David Sedaris: A Collection of His Best Work

Cag: Another great book from this author

United States on Oct 05, 2023

Diana Van der Sluys: Great book, quick delivery

Canada on Apr 19, 2023

Thembe Khumalo: How can someone be brutal and tender and funny and honest all at once? But then again, how can you not be. The gift of putting all that across while including the reader in your intimate story is what sets him apart. I’m so glad I met David Sedaris here for the first time. I might never have known that I have permission to be rude and raw and intensely loving about my family and so many things.

United States on Feb 22, 2023

l'anglaisemtl: Although David Sedaris has apparently been around for a while, he’s a new discovery for me. Great sense of humour though a bit edgy. I love short stories and recommend this book to anyone looking for small chunks of good writing, humour and warmth.

Canada on Jun 20, 2022

Nemesis: I love David Sedaris' radio shows. His dry, well-timed humour makes me laugh when others leave me cold. So, while there was much of the humour to enjoy, for me, it lacked the special delivery his voice offers. Mr Sedaris is clearly not afraid to reveal warts and all, even about himself. His recalling his estranged sister Tiffany appearing at the theatre rear door and how he literally shut the door on her was quite shocking, especially given her fate.

United Kingdom on Jan 15, 2022

She Treads Softly: The Best of Me by David Sedaris is a very highly recommended collection of 46 essays spanning his career. All of these previously published essays were personally chosen by Sedaris as representing the best of his writing. This is a collection for fans who will appreciate seeing what he has selected as the best and this would be an excellent introduction for those new to Sedaris.

David Sedaris is one of the few humorists who can keep me laughing even if I have read the essay before. As with any collection, not every single piece would have been chosen by me (I believe there were 2 I didn't care for as much) but that is simply quibbling over what is a masterful presentation of many of his memorable pieces. His writing can leave me laughing so hard I'm crying and then continuing to chuckle long afterwards. There are other essays that are serious and heartbreaking as events from his life and family are the subject. Now, I believe it is that time of year to reread Holidays on Ice.

United States on Dec 13, 2021

Book Lover: This is the author I turn to when I need a laugh. I find his quirky sense of humour hilarious, and his observation of human behaviour astonishes me. I think we all find ourselves in many of the same situations as Sedaris, but just don't pay the same attention, nor can we put the same comical spin on the situation. A true story teller.

Canada on Feb 27, 2021

CCCC: This review covers both the print version as well as the audiobook.

A solid collection for longtime Sedaris fans, as well as a great intro for those just becoming acquainted with his writing for the first time.

Of particular interest is that these “favorite” essays are the choosing of the author himself.

I purchased both the print copy & Audible versions because of the added hilarity of hearing Sedaris read his own work.

Re: the audiobook version it should be noted that the chapter order differs from the print book.
Additionally, a couple of essays have been newly edited, 2-3 pp. worth, giving them a fresh feel. One of my favs, “Incomplete Quad”, now reads tighter, the excised parts unmissed.

Chapter 12 (audiobook) is a real treat: A 54 min. long interview by Paul Constant. Sedaris is questioned about his take on the pandemic, how quarantine affects his writing, daily habits, etc. He also remarks on several of his titles, offering evaluations (incl. some regrets) in hindsight. It concludes with a “lightning round”, largely re: his amusing plans upon his demise, such as how he’ll finally ‘get into Yale’.

The...

United States on Feb 24, 2021

Bozzy: These short, short stories are easy and fun to read. A wide variety of topics, but a bit too much about his family for my taste. Still, I was often surprised by original insights into how a family works and sometimes how it doesn't. All in all, I quite enjoyed this collection.

Canada on Feb 02, 2021

Fred Forbes: Warning to Sedaris fans. This is a collection of previously published essays (save one) selected by him to track his life over the years.

In typical Sedaris fashion, many of these essays are tender and respectful, others are like a car wreck you can't take your eyes off, gross and repellent. But what makes him unique is an unusual view of life and an amazing ability to translate both the common and unusual into the written word.

So I enjoyed getting reacquainted with some of the ones I had read before, some of the ones I have forgotten, and some that were new to me. I enjoy coming across a funny line in the middle of seriousness. "For an American, though, Australia seems pretty familiar: same wide streets, same office towers. It's Canada in a thong, or that's the initial impression."

So, get on board, meet folks you would probably never encounter, go places you would probably not and get a different perspective on things. At the same time, wrestle along with David and his family issues and relationships common to us all.

United States on Dec 14, 2020