delivery was all wrong. May as well read it myself, and when I read humor myself it is often not funny. It must be the punchlines that I cannot deliver. Anyway, I gave up on those books. Then I actually tried another one of his books that was narrated by Nick Sullivan. He is an excellent reader for when listening to him I almost forgot that it was not Sedaris speaking.
Next, I discovered that I had missed his other
chapters in this book, all because I had fallen to sleep in bed, at night. So I went back to listening. The father torture stories were over with. There must have only been about 4 of them. Sedaris was back to his funny self. He had lightened up. I was once again a happy camper.
He talked about Rubbish. He and Hugh had moved to beautiful Sussex, England and had bought a run down cottage. I could relate, but instead of hiring workers like they had, my husband and I remodeled our house ourselves.
Then I learned that he always went down his road and picked up garbage thrown out of cars. I have done the same. As I listened to his stories, they were much like my own. I had found a kindred spirit. I thought of him and me going down my road picking up garbage and talking about the horrible people who thought that our world was a garbage dump. I thought of my chiropractor who had gone to another state in the U.S. and saw no garbage. Yes. NO garbage. It was a colder state, maybe Minnesota. I just remember it began with an M. and that it was cold there. I think now that it is so cold there that people don鈥檛 open their car windows to toss out garbage.
Then he wrote a chapter on President Obama. Pretty funny. He voted for him for the same reason that I had. He gave great speeches. I miss Obama so much.
Next he was speaking about Trump. Then he talked about Jesus returning and how heads would fall. He also talked about Christians and their wish to rule the world. Doesn't everyone wish to rule the world? It's good he can find humor in it all. I wish I could
And with all the madness in this world that is at the moment since Trump is the center of it all, I am so grateful that Sedaris鈥� is here to cheer me up or even put me to sleep.
While I loved Sedaris' other book, Calypso, at first I was not so fond of this book and found it rather depressing. Not funny, Sedaris, I thought to tell him. Perhaps, Sedaris isn鈥檛 always supposed to be funny. I don鈥檛 know.
There were just too many Dad stories. His verbally abusive father is a person that I would rather not think about or be around, much less desire to write about. Let sleeping dogs lie. So, I did not laugh much at all when listening to his father stories. But as I later found out, I had fallen to sleep when listening to his rants about his father, and when I awoke, and actually much later, I realized that I had missed many other stories.
But before going on about the other chapters, there was one about his putting baby Logger Head turtles in an aquarium when he was a boy, and the horrible deaths of these three creatures, which felt like listening to a science project, as in, what happens when you don鈥檛 clean their little home and don鈥檛 feed them.
Such is youth if you have parents that are not 鈥渁ware鈥� as they say and do not teach their children the value of animal life. Anyway, that was a bummer story. It will probably remain in my mind forever just as my sociopath psychiatrist boss came in to work one day and talked about frogs dying in water that was slowly heated up. Whenever the story pops up in a book or article, I cringe.
But hey, my parents were not 鈥渁ware鈥� either and it took me many years to know the value of animal life. I recall burning ants with a match as they were crawling up a tree, and this just for the fun of it. But that was temporary and I didn鈥檛 do it but once or twice. But who knows what else I had done. Well, I remember, I shot frogs at the river once. Once was enough, and I still think about those frogs from time to time. Yet, I have known adults who still like to hunt, who still kill gophers in their yards, etc. I have cats for the latter, but we don鈥檛 have gophers. Never had. Used to have mice. And is it any different than buying meat? While the Buddhists think it is, I don鈥檛. Yet, I eat meat. Just not much. So, actually, I haven鈥檛 really learned the true value of all life, except that I know that you sometimes have to eat meat in order to survive or even be healthy.
Sedaris just tells it like it is, I suppose, and lets the chips fall where they may. Maybe that is why people like him. Me, I wonder how he comes up with these strange stories. I like that he is quirky and can deliver a story extremely well and that many of them are very funny.
Whereas, a person he had narrating one or two of his books bored me because they couldn鈥檛 tell the story like he could. The delivery was all wrong. May as well read it myself, and when I read humor myself it is often not funny. It must be the punchlines that I cannot deliver. Anyway, I gave up on those books. Then I actually tried another one of his books that was narrated by Nick Sullivan. He is an excellent reader for when listening to him I almost forgot that it was not Sedaris speaking.
Next, I discovered that I had missed his other
chapters in this book, all because I had fallen to sleep in bed, at night. So I went back to listening. The father torture stories were over with. There must have only been about 4 of them. Sedaris was back to his funny self. He had lightened up. I was once again a happy camper.
He talked about Rubbish. He and Hugh had moved to beautiful Sussex, England and had bought a run down cottage. I could relate, but instead of hiring workers like they had, my husband and I remodeled our house ourselves.
Then I learned that he always went down his road and picked up garbage thrown out of cars. I have done the same. As I listened to his stories, they were much like my own. I had found a kindred spirit. I thought of him and me going down my road picking up garbage and talking about the horrible people who thought that our world was a garbage dump. I thought of my chiropractor who had gone to another state in the U.S. and saw no garbage. Yes. NO garbage. It was a colder state, maybe Minnesota. I just remember it began with an M. and that it was cold there. I think now that it is so cold there that people don鈥檛 open their car windows to toss out garbage.
Then he wrote a chapter on President Obama. Pretty funny. He voted for him for the same reason that I had. He gave great speeches. I miss Obama so much.
Next he was speaking about Trump. Then he talked about Jesus returning and how heads would fall. He also talked about Christians and their wish to rule the world. Doesn't everyone wish to rule the world? It's good he can find humor in it all. I wish I could
And with all the madness in this world that is at the moment since Trump is the center of it all, I am so grateful that Sedaris鈥� is here to cheer me up or even put me to sleep.
March 28, 2020
Given the times, I needed something light. And David Sedaris fits the bill of light but quirky. Driving down the road, I was laughing out loud at the image of buying a preserved human arm or head.
The essays aren鈥檛 uniformly funny or interesting. But the good outweighs the bad.
I had to wonder if younger folks would appreciate the stories involving David鈥檚 youth. We older folks remember the hard drinking, smoking parents that wanted nothing more than to be left alone. It brought back a lot of memories for me.
A warning - if foul language, talk of sex or bodily functions bothers you, steer clear. There鈥檚 one essay on body waste in China that turned my stomach. The stories at the end I found to be weak. It鈥檚 too easy to make fun of idiots. I expect better of Sedaris.
I did enjoy hearing Sedaris read his own works.
The essays aren鈥檛 uniformly funny or interesting. But the good outweighs the bad.
I had to wonder if younger folks would appreciate the stories involving David鈥檚 youth. We older folks remember the hard drinking, smoking parents that wanted nothing more than to be left alone. It brought back a lot of memories for me.
A warning - if foul language, talk of sex or bodily functions bothers you, steer clear. There鈥檚 one essay on body waste in China that turned my stomach. The stories at the end I found to be weak. It鈥檚 too easy to make fun of idiots. I expect better of Sedaris.
I did enjoy hearing Sedaris read his own works.
May 11, 2016
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October 1, 2018
Find all of my reviews at:
3.5 Stars
It appears at this point in my life (at least until the road construction is completed and my commute stops sucking balls every day) I will be listening to each David Sedaris collection on an endless loop . . . . .
Okay, I do have to remark about how much tastes change. In my initial little blip of 鈥淚 like it, it was gud鈥� from years ago I commented how I enjoyed the final segment featuring tiny fictional selections. Who the fuck was I back then? While I still appreciate the story behind these stories (for those of you not in the know, Sedaris decided to start writing these for people to perform in Forensic competitions), there is ZERO chance I would ever want to sit through anything aside from 鈥淪ix to Eight Black Men鈥� if I was a parent forced to attend one of these events.
Now? It appears to be time to learn how to dress my family in corduroy and denim : )
3.5 Stars
It appears at this point in my life (at least until the road construction is completed and my commute stops sucking balls every day) I will be listening to each David Sedaris collection on an endless loop . . . . .
Okay, I do have to remark about how much tastes change. In my initial little blip of 鈥淚 like it, it was gud鈥� from years ago I commented how I enjoyed the final segment featuring tiny fictional selections. Who the fuck was I back then? While I still appreciate the story behind these stories (for those of you not in the know, Sedaris decided to start writing these for people to perform in Forensic competitions), there is ZERO chance I would ever want to sit through anything aside from 鈥淪ix to Eight Black Men鈥� if I was a parent forced to attend one of these events.
Now? It appears to be time to learn how to dress my family in corduroy and denim : )
August 10, 2023
4 1/2.
June 24, 2022
4.5 stars
I thought I had listened to every possible David Sedaris book published until I recently read a review of this book by Mark. What a book to miss. Funny went from big smile to guffaws to stomach hurting laughter. The latter most memorably from the essay "Easy, Tiger," about learning foreign languages. There wasn't a single essay that I did not enjoy.
FYI, this book has little of Sedaris' darker side.
I listened to this book with Sedaris narrating. For anyone who has not heard this author reading his books I recommend giving it a try. His narration adds to the hilarity factor.
Thank you, Mark!
I thought I had listened to every possible David Sedaris book published until I recently read a review of this book by Mark. What a book to miss. Funny went from big smile to guffaws to stomach hurting laughter. The latter most memorably from the essay "Easy, Tiger," about learning foreign languages. There wasn't a single essay that I did not enjoy.
FYI, this book has little of Sedaris' darker side.
I listened to this book with Sedaris narrating. For anyone who has not heard this author reading his books I recommend giving it a try. His narration adds to the hilarity factor.
Thank you, Mark!
January 16, 2016
David Sedaris makes me laugh.
I love to read, want to encourage reading every chance I get, but here, in this one instance, let me invite potential readers to listen instead. Sedaris鈥� books are hilarious, but to truly enjoy and to really understand the David Sedaris experience, you need to listen to him read his essays and sketches. The audiobook is the key. His delivery, nasal and borderline effeminate, is perfect. Sedaris has the timing of a veteran comedian and he is just too funny.
Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls, his 2013 collection of essays, short stories and observations might be my favorite work from him that I have read so far. David walks us through his childhood in North Carolina and we visit again his family and partner. Sedaris is also a world traveller and his wit and sharp eye for detail abroad make for some memorable and hilarious scenes.
A funny, enjoyable visit with a talented man.
I love to read, want to encourage reading every chance I get, but here, in this one instance, let me invite potential readers to listen instead. Sedaris鈥� books are hilarious, but to truly enjoy and to really understand the David Sedaris experience, you need to listen to him read his essays and sketches. The audiobook is the key. His delivery, nasal and borderline effeminate, is perfect. Sedaris has the timing of a veteran comedian and he is just too funny.
Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls, his 2013 collection of essays, short stories and observations might be my favorite work from him that I have read so far. David walks us through his childhood in North Carolina and we visit again his family and partner. Sedaris is also a world traveller and his wit and sharp eye for detail abroad make for some memorable and hilarious scenes.
A funny, enjoyable visit with a talented man.
March 21, 2016
I really disliked this book. I honestly have no idea how this book makes people laugh.
I consider myself to have a pretty dry 'British' humour and it felt like David Sedaris was attempting to do this but completely missed the mark. I kept pushing myself through hoping the bigger joke was coming along and I was suddenly going to understand it all but it was just crude and pretty vile in places. Sedaris successfully manages to insult so many different people in this book that I spent the whole time wondering how this managed to get published.
The book simply highlights Sedaris as an extremely arrogant and bigoted man whom I know I shall never read another book from. First one star review of 2016!
I consider myself to have a pretty dry 'British' humour and it felt like David Sedaris was attempting to do this but completely missed the mark. I kept pushing myself through hoping the bigger joke was coming along and I was suddenly going to understand it all but it was just crude and pretty vile in places. Sedaris successfully manages to insult so many different people in this book that I spent the whole time wondering how this managed to get published.
The book simply highlights Sedaris as an extremely arrogant and bigoted man whom I know I shall never read another book from. First one star review of 2016!
December 14, 2013
I enjoyed some parts of the book more than others.
I kept thinking ---It would have (always would be) much more fun to 'hear' David Sedaris reading these stories -rather than read them to myself.
It wasn't my 'favorite' book --yet I laughed. (and was touched)
Plus, how can anyone 'not' smile just saying 'David Sedaris's name! :)
I kept thinking ---It would have (always would be) much more fun to 'hear' David Sedaris reading these stories -rather than read them to myself.
It wasn't my 'favorite' book --yet I laughed. (and was touched)
Plus, how can anyone 'not' smile just saying 'David Sedaris's name! :)
December 30, 2017
The hi-larious humorist David Sedaris returns for another collection of rib-tickling, side-splitting鈥� ok, enough of that! But Let鈥檚 Explore Diabetes with Owls isn鈥檛 a bad read and a few of the essays had me LOL-ing hard though it鈥檚 definitely not as consistently good as his other books.
His Homer Simpson-ish dad steals the show whenever he crops up, thundering about David鈥檚 childhood home in his underpants with a drink in his hand. In Attaboy, he chokes out a neighbourhood boy he wrongly mistakes for having called his wife a bitch, but, hey, it was the late 鈥�60s/early 鈥�70s and that鈥檚 just how parenting was! And the kid got some shit ice-cream so fair鈥檚 fair!
Standing Still was my favourite story. David鈥檚 sister Gretchen is almost raped walking home late at night and, during the police interview, they ask if her attacker was wearing short or long pants. She says long. Sedaris writes 鈥淢y father slapped his palm on the tabletop. 鈥楾here you go,鈥� he said. 鈥楴OW we鈥檙e getting somewhere!鈥欌€� before buying a baseball bat and prowling the neighbourhood in his car seeing if he can catch his daughter鈥檚 would-be rapist himself (a situation made all the more loaded by the fact that it was a black man and this was in North Carolina!).
Easy, Tiger also made me laugh as Sedaris reviews the differences between learning Japanese and German languages on tape. This scenario appears on both: a wife announces to her husband that she wants to buy something - in the Japanese one, the husband asks her how much she has, she tells him, he offers to increase it; on the German one the husband replies coldly 鈥淚鈥檓 not giving you any more. You have enough.鈥� Oh, Germany!
That said, most of the essays are fairly ordinary and unmemorable without anything funny or impressive happening. It鈥檚 very noticeable that the best stuff is largely from Sedaris鈥� childhood/wayward youth while his recent stuff isn鈥檛 nearly as interesting. It鈥檚 like a successful band who spent years crafting their first record and made it big then their second album is all uninspired guff about the road and hotels; most of Sedaris鈥� recent essays are about going on book tours and travel, while the ones that aren鈥檛 - going to the dentist, getting a colonoscopy, buying a stuffed owl, getting into picking up litter - are equally humdrum and mundane with just the occasional sparkling sentence to tide you by (from the essay, Rubbish: 鈥淢y arms are scratched from reaching into blackberry bushes for empty potato chip bags, of which there are a never-ending supply, potato chips in the UK being like meals in space. 鈥楢rgentinean Flame Grilled Steak鈥� a bag will read, or the new 鈥楥ajun Squirrel.鈥欌€� - as a Brit I can confirm this is a very wry, very true observation of the insane variety of crisp flavours!)
Also included are six fictional monologues dotted throughout, all of which are mega-crappy and added nothing. Most are predictably liberal caricatures of conservative stereotypes - easy, unimaginative targets to make fun of. These were definitely the worst parts of the book. It鈥檚 no surprise Sedaris made his name with nonfiction if this is the quality of his fiction.
There鈥檚 enough decent material here to make reading it worthwhile for most David Sedaris fans, and the book as a whole is well-written and easy to read, so Let鈥檚 Explore Diabetes with Owls is a decent-enough read. But I definitely think that unfortunately at this point we鈥檝e seen his best stuff in his earlier, far funnier, books and the occasional gems amidst the growing amount of dross is the most we can expect from him going forward.
His Homer Simpson-ish dad steals the show whenever he crops up, thundering about David鈥檚 childhood home in his underpants with a drink in his hand. In Attaboy, he chokes out a neighbourhood boy he wrongly mistakes for having called his wife a bitch, but, hey, it was the late 鈥�60s/early 鈥�70s and that鈥檚 just how parenting was! And the kid got some shit ice-cream so fair鈥檚 fair!
Standing Still was my favourite story. David鈥檚 sister Gretchen is almost raped walking home late at night and, during the police interview, they ask if her attacker was wearing short or long pants. She says long. Sedaris writes 鈥淢y father slapped his palm on the tabletop. 鈥楾here you go,鈥� he said. 鈥楴OW we鈥檙e getting somewhere!鈥欌€� before buying a baseball bat and prowling the neighbourhood in his car seeing if he can catch his daughter鈥檚 would-be rapist himself (a situation made all the more loaded by the fact that it was a black man and this was in North Carolina!).
Easy, Tiger also made me laugh as Sedaris reviews the differences between learning Japanese and German languages on tape. This scenario appears on both: a wife announces to her husband that she wants to buy something - in the Japanese one, the husband asks her how much she has, she tells him, he offers to increase it; on the German one the husband replies coldly 鈥淚鈥檓 not giving you any more. You have enough.鈥� Oh, Germany!
That said, most of the essays are fairly ordinary and unmemorable without anything funny or impressive happening. It鈥檚 very noticeable that the best stuff is largely from Sedaris鈥� childhood/wayward youth while his recent stuff isn鈥檛 nearly as interesting. It鈥檚 like a successful band who spent years crafting their first record and made it big then their second album is all uninspired guff about the road and hotels; most of Sedaris鈥� recent essays are about going on book tours and travel, while the ones that aren鈥檛 - going to the dentist, getting a colonoscopy, buying a stuffed owl, getting into picking up litter - are equally humdrum and mundane with just the occasional sparkling sentence to tide you by (from the essay, Rubbish: 鈥淢y arms are scratched from reaching into blackberry bushes for empty potato chip bags, of which there are a never-ending supply, potato chips in the UK being like meals in space. 鈥楢rgentinean Flame Grilled Steak鈥� a bag will read, or the new 鈥楥ajun Squirrel.鈥欌€� - as a Brit I can confirm this is a very wry, very true observation of the insane variety of crisp flavours!)
Also included are six fictional monologues dotted throughout, all of which are mega-crappy and added nothing. Most are predictably liberal caricatures of conservative stereotypes - easy, unimaginative targets to make fun of. These were definitely the worst parts of the book. It鈥檚 no surprise Sedaris made his name with nonfiction if this is the quality of his fiction.
There鈥檚 enough decent material here to make reading it worthwhile for most David Sedaris fans, and the book as a whole is well-written and easy to read, so Let鈥檚 Explore Diabetes with Owls is a decent-enough read. But I definitely think that unfortunately at this point we鈥檝e seen his best stuff in his earlier, far funnier, books and the occasional gems amidst the growing amount of dross is the most we can expect from him going forward.
October 25, 2020
Every so often I need a Sedaris fix and this collection was just what I was needing. Even though I read this I could clearly hear his voice in my head and that just makes it all the better.
May 21, 2019
丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘賽 爻丿丕乇蹖爻 丕夭 蹖讴蹖 丿賵 讴鬲丕亘 丿蹖诏賴鈥屫й� 讴賴 丕夭卮 禺賵賳丿賴 亘賵丿賲 卮禺氐蹖鈥屫� 亘賵丿. 禺丕胤乇丕鬲鈥屫焚堌� 亘賵丿 丕賲丕 胤賳夭 亘賵丿. 胤賳夭 亘賵丿 丕賲丕 賲亘鬲匕賱 賳亘賵丿. 鬲毓賱蹖賯 丿丕爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏ж� 亘賴 丕蹖賳 氐賵乇鬲 亘賵丿 讴賴 丕賳诏丕乇 蹖讴 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 乇賵 亘乇丕鬲 鬲毓乇蹖賮 賲蹖鈥屭┴必� 賵 鬲賵 丌禺乇 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 亘丕蹖丿 丕夭 禺賵丿鬲 賲蹖鈥屬矩必驰屫�: 倬爻 賲賳馗賵乇卮 趩蹖 亘賵丿責 丕蹖賳 亘賵丿 讴賴...
賳馗乇 禺賵丿 爻丿丕乇蹖爻 賴賲 丿乇亘丕乇賴鈥屰� 賳賵卮鬲賴鈥屬囏ж� 賴賲趩蹖賳 趩蹖夭蹖賴:
賳馗乇 禺賵丿 爻丿丕乇蹖爻 賴賲 丿乇亘丕乇賴鈥屰� 賳賵卮鬲賴鈥屬囏ж� 賴賲趩蹖賳 趩蹖夭蹖賴:
趩蹖夭蹖 讴賴 賲蹖鈥屬嗁堐屫迟� 賵丕賯毓賴鈥屬嗂ж臂� 賳蹖爻鬲 亘賱讴賴 蹖讴鈥屫堌� 禺丕胤乇賴鈥屬嗁堐屫驰� 賲丿賱 賯丿蹖賲蹖 丿禺鬲乇丕賳賴 丕爻鬲貙 丕夭 丌賳鈥屬囏й屰� 讴賴 丌丿賲 乇賵蹖卮 賲蹖鈥屬嗁堐屫池� 丿爻鬲 賳夭賳蹖丿貙 賲賳馗賵乇賲 卮賲丕 賴爻鬲蹖. 丕睾賱亘 丕蹖賳 丿賵鬲丕 乇丕 噩丕蹖 賴賲 亘賴鈥屭┴ж� 賲蹖鈥屫ㄘ辟嗀� 賵 賳賲蹖鈥屬佡囐呝� 趩乇丕. 亘賴 賳馗乇賲 賵丕賯毓賴鈥屬嗂ж臂� 賲禺夭賳 丕蹖丿賴鈥屬囏ж池�-賲睾夭鬲丕賳 乇丕 禺丕賱蹖 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗃屫� 乇賵蹖 讴丕睾匕. 賵賱蹖 丿乇 禺丕胤乇賴鈥屬嗁堐屫驰� 賯賱亘 丕爻鬲 讴賴 亘乇 讴丕睾匕 賲蹖鈥屫③屫�. 賵丕賯毓賴鈥屬嗂ж臂屫� 讴賱賲賴鈥屫й� 讴賴 賴賲夭賲丕賳 亘丕 丌賱亘賵賲 亘乇蹖丿賴鈥屰� 賲噩賱丕鬲 亘賴鈥屬堌堌� 丌賲丿貙 蹖毓賳蹖 卮賲丕 賯丕胤蹖 賴爻鬲蹖丿 賵 賵賯鬲 丕囟丕賮賴 賴賲 夭蹖丕丿 丿丕乇蹖丿.
May 8, 2013
The most embarrassing part about writing a review of a David Sedaris book is the moment when you realize that what you are really trying to do is to write a David Sedaris-style essay. Something cute about how you were reading his book on the subway and you started laughing so hard that even the drunk homeless people moved away from you, but slowly because they hoped you wouldn't notice. You'd segue into a bit about how this made you realize that even when everyone around you makes you feel like a singular freak, you can still feel a profound connection to this man you've never met, because when he writes about his crystal meth addiction and being paddled by his father, he does it SO WELL that you actually think to yourself (contrary to all the evidence), "That's just like MY life!". Then of course you realize that your enterprise is doomed, because David Sedaris is David Sedaris and you are just you, and no, he probably wouldn't want to hang out with you in real life because, well, obviously.
June 9, 2019
David Sedaris makes me smile and laugh. This is my third audio book of his, and it won鈥檛 be my last. Great way to get out of an audiobook slump.
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