Book Information
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ISBN-13: 9780316776967 - ISBN-10: 0316776963 Publication Date: 6/5/2001 Pages: 288 |
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Book Reviews of Me Talk Pretty One Day
137 Book Reviews submitted by our Members
sorted by voted most helpful
Leah (
9 member(s) found this review helpful.
Funny, fast read. Each chapter is a different humorous essay, so it is easy to pick up and put down. It would make a good vacation book or book to read when you are busy.
The different stories that he tells come from different times in his life, so it is a bit hard to sum up quickly. He writes about his childhood, his quirky family, pets, lame jobs, his stupidity, his time in France and learning to speak french.
Cassie S. (
8 member(s) found this review helpful.
A different read for me, and if I hadn't have pushed myself to keep reading after the first couple of chapters, I wouldn't have become glued to the book. David Sedaris is able to put thoughts to paper in a way we never could, even though we may have thoughts similar to his. He took every day situations and turned them into humor. It was a nice refreshment read from my usual reads.
Marcy M. (
6 member(s) found this review helpful.
I wasn't aware that this was a series of short essays, but I'm glad it was. I found I needed a rest from the authors humor every few pages, and the format enabled me to do so. I actually loved his dry humor, but sometimes found it to be a little overwhelming and I wasn't certain if he was being sarcastic or honest.
Gail U. (
4 member(s) found this review helpful.
It doesn't get any funnier than this book. This is a book of vignettes about the author's lunatic life. He reports his life episodes with side-splitting wit. As it says on the back cover: "If wit were measured in people, David Sedaris would be China: His talent is that huge." He could be the funniest writer alive. If you need to get your endorphine levels ratcheted up - read this book.
Patty P. (
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Nothing prepared me for the sheer audacity and frankness of this book. I found myself laughing for days - literally days - after I read some passages and recalled them even weeks afterwards. David Sedaris has a gift for sketching the most bizarrely true events in his life and putting them in spare terms that hit your funny bone 'just so'! This is a perfect book for a savvy college student, anyone who faces a struggle of learning a new language or anyone who likes modern stand-up comedy. This is a book of autobiographical chapters and if you're not prudish, his rapier wit will exhilarate you- even as it stuns you - with sheer insightful humor. Just hilarious!
Steven C. (
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
This was a nicely humorous book. Parts of it had me laughing under my breath, and it seems that Sedaris has seasoned a bit since "Naked", since his writing seems more polished. It is somewhat astounding that so much has happened to the man, though. His life has certainly been one of adventure...
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
I love this book and gave my copy to a good friend to read (which she still hasn't read!!) -- but I had to get another copy for my library. This is one I read and re-read because Sedaris' essays really hit home. They paint such a visual picture -- I love reading excerpts to my husband while I am reading it. He wonders what I am reading and laughing out loud!
Laura L. (
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book made me literally laugh out loud! Quick read, with somewhat independent essays so you can put it down and go back later, but you won't want to.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
I was bored through most of this.
Jennifer K. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is a great compilation of essays by the witty writing David Sedaris, a great bath time read. Easy and amusing would highly recommend if a light read is what you are after. David’s view on the French, his family and dating life is comical insight on the every day life of a person many can relate to.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Hysterical, just plain funny!
Shanan O. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Couldn't put it down. Now I'm listening to it on CD while I drive around town (read by the author) and wondering if people think I'm nuts with tears streaming down my face from laughing so hard.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
David Sedaris is a funny, funny man, but if you are squeamish or prudish, you might find this book a little distasteful. My advice: get it, read it in private, and laugh your head off. Sedaris writes short essays that are perfect pre-bedtime humor. His stories often revolve around his colorful family and are laugh-out-loud funny. Finally, if you ever get a chance to hear David Sedaris read any of his work (typically on NPR), by all means make the effort. His delivery makes the stories even better.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
A great collection of essays that will always leave you laughing.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Reading David Sedaris's books is like watching an episode of Arrested Development. If you like that show you will probably like Sedaris.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Quick read and very funny. A little crass at times
Alicia M. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
soooooo funny. i always love david sedaris' books, and this one did not disappoint.
(
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Very funny... David Sedaris' books are basically about about himself and his slightly warped view of the world. They'll make you giggle and knowingly shake your head the whole time you are reading. My favorite essay in this book has to be the first one in which he is relaying his experiences in speech therapy with "Agent Samson," as he calls his therapist, to correct his "s" sound. I was laughing out loud at his descriptions of avoiding using "s" at all costs... to the point of saying about how he'll spend his New Year's Eve... "On the final day of the year we take down the pine tree in our living room and eat marine life." *giggle*
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
BELLY-LAUGH OUT LOUD FUNNY!!!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Wait, this was supposed to be funny??
(haha, just kidding)
This was my first Sedaris book. Can't wait to read another.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
LOVE IT! Love David’s writing style full of wit and sarcasm but oh so true to life. Truly a book you will pick up whenever you want a break from the ordinary and need something to put a smile on your face.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I really wasn't interested in David Sedaris' books until I heard him on NPR telling the French metro story. It was so funny hearing him tell it that I read the book. Lots of laughs and perfect reading for a commute-- short little sections.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
You will laugh out loud. He is hilarious. This book I think is the best one he's written.
Kelly N. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book did not disappoint, it was very funny and entertaining. Sedaris' writing style makes you want to know him and his entire family. I can't wait to read his other books.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book surprised me. It's very funny, in a self-depreciating way. It's a collection of very weird situations the author has been involved with and the humorous take he has on his life.
Barbara K. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Be forewarned: do not read this book in public. Otherwise people will look at you oddly as you break into laughter while enjoying the author's funny, skewed thoughts on language and life.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
True to form, Sedaris never fails to make me laugh and cry! He is a one of a kind author.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I loved this book and quite a few times woke up other people in the house by laughing too loudly!
Karen A. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
David Sedaris had me laughing out loud on the plane. People stared, some seemed annoyed, but I just couldn't stop. I was crying and had to put the book down several times because I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. Suggestion: if you really want to start this book laughing, begin in part *Deux and then work your way back from there.
LeAnne G. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
A book of essays, some are poignant all are hilarious! Now I will look for his other books!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
"It's a pretty grim world when I can't even feel superior to a toddler." Welcome to the curious mind of David Sedaris, where dogs outrank children, guitars have breasts, and French toddlers unmask the inadequacies of the American male. Sedaris inhabits this world as a misanthrope chronicling all things petty and small. In Me Talk Pretty One Day Sedaris is as determined as ever to be nobody's hero--he never triumphs, he never conquers--and somehow, with each failure, he inadvertently becomes everybody's favorite underdog. The world's most eloquent malcontent, Sedaris has turned self-deprecation into a celebrated art form, "Go Carolina," his account of "the first battle of my war against the letter s" is particularly poignant. Unable to disguise the lisp that has become his trademark, Sedaris highlights (to hilarious extent) the frustration of reading "childish s-laden texts recounting the adventures of seals or settlers named Sassy or Samuel."
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
We love David Sedaris. This book has hilarious stories of his childhood.
Beverly reviewed on 12/1/2006...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
David Sedaris is one of the funniest people writing these days. This book is a collection of autobiographical essays. The title is his rendition of how he and his fellow students of French in Paris mangle the Gallic language. We meet a hilarious cast of characters from his family and friends. The second half of the book is about his experiences as an American in Paris.
April B. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Another funny by David Sedaris..love his sense of humor.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This was an interesting read — at times chuckle out loud funny and at times astounding that he could go on about something. I'll read another of his books to make up my mind about Sedaris.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book was okay, but not as good as I expected it to be.
(
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Uproarious and hysterical; a great wit.
This is a wonderfully funny book with profound moments and others of hilarity. A must read.
This is a very funny book. I was laughing out loud so often that my husband had to read it after me. He thinks it's the humor is great too.
I got a couple of chuckles but could have lived without reading this.
Tiffany M. (Hilarious! I have enjoyed Jen Lancaster novels in the past and David Sedaris was suggested through amazon. Loved some stories, they had me rolling, but others just fell short for my sense of humor. But, would recommend it for anyone looking for a carefree read.
Heather S. (David Sedaris is great! This book, like all his books, was hilarious.
Very boring read. Only enjoyed the chapter about the bathroom, otherwise, not great.
Absolutely hilarious!! If you've ever caught David Sedaris on Letterman, you have a sense of how naturally funny he is. Very entertaining read.
Treyci R. (HILARIOUS! i laughed throughout the entirety of the book, moves along quickly, never boring
hilarious, great summer read. Some of the subject matter may make conservative readers uncomfortable.
David Sedaris is VERY funny. This was an easy read. One can easily relate to the situations that he writes about and you might find yourself laughing out loud at many of the stories inside the book.
Great book!
Very funny stuff. This was my first David Sedaris book and I want to read more of his work. His family stories had me laughing out loud.
Hilarious. Laugh out loud, annoy everyone on a road trip or in the waiting room funny! I couldn't put it down.
This is a very funny book! You will laugh outloud!
Very funny stuff. Witty and wry. Basically a book of short stories based on memoir.
Very entertaining book. I found the chapters on travel and living in another country to be very funny!
Excellent... especially the stories about france and his french lessons...
Kate L. (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.
The discussion of "The rabbit of Easter" alone is worth the price of admission.
Hilarious collection of essays. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
I found this book to be amusing. I didn't laugh out loud like they say, but he had an intersting life.
Charissa B. (I didn't find this as outrageously funny as the majority of reviewers did. There were only a couple "chuckle moments". I was pretty bored by the book and was glad to have finished it.
I'm kind of over the David Sedaris thing, but if you need something to read while waiting for the dentist, this could work.
Hilarious! Stories of David & what it like to grow up a nerd & a little strange.
very funny, self depreciating stories. Especially liked his performance art phase
Ann D. (I'd heard this was a "hilarious" book, but I found it to be only mildly amusing. Perhaps I just couldn't relate to the author's experiences.
Funny and easy to read. David Sedaris just keeps writing wonderful books! This book, similar to his others, is a compilation of short stories about various parts of his life. I found myself laughing out loud at some points.
Funny and easy to read. David Sedaris just keeps writing wonderful books! This book, similar to his others, is a compilation of short stories about various parts of his life. I found myself laughing out loud at some points.
I really enjoyed this book! It's a pretty quick read and perfect for summer.
Well, this was just great! Each one of these essays was fabulous -- funny, witty, wry, and quirky. Sedaris's perspective is unique, and he has a way of taking the most mundane events (going out to dinner with his father, say) and making them seem like epic stories full of meaning and insights into the plight of humanity, and yet taking the most seemingly romantic situations (like moving to Paris) and grounding them satisfyingly in the mundane.
Plus he's freakin' hilarious.
I think my favorite essays were the ones in part two that dealt with his attempts to learn French. He turns culture clash into comedy gold! ("'I hate you,' [the French teacher] said to me one afternoon. Her English was flawless. 'I really, really hate you.' Call me sensitive, but I couldn't help but take it personally.") Hee! How can you not love this guy?
David Sedaris is a great storyteller. He knows how to make each experience a moment to remember. Perhaps the ultimate memory maker.
A hilarious tale of growing up as told by author with a dry wit. Had people looking at me funny when I laughed out loud on the subway : )
I bought this book because it was a bestseller. I could not read more than 1/3 of the book. It is not my type of book, but book critics seem to love it. I found it boring and frankly, could not even tell you what it is about becauseI just could not stick with it.
This guy has a warped sense of humor that happens to appeal to me. I wonder how his mind even thinks up this stuff. very funny.
I have read all of his books and this is one of the best. I recommend it before "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim". This one is excellent.
Totally hilarious. and if you are fluent in English and French, you will appreciate it even more.
A great, amusing read. The perfect form of non-fiction for the beach.
David Sedaris is hilarious! This book is about his travels to France, and his determination to fit in! It's really a bunch of essays...I loved it!
Sue C. (An irreverent book, not for everyone...but David Sedaris makes me laugh out loud!
This was the first book I read by Dave Sedaris. I want to read his other books now. His wit and wisdom give the world a totally different slant. I highly recommend!
Mr. Sedaris has his moments, but as for hysterically funny? Not to me. To be fair, it's a bunch of short essays which is a genre I'm not fond of.
Great read. It is for picking up and reading one pieces then picking up again later. Loved this book!!
Funny book of random life stories. Good if you're a fan of sarcastic humor.
Lisa P. (Just a heads up, the cover has seen better days, but if you are like me, as long as the book isn't falling apart, I'm happy to have it.....
Autobiographical group of essays; some insight into what it's like to come out & eventually embrace your homosexuality, among other things. I thought it was hilarious, but I suppose if you are in the least homophobic, this one won't be your cup of tea. Kind of a window on the world (literally, in a sense, as some of the time is spent in Europe) through the eyes of a gay man.
There are many parts of this book I found hilarious; actually laughing out loud. I found Sedaris' story of his childhood where his sister had and continues to have a unique way of rebelling against their father's expectations of her one of the funniest parts of the book. I couldn't put this book down; it was so much fun. Now with all the books I've been getting from PBS I wonder when I'll be able to get my laundry done.
Hilarious. My husband and I read it aloud to each other and ended up laughing until we cried.
A fun read! His essays about his family life and everyday experiences are hilarious! A great antidote to the serious news we face each day!
Lorrie M. (Much funnier than "Naked" but still not as "sidesplitting" as I would have hoped for based on other reviews.
Pretty interesting. Some of it is like, should I be laughing at different points of this book. Some of it is shocking but he is a great writer.
Hysterical autobiographical short stories that can also be very touching.
David Sedaris is a fab writer....this book is highly recommended
Loved it! I kept my husband up reading it in bed and giggling, not wanting to turn the lights out. Sedaris is a master of his craft.
I couldn't stop laughing although my husband disliked this book. Interesting.
Maura C. ("David Sedaris's new collection, Me Talk Pretty One Day, tells a most unconventional life story. It begins with a North Carolina childhood filled with speech-therapy classes ("There was the lisp, of course, but more troubling than that was my voice itself with its excitable tone and high, girlish pitch") and unwanted guitar lessons taught by a midget. From budding performance artist ("The only crimp in my plan was that I seemed to have no talent whatsoever") to "clearly unqualified" writing teacher in Chicago, Sedaris's career leads him to New York (the sky's-the-limit field of furniture moving) and eventually, of all places, France.
Sedaris's move to Paris poses a number of challenges, chief among them his inability to speak the language..."
Some of his essays are hysterical, others more poignent, but still with Sedaris' sly and twisted sense of humor. A very good read and highly recommended.
Phyllis B. (hahahaha,teeheehee,gafaw,hic-I still haven't stopped laughing.
This book is wildly entertaining, hilarious, and insightful. A pleasure to read!
David Sedaris is always laugh-out-loud, blow-milk-out-your-nose funny.
There aren\'t many authors who get me to laugh out loud while reading their works, but David Sedaris has done it again. This is a quick read and very entertaining.
David Sedaris is an entertaining author... this is not my favorite book of his, but it is enjoyable to read.
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