Cathryn Conroy: Heartbreaking and hilarious! Yes, this book of 21 essays is both. Occasionally at the same time. Brilliantly written by David Sedaris, these essays are deeply personal—sometimes to the point that I wonder if his partner, siblings, and friends still talk to him!—but also they are so focused on our own common human nature and foibles that they speak to us all.
If you think a collection of essays sounds boring, think again. I couldn't stop reading! Sedaris examines something—trivial, such as buying funky clothing in Tokyo or people talking about ghosts, or significant, such as his sister's suicide or his mother's alcoholism—that happens in his daily life and then finds the universal meaning in it, as well as the funny side. (Unless it's the heartbreaking side.) This is the opposite of boring. Sedaris is a bold and fearless writer and we are his beneficiaries.
Some of my favorites:
• "Stepping Out": David gets a Fitbit, and it doesn't take long for that little watch to start ruling his life. For anyone who has felt beholden to a pedometer device of any kind, this essay will have you in stitches.
• "A House Divided": David and his partner, Hugh,...
United States on Sep 28, 2023
Mentally insane :): David Sedaris writes in a way that is funny, intimate, wistful, dry, observant, hopeful... all at once. One of my comfort reads.
United Kingdom on Sep 10, 2023
online customer: Enjoyable pastime read.
Canada on Jul 10, 2023
Bernie M: Engaging and self deprecating, perhaps a little too much...!
United Kingdom on Jul 08, 2023
Cols: This book is full of delightful stories and i loved it. The writing is superb, and the stories are so unique and amusing. I thoroughly recommend this book. I am going to have to read more books by David, they are just so beautifully written and funny !
United Kingdom on May 24, 2023
Lela Best: Calypso is a collection of stories that focuses on heavy themes, including death, family and aging. Despite such themes, David Sedaris makes his book easy to read with the use of self-deprecating humor and relatable stories that anyone with a family could understand.
The book almost acts as Sedaris’ way of grieving loss in his life. A pivotal character in Calypso is Sedaris’ sister, Tiffany, who Sedaris introduces to readers early in the book through the heart-wrenching story “Now We Are Five.” He speaks on the death of his sister and how her suicide affected him. Although Sedaris does not focus hard on his emotions in this book, you can still sense the feeling of regret and guilt as he talks about his sister. He has a way of making these moments in the book very moving, causing you to feel sorry for his family.
Sedaris even brings in stories of gay marriage, politics, and other hot-button issues that some would be fearful to bring up in writing. Sedaris is not a sugar-coater; he takes the honest approach with these topics and provides a clear stance on his positions. “A Number of Reasons I’ve Been Depressed Lately” is one of the few stories in Calypso where...
United States on Apr 23, 2019
Busy Reader: Get To The Point: Did you hear? David titled his latest book "Calypso" just like that John Denver song! David Sedaris is the answer to a beleaguered parent's prayers: a poor, artsy, drugged-out ne'er-do-well who vaulted to literary super-stardom. It's a heartwarming tale. "Only in America" I like to say.
John Denver sang the song "Calypso" about Jacques Cousteau's scuba yacht. Cousteau sailed around the world, swam underwater with a camera and put the footage on TV. Nice work if you can get it, Jacques! John sang, "Like the dolphin beside you, you bring us beside you, to light up the darkness and show us the way . . ." and so forth. Then John died in an experimental plane crash in the early 1990s, just as David Sedaris was making a huge hit on Public Radio. I don't think they ever met, but if they had, maybe they would sing this song together.
In the BOOK Calypso, David writes about his life now, in which he flies around the world first class, stays at the Four Seasons and visits his beach house. While I am madly in love with the guy, I have to say that part is not compelling literature, hard to relate to for the rest of us. Maybe David knows it too, because he spices things up with...
United States on Jun 14, 2018
David Sedaris' Calypso: A Collection of Humorous Essays | Just as I Am: A Journey of Self-Discovery and Empowerment in Memoir Form | Reflecting on My Life: A Journey of Self-Discovery | |
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B2B Rating |
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99
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98
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Sale off | $18 OFF | $12 OFF | $18 OFF |
Total Reviews | 202 reviews | 992 reviews | 807 reviews |
Brian BBrian B: I ordered Calipso from Greener Books. It arrived promptly but slightly disappointed that the dust cover was stained and worn. Described as good but I would say fair.
Still happy at the price.
United Kingdom on Nov 19, 2023