Book Reviews of Barrel Fever: Stories and Essays

David Sedaris' first book, "Barrel Fever," gives the clearest distinction between a story and an essay that I have ever seen. I own a copy of Sedaris' most recent work, "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim," and I thought "Barrel Fever" would be much the same: Hilarious tales of Sedaris' real life, from his childhood in suburban North Carolina to his present-day life as a witty ex-pat in Paris. But the majority of "Barrel Fever" is "stories." That is to say, fiction. Hilarious fiction, yes, but more raucous, more raw, than his later works. Instead of Sedaris being himself, he is a teenaged girl, directing her own funeral service from beyond the grave. Or, he becomes a harried housewife, telling the world of her family's bizzare woes through an overly cheerful!!! Christmas letter. Newcomers should be able to enjoy his writing style, but those familiar with his work also will be able to recognize the true-to-life facts hiding behind the fiction. The book ends with the very funny "SantaLand Diaries" essay -- the reading of which on National Public Radio brought Sedaris his first measure of public fame. All in all, "Barrel Fever" was a great and very pleasant surprise to this Sedaris fan.

A bit edgier that the other collection of Sedaris essays, but still an entertaining read.

I defy you to read the story about his working at the Macy's Santaland and not laugh out loud so much that it hurts. Impossible. It's flat out hysterical writing that can also be touching.

Fall-over funny book. Don't take this to read in any place where you want to be seen as dignified.

The characters in the short stories are crazy but they themselves do not know they are crazy. To save his infant nephew from neglect and abuse, a young man figures he will get away with kidnapping the baby. A cheapskate father saves dough by doing surgery at home on his daughter, using yarn for stitches. A teenage girl leaves a suicide note to be read at her funeral, one designed to exact revenge and start a brawl. Sedaris writes about the angry, the drunk, the lost in the old neighborhood that we are glad we don’t know anymore. Unsettling. This collection will bring to mind Hubert Requiem for a Dream Selby sooner than Garrison Precious PBS Keillor.

I am a huge David Sadaris fan, but for some reason this book was a bit over-the-top for me. I love his sense of humor, but the stories in this book were darker than those in "Me Talk PRetty One Day" and "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim". Perhaps I am not a "true fan" if I didn't like this. Nevertheless, I didn't finish it.

Laugh out loud funny in spots. Just plain odd in others.

Was not for me.

This book was really funny. The Santaland Diaries makes the entire book worth it.

loved it. Kept me laughing

I adore David Sedaris almost unconditionally, but I hated this book. It just went over the top, in every way, and is actually pretty gross. Read his other work and give this a miss.

A collection of stories and essays by humorist and NPR commentator David Sedaris based upon his own experiences and the hidden perversity that can be found in Anytown, U.S.A. Here are images and blasphemies that nice people don't dare look at--blatantly exposed and told with the clear, casual voice of intimate knowledge. Sedaris' humor is born of compassion and his tales range from the sharing of cheery Christmas letters featuring infanticide, to experiences of the Gay and Famous (Charlton Heston and Elizabeth Dole, for example), to the lives of siblings named Hope, Faith, Charity and Adolph and to alcoholics and chain smokers you can laugh with.

these storie are very smart and extremely funny

Not as good as some of his other works - but there are several stories here that are so strange and funny enough.

comic stories and essays by the author. Off the wall and very often off color. Dark and cynical, but funny.

i love sedaris - this book does not disappoint.

I loved "Dress Your Family" but I could not get into this book at all.

I enjoyed the latter half, but skipped most of the short stories in the first ninety pages. I just couldn't get into them. Santaland Diaries was probably my favorite.

I didn't get it. I was expecting it to be as funny as he is on NPR and it just wasn't.

This book is absolutely hilarious! I love this author!

Hilarious, though not for everybody.

Clever humor, twisted.

Early Sedaris - not nearly as transcendant as "Naked" or "Me Talk Pretty One Day", but still humorous

I'm not overly fond of David Sedaris' short stories which occupy the first part of this book, but the chapter "SantaLand Diaries," about his experience as a Macy's elf is one of the funniest things that I have ever read. I laughed until I cried.

I don't think his best book, but still hilarious. Sedaris is one of those writers you either think is side-splitting hilarious, grotesquely bizarre or just weird.

shocking and cynical... funny and sad... just your basic Sedaris material... outstanding as always!

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