Naked
Back Bay Books - Back Bay Books
Release date: 1998-06-01
Paperback
Author: David Sedaris
Humour, Other prose: from c 1900 -, Biography & Autobiography, Humor, Biography/Autobiography, Biography & Autobiography / General, Form - Essays, General, Humor / Form / Essays, 20th century, Biography, Humorists, Humorists, American, Sedaris, David
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Naked
Date undefinedRead this book as soon as I received it. Love this writers witt in his writings....very good book
Naked
Date undefined Anyone who has read David Sedaris' work or listened to him on NPR knows he has a style all his own. The book Naked brings the reader along on a journey through short essays that describe, in detail, aspects of his life that the common man may never experience. The final essay, which shares the title of the book, describes his experience at a nudist colony. He embraces the awkwardness of the situation and bravely details his insecurities. A tool he skillfully uses through his entire collection of essays is humor. If the humor aspect were stripped away from his writing, his work most certainly would take a darker and more depressing tone. I believe this is what makes his writing unique: his honesty, his bravery, and not to mention his phenomenal skill as a writer and a storyteller. The topics he deals with are very real which give the reader a strong sense of connection to him and his experiences. I can't help but admire him for his ability to rise above difficult situations, particularly in his childhood.
Sedaris' work can almost be described as having layers like an onion. On one level he is funny, on another he is honest and open, on yet another he is sarcastic, and at the core is a message about life. He tells a story without dominating the reader's experience; to get the core message one must look a little deeper, one must think! Any level of reader can appreciate his essays because no matter how deep one chooses to explore, he or she will find something to connect with, even if it's just for a laugh. I read his books when I'm having a bad day and need a little pick-me-up. I read his books when I want to be challenged as a reader. I read his books when I need inspiration. I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to be entertained and learn something new through another's life stories.
Just to add, Me Talk Pretty One Day is another excellent book by David!
Naked
Date undefinedThe short stories were nicely written, drawing on the presumed real life experiences of the author. As an author of humour, I found the style too self-consciously witty and trying to hard to be hilarious. In short, I found it tedious and barely raised a smile, let alone a chuckle and certainly not a belly laugh through the whole production. I put this down to the cultural differences between USA and Australia. It appears that readers in the USA have to be belted over the head and told when to laugh before they can appreciate humour. I prefer something more subtle. I am sure the author is a nice person, but there you go....
