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Naked David arrived first, but it was Holiday David who made the NPR splash. Those of us in the front row received the full facial and were covered David the Elf's funk. I've still got Sedaris stank all over me and I'm loving it!

While Holiday took a step back from unadulterated intimacy, Naked (and Barrel Fever) begins the unveiling of David Sedaris' inner, most personal life. It has all the markings of an early work, feeling like a skeletal version of Me Talk Pretty... or Dress Your Family..., a funny skeletal version mind you, but incomplete and fragmentary nonetheless.

Sedaris does not delve so deeply, mining the depths of his own existence to locate the funny bone, as he does in later works. His comedic flair has not yet fully caught fire. Even so, Naked presents some of the author's important first steps. Some are funny. Some are endearing. Some are tentative. Some are not pretty. All can be enjoyed by fans for what they are, a good beginning.

If I could, I would rate this 3.5 stars, because the story-to-story quality ranges from 3 to 4. I'm feeling generous, so I've clicked the "4 stars" option. If you're a newcomer, you might want to start with Dress Your Family... though.