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Me Talk Pretty One Day Review

If you've ever known that mortifying feeling of making a hilarious gaffe when trying to speak a second language, then you simply must read this book. I was crying with laughter when David described his transition from sounding like an 'evil baby' to a 'hillbilly' when trying to express himself in French. 'Is them's the thoughts of cows?' is a phrase that will always be burned in my memory, and which makes this my favorite of all of David's many excellent books. Thank you, David, for sharing your torment with us!

Me Talk Pretty One Day Feature

ISBN13: 9780316776967
Condition: New
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Me Talk Pretty One Day Overview

A new collection from David Sedaris is cause for jubilation. His recent move to Paris has inspired hilarious pieces, including Me Talk Pretty One Day, about his attempts to learn French. His family is another inspiration. You Cant 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 and cashiers with 6-inch fingernails. Compared by The New Yorker to Twain and Hawthorne, Sedaris has become one of our best-loved authors.

Me Talk Pretty One Day Specifications

David Sedaris became a star autobiographer on public radio, onstage in New York, and on bestseller lists, mostly on the strength of "SantaLand Diaries," a scathing, hilarious account of his stint as a Christmas elf at Macy's. (It's in two separate collections, both worth owning, Barrel Fever and the Christmas-themed Holidays on Ice.) Sedaris's caustic gift has not deserted him in his fourth book, which mines poignant comedy from his peculiar childhood in North Carolina, his bizarre career path, and his move with his lover to France. Though his anarchic inclination to digress is his glory, Sedaris does have a theme in these reminiscences: the inability of humans to communicate. The title is his rendition in transliterated English of how he and his fellow students of French in Paris mangle the Gallic language. In the essay "Jesus Shaves," he and his classmates from many nations try to convey the concept of Easter to a Moroccan Muslim. "It is a party for the little boy of God," says one. "Then he be die one day on two... morsels of... lumber," says another. Sedaris muses on the disputes between his Protestant mother and his father, a Greek Orthodox guy whose Easter fell on a different day. Other essays explicate his deep kinship with his eccentric mom and absurd alienation from his IBM-exec dad: "To me, the greatest mystery of science continues to be that a man could father six children who shared absolutely none of his interests."

Every glimpse we get of Sedaris's family and acquaintances delivers laughs and insights. He thwarts his North Carolina speech therapist ("for whom the word pen had two syllables") by cleverly avoiding all words with s sounds, which reveal the lisp she sought to correct. His midget guitar teacher, Mister Mancini, is unaware that Sedaris doesn't share his obsession with breasts, and sings "Light My Fire" all wrong--"as if he were a Webelo scout demanding a match." As a remarkably unqualified teacher at the Art Institute of Chicago, Sedaris had his class watch soap operas and assign "guessays" on what would happen in the next day's episode.

It all adds up to the most distinctively skewed autobiography since Spalding Gray's Swimming to Cambodia. The only possible reason not to read this book is if you'd rather hear the author's intrinsically funny speaking voice narrating his story. In that case, get Me Talk Pretty One Day on audio. --Tim Appelo

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Customer Reviews

A little more information please - Frank Hoffman - Philadelphia
Given that Amazon includes a track list for CDs, it seems odd that the same information isn't available for audiobooks. This audio version of Sedaris' book is apparently "abridged" -- it would be nice to know what's been left out.

Moderately Successful Comedy Routine - Judah - Terre Haute In USA
This book is like one of those comedians you see on TV that you think is funny enough to channel squat around, but you don't remember a single joke s/he told in a week. The routine is publishable, doesn't stick in the mind, and would be 'meh' if you saw it a second time. That's how I feel about this book. It's amusing, but ultimately lacking substance.

I thought the funniest parts were about Dave's sister Amy and not about Dave. Dave comes on strong with opinions, though they are couched in wit, and I didn't always agree. Maybe I saw the cynicism behind the humor? This soured the good mood the book creates.

This is a great book to borrow from a library, but not a good book to own unless you find it hilarious. For me, it's not a re-reader, thus three stars. I enjoyed it while reading, but I would not enjoy reading it again.

We Are Not Amused - R. Smith - Chicago, IL United States
I have to agree with the minority reviewers who thought this wasn't very funny. This is my first Sedaris book and I've heard lots of hype about how hilarious he is. Mind you, I have a wicked, twisted sense of humor, am gay, a former writer, and make my friends crack up constantly. So, I figured someone like Sedaris would have me in stitches. I'm about halfway through the book and I think I snorted a little (in laughter, not illicit chemicals) only once. Other than that I've barely cracked a smile. I don't get why people think this is so hilarious? It's not awful by any stretch, but it's hardly side-splitting humor. I hate to say it, but I think on a bad day I'm funnier than this. Honestly, I'm a little bummed. I wanted to laugh. Really I did.

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 03, 2010 23:45:06

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Sunday, October 3, 2010