Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
New York, NY : Back Bay Books/Little, Brown, 2009.
Description
Once again, David Sedaris brings together a collection of essays so uproariously funny and profoundly moving that his legions of fans will fall for him once more. He tests the limits of love when Hugh lances a boil from his backside, and pushes the boundaries of laziness when, finding the water shut off in his house in Normandy, he looks to the water in a vase of fresh cut flowers to fill the coffee machine. From armoring the windows with LP covers to protect the house from neurotic songbirds to the awkwardness of having a lozenge fall from your mouth into the lap of a sleeping fellow passenger on a plane, David Sedaris uses life's most bizarre moments to reach new heights in understanding love and fear, family and strangers. Culminating in a brilliantly funny account of his venture to Tokyo in order to quit smoking, David Sedaris's sixth essay collection will be avidly anticipated.--From publisher description.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member melydia
One thing I really appreciate about Sedaris is not only does he share the often unflattering foibles of everyone around him, he never spares himself. Indeed, he often paints himself as the one with the worst intentions and habits. I laughed particularly hard at "In the Waiting Room" and "What I
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Learned". The final and longest essay, "The Smoking Section," goes through his first few months after quitting smoking. It's made more interesting by the stay in Japan during this time. These essays are sometimes poignant, often funny, and always unexpected. All in all, this is one of Sedaris's better collections. It doesn't beat out Me Talk Pretty One Day as my favorite, but it's probably in second place. Show Less
LibraryThing member dilldill
To be honest, I was a little let down with this book. Still funny, it didn't have the crackle of "Naked".
LibraryThing member Jthierer
These stories were lighter on the humor than previous books, but I found myself emotionally affected by the way Sedaris writes about his relationship with Hugh.
LibraryThing member paradoxosalpha
Having had, like many, my initial exposure to David Sedaris's wit on public radio (in the initial 1992 airing of "The Santaland Diaries," in fact) it is nearly impossible for me to read his essays without hearing his voice. I'm not sure if that makes them funnier or not--it's just a condition of my
My Other Reader says she wouldn't bother to re-read any of these essays, because the value of their effect is rooted in shock and surprise. I don't think I agree. Partly, I go for the extreme contrast between the feeling shown in his insightful reflection on human limitations, and his callous exploitation of those limitations for yucks in practically the same paragraph. For sheer entertainment, I like the deadpan frankness, whether it's honest or blankfaced lying.
It's certainly difficult to know what a reader can credit as fact. The sustained use of the subjunctive mood at the end of an essay on the development of the author's sexual identity leaves an attentive reader inferring a bleak reality. And on the very next page, he launches into the hyperbolically fictitious account of his studies at Princeton during the Stone Age. (71-73) If my dad had struck me on the head with a big spoon at the dinner table because I had laughed at my grandmother's flatulence, I'd like to think that I or anyone else would quit laughing long before the spoon drew blood. (227)
At any rate, all of these essays are eminently readable, and the book is full of characters too odd to be entirely fictitious, not least Sedaris himself.
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reading. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments in this collection, even if the general tone is fairly dark. My Other Reader says she wouldn't bother to re-read any of these essays, because the value of their effect is rooted in shock and surprise. I don't think I agree. Partly, I go for the extreme contrast between the feeling shown in his insightful reflection on human limitations, and his callous exploitation of those limitations for yucks in practically the same paragraph. For sheer entertainment, I like the deadpan frankness, whether it's honest or blankfaced lying.
It's certainly difficult to know what a reader can credit as fact. The sustained use of the subjunctive mood at the end of an essay on the development of the author's sexual identity leaves an attentive reader inferring a bleak reality. And on the very next page, he launches into the hyperbolically fictitious account of his studies at Princeton during the Stone Age. (71-73) If my dad had struck me on the head with a big spoon at the dinner table because I had laughed at my grandmother's flatulence, I'd like to think that I or anyone else would quit laughing long before the spoon drew blood. (227)
At any rate, all of these essays are eminently readable, and the book is full of characters too odd to be entirely fictitious, not least Sedaris himself.
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LibraryThing member railarson
Reading David Sedaris while eating has made me almost choke to death several times. You’d think I would have learned—once it’s time to move masticated yet still relatively solid matter into my throat, the same pipe I use to gather air so I don’t die—put down the funny book.
Whether it was
That said, there were fewer truly life-threatening incidents in When You Are Engulfed in Flames, and more (how shall I say it?) mature musings on life. Maybe it’s because he’s getting older. In this book Sedaris faces his own mortality upon turning 50, something that never slowed him down before. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older. I read WYAEF in an admittedly piecemeal fashion while having my own slow-motion nervous breakdown (I’ve started teaching high school). Maybe it’s because this is the first Sedaris book he’s put out since I’ve had my very own subscription to the New Yorker and I had already involuntarily aspirated all the beverages I was going to for about half of these stories.
Whether it was
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my first taste of his writing, a slim, non-airway obstructing volume called Holidays On Ice, or one of the meatier collections like Naked or Barrel Fever, each time—almost dead. I’m not talking about a graceful exit from this plane, either. Oh no. To die by Sedaris is to go out blowing milk out of your nose, pounding the table, and upsetting the apple cart (if you happen to live in the foothills where they still have that sort of thing). That said, there were fewer truly life-threatening incidents in When You Are Engulfed in Flames, and more (how shall I say it?) mature musings on life. Maybe it’s because he’s getting older. In this book Sedaris faces his own mortality upon turning 50, something that never slowed him down before. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older. I read WYAEF in an admittedly piecemeal fashion while having my own slow-motion nervous breakdown (I’ve started teaching high school). Maybe it’s because this is the first Sedaris book he’s put out since I’ve had my very own subscription to the New Yorker and I had already involuntarily aspirated all the beverages I was going to for about half of these stories.
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LibraryThing member RandyMetcalfe
The occasional pieces collected here are typical David Sedaris pieces: light, funny, slightly skewed, and warm-hearted. They are also impressively crafted, with balancing echoes and gently threaded motifs. Sedaris writes in a manner that appears almost off-the-cuff, as though the essay in question
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was tossed off late in the evening after a hearty meal and possibly too much to drink. But that level of insouciance takes a tremendous amount of skill and effort, as anyone who has ever attempted it will attest. There is no need to pick a favourite as most, other than the one long selection, “The Smoking Section”, share a common format in tone and length. Dip in and enjoy. Show Less
LibraryThing member DevourerOfBooks
I find David Sedaris absolutely hilarious when he appears on This American Life, but when ever I read one of his books, it leaves me with a profound sense of malaise. His written word just doesn’t work for me. It was with this knowledge that I tried the audiobooks of “When You Are Engulfed in
Happily, this was indeed the case. I found “When You Are Engulfed in Flames” to be a very enjoyable collection of essays. I’d say that the title essay, which was the last one and by far the longest, was probably my least favorite. Sedaris does have a tendency to ramble, which is usually mitigated by the short nature of his essays, but it became overly apparent in the long essay. I would forget for long periods that his whole Japan adventure began with his attempt to quit smoking.
A bit slow at the end, but overall the David Sedaris audiobook was a very enjoyable experience.
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Flames,” in hopes that I just needed Sedaris’ delivery to enjoy his book. Happily, this was indeed the case. I found “When You Are Engulfed in Flames” to be a very enjoyable collection of essays. I’d say that the title essay, which was the last one and by far the longest, was probably my least favorite. Sedaris does have a tendency to ramble, which is usually mitigated by the short nature of his essays, but it became overly apparent in the long essay. I would forget for long periods that his whole Japan adventure began with his attempt to quit smoking.
A bit slow at the end, but overall the David Sedaris audiobook was a very enjoyable experience.
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LibraryThing member crazy4novels
In my opinion, there is only one way to read this book, and that's with your ears. Sedaris' most recent collection of stories is an absolute gem that glows even brighter when narrated on compact disc by its author. Sedaris is a master of verbal pause and nuance, and his unique voice -- thin, reedy,
Sedaris' childlike voice notwithstanding, this book is his most mature collection of stories yet. He takes on some sobering subjects -- illness, death, the joys and burdens of monogamy, the unpredictable nature of life -- and treats them with a deepening sense of humanity that has always underpinned his humor, while making the listener laugh all the while -- an amazing feat, when you contemplate the subject matter.
Young writers, on the whole, tend to be more brash and judgmental than older ones, and the arc of their craft usually bends one of two ways: they become more prickly and acerbic in their later years, or they mellow with age and decide to make peace with humankind and all of its (and their) foibles. Sedaris has chosen the latter path, as best exemplified by one of my favorite stories in this collection: "The Understudy." In "The Understudy," David's parents go on an adult vacation and leave him and his young siblings in the care of Mrs. Peacock, an overweight, unkempt woman from "across the tracks" who proceeds to tend her young charges by sleeping all hours of the day in a darkened bedroom, downing every bottle of Coca Cola in the house, and occasionally cooking up a skillet of sloppy joes when the kids resort to howling in desperation (9 p.m.: "If y'all was hungry, why didn't you say nothing? I'm not a mind reader, you know"). Worst of all, she insists that the children take turns scratching her back with a long plastic rod that ends in a miniature, fingernailed "hand" resembling an arthritic monkey paw. They gag in disgust as she lays on the bed, stomach down, her tattered, soiled slip pulled down to her waist, sighing in ecstasy as they scrape the vile paw across her oily, pock-marked back. When one of them can't resist commenting on the hairs between her shoulders, she retorts "Y'all's got the same damn thing, only they ain't poked out yet."
Just at the point when Sedaris's caricature of Mrs. Peacock borders on merciless, he pivots. Mrs. Peacock packs the kids into the car and makes a trip to her house (the beloved back scratcher has been broken and must be replaced with a backup model). The siblings realize that Mrs. Peacock's house, an obvious shack to them, is a subject of great pride for her. The backyard garden is beautifully tended, albeit filled with plastic gewgaws and garden gnomes, and she cautions them not to touch her beloved doll collection ("They's my doll babies") as they enter the back door. She shows them her collection of miniatures, and points out two little troll dolls, each sitting in a house slipper by her bathroom, their hair combed back as if blown by a stiff wind: "See, it's like they's riding in boats!" Sedaris' ability to connect the listener with Mrs. Peacock's sense of individuality and self in the face of obvious poverty is powerful; he simultaneously portrays her as an object of comedic derision and a human being deserving of sincere compassion. I laughed until I had tears in my eyes while I listened to "The Understudy," and yet I'll never look at the denizens of Walmart again without wondering whether they, too, have their own version of a doll baby collection at home, or a carefully tended plant collection on their disintegrating back porch. Sedaris ends the story with an adult observation that Mrs. Peacock was probably clinically depressed the entire time she tended him and his siblings, thus the naps, poor hygiene, etc.
Several of Sedaris's stories involve severely dysfunctional people --an aging apartment neighbor with all the charm of a cornered badger, a disabled war veteran accused of molesting his grandchildren, a boarding house full of social outcasts -- but you never get the feeling that Sedaris would prefer a world without them. He even manages to be amazingly gentle and humorous in relating the potentially traumatic story of a middle-aged truck driver who picked up him up when he was a young hitchhiker and then proceeded to proposition him sexually while the truck flew down the road at 65 miles per hour (Sedaris escaped with his virginity). He's content with the rich adventure of a life that forces you to interact with the good and the bad, the tolerant and the hateful, the beautiful and the plain, and then gives you the gift of grace to smile at it all in the end, just as he smiles at his own strengths and weaknesses. How can you not like a person who is honest and self-deprecating enough to invite you to laugh with him at the fact that he once made use of a prosthetic buttocks to flush out his own flat rear end, abandoning it only when the summer heat, combined with latex, caused intolerable sweating?
There's an old saying that laughing is good for the heart. Sedaris brings new meaning to this saying with his humanist/humorist approach to the world. Spend a few hours with "When You Are Engulfed in Flames" over the next few weekends. You'll like what it does for you.
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and whimsically childlike despite the fact that he is now in his fifties -- bestows a gentle quality that softens his sharper observations and brings a smile to the listener's face even in the absence of obvious humor. Do yourself a favor and go audible on this one.Sedaris' childlike voice notwithstanding, this book is his most mature collection of stories yet. He takes on some sobering subjects -- illness, death, the joys and burdens of monogamy, the unpredictable nature of life -- and treats them with a deepening sense of humanity that has always underpinned his humor, while making the listener laugh all the while -- an amazing feat, when you contemplate the subject matter.
Young writers, on the whole, tend to be more brash and judgmental than older ones, and the arc of their craft usually bends one of two ways: they become more prickly and acerbic in their later years, or they mellow with age and decide to make peace with humankind and all of its (and their) foibles. Sedaris has chosen the latter path, as best exemplified by one of my favorite stories in this collection: "The Understudy." In "The Understudy," David's parents go on an adult vacation and leave him and his young siblings in the care of Mrs. Peacock, an overweight, unkempt woman from "across the tracks" who proceeds to tend her young charges by sleeping all hours of the day in a darkened bedroom, downing every bottle of Coca Cola in the house, and occasionally cooking up a skillet of sloppy joes when the kids resort to howling in desperation (9 p.m.: "If y'all was hungry, why didn't you say nothing? I'm not a mind reader, you know"). Worst of all, she insists that the children take turns scratching her back with a long plastic rod that ends in a miniature, fingernailed "hand" resembling an arthritic monkey paw. They gag in disgust as she lays on the bed, stomach down, her tattered, soiled slip pulled down to her waist, sighing in ecstasy as they scrape the vile paw across her oily, pock-marked back. When one of them can't resist commenting on the hairs between her shoulders, she retorts "Y'all's got the same damn thing, only they ain't poked out yet."
Just at the point when Sedaris's caricature of Mrs. Peacock borders on merciless, he pivots. Mrs. Peacock packs the kids into the car and makes a trip to her house (the beloved back scratcher has been broken and must be replaced with a backup model). The siblings realize that Mrs. Peacock's house, an obvious shack to them, is a subject of great pride for her. The backyard garden is beautifully tended, albeit filled with plastic gewgaws and garden gnomes, and she cautions them not to touch her beloved doll collection ("They's my doll babies") as they enter the back door. She shows them her collection of miniatures, and points out two little troll dolls, each sitting in a house slipper by her bathroom, their hair combed back as if blown by a stiff wind: "See, it's like they's riding in boats!" Sedaris' ability to connect the listener with Mrs. Peacock's sense of individuality and self in the face of obvious poverty is powerful; he simultaneously portrays her as an object of comedic derision and a human being deserving of sincere compassion. I laughed until I had tears in my eyes while I listened to "The Understudy," and yet I'll never look at the denizens of Walmart again without wondering whether they, too, have their own version of a doll baby collection at home, or a carefully tended plant collection on their disintegrating back porch. Sedaris ends the story with an adult observation that Mrs. Peacock was probably clinically depressed the entire time she tended him and his siblings, thus the naps, poor hygiene, etc.
Several of Sedaris's stories involve severely dysfunctional people --an aging apartment neighbor with all the charm of a cornered badger, a disabled war veteran accused of molesting his grandchildren, a boarding house full of social outcasts -- but you never get the feeling that Sedaris would prefer a world without them. He even manages to be amazingly gentle and humorous in relating the potentially traumatic story of a middle-aged truck driver who picked up him up when he was a young hitchhiker and then proceeded to proposition him sexually while the truck flew down the road at 65 miles per hour (Sedaris escaped with his virginity). He's content with the rich adventure of a life that forces you to interact with the good and the bad, the tolerant and the hateful, the beautiful and the plain, and then gives you the gift of grace to smile at it all in the end, just as he smiles at his own strengths and weaknesses. How can you not like a person who is honest and self-deprecating enough to invite you to laugh with him at the fact that he once made use of a prosthetic buttocks to flush out his own flat rear end, abandoning it only when the summer heat, combined with latex, caused intolerable sweating?
There's an old saying that laughing is good for the heart. Sedaris brings new meaning to this saying with his humanist/humorist approach to the world. Spend a few hours with "When You Are Engulfed in Flames" over the next few weekends. You'll like what it does for you.
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LibraryThing member TheBookJunky
Funny funny. He is gentler in this book, not so mean as in the last one. You want to chat over coffee with him for a couple of hours. He is so observant. Reviewers describe his “skewed” outlook, but I think his outlook is dead on accurate, nothing skewed about it all. Clear-eyed, and direct.He
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is mellowing out. His caustic wit pillowed in understanding. But still there. Inside the pillow.**That only took two days to read. I picked up a signed paperback at Bolens, the local indie bookstore. Leftover stacks from Sedaris recent appearance there june 11. Kevin learned from the bookstore clerk afterwards that Sedaris is doing an independent bookstore only tour, with the provision that the events are free to the customers, and that they are held in the store. That is a great boon to the indies! Well done David! Show Less
LibraryThing member booksandwine
Let me preface this by saying I love David Sedaris so much, I cannot read him in public. If you didn't already know, Sedaris writes memoirs, and his memoirs are hilarious anecdotes about his life. Whenever I flipped the page when reading Me Talk Pretty One Day, I would double over in laughter. The
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effect was repeated with his other books, Naked, Dress Your Family In Corderoy and Denim, and Holidays On Ice. I still haven't read Barrel Fever.In terms of When You Are Engulfed In Flames, I felt it was funny, however it wasn't quite as gut-busting as his other books. Some of his anecdotes seemed to just drag on and on, especially his story about moving to Tokyo to quit smoking. However, there were a few gems. For example, his story about Helen -- his crazy neighbor. I think the story of Helen works so well because we all know someone like Helen, we all know someone who is nutty and happy with being nutty. Whereas not very many people can relate to moving halfway around the world just to quit smoking.When You Are Engulfed In Flames contained more stories about Hugh, Sedaris's partner. Hugh is awesome to read about, and I can relate because my boyfriend keeps me functioning as well. My one wish pertaining to this book is that I would have liked it if it contained more stories about his crazy childhood and mother. In his other writings, I find those to be his most touching and funny stories, perhaps it is because I can connect to them more than I can connect to his upper class lifestyle. Show Less
LibraryThing member littlegeek
Hilarious. I listened to it on an audiobook, which I love since Sedaris is so funny when he reads his work, but now I want a paper copy just to look up all those pithy bon mots. Dude has a way with words and a gentle insight into humans.
LibraryThing member awriteword
I have been a dedicated David Sedaris fan ever since I first discovered his book, Naked. Sedaris writes so candidly about his life and inner monologue that the reader feels like s/he knows the writer intimately. He lays himself bare with only a glamour of dry wit to cover the truth.
The vingettes in
The vingettes in
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"When You Are Engulfed In Flames" discuss Sedaris' insecurities and discomforts, his relationship with his long-time boyfriend, Hugh, his travels, and his quest to quit smoking in Japan. Wry and always slightly self-conscious, Sedaris will make you smile and cry all in the same story. I always feel his books end too quickly, and this one was no different, but as I closed its cover, I felt deeply satisfied. "When You Are Englufed In Flames," is an entertaining and self-reflecting read. Well-balanced and thoughtful, it's words will remain with you long after you have finished reading the last page. Show Less
LibraryThing member shawjonathan
I bought this to read on the plane from LA to Taipei, and it proved to be a diverting read. Sedaris's charming self deprecation and irony sometimes makes it hard to hear his more serious voice, but it is there, and the book offers meditations on death and lyrical celebrations of his beloved partner
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Hugh without becoming unreadably earnest. The long section on giving up smoking while holidaying/vacationing in Tokyo is full of delights. I decided two things, however: if possible, I'll take any future Sedaris aurally, because he's much funnier and more moving that way; and I'll read some essays by Montaigne, originator and master of the form. Show Less
LibraryThing member Brianna_H
When You Are Engulfed in Flames is another typical effort by David Sedaris. Fans of Mr. Sedaris' previous works know exactly what to expect with a Sedaris essay collection, and although they won't be completely disappointed, they might wonder if they had already read this one before.
As a huge fan
David Sedaris needs a new shtick because after reading When You Are Engulfed in Flames, I felt the same way I do after I watched the third sequal to a once great movie.
As a huge fan
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of David Sedaris' previous essay collections, it is with a heavy heart that I write my fear that Mr. Sedaris has finally exhausted his repertoire. While still somewhat amusing, the stories feel recycled and tired and seem to comprise of all the antedotes we have read before. David Sedaris needs a new shtick because after reading When You Are Engulfed in Flames, I felt the same way I do after I watched the third sequal to a once great movie.
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LibraryThing member FicusFan
I have the 8 disc audio book version, with David Sedaris reading. Ever since I heard him on NPR, I can't imagine 'reading' the book any other way.
I liked this book, but not as much as some in the past. At the start it seemed all over the place in terms of theme; later death became the theme. Death
Others are upset that the stories in the book have been published or read before. The only one I have heard before is the one about the catheter to allow him to pee in public. So I didn't feel ripped off as some do.
It just seemed to me that a lot of his stories are not funny and in some cases even mean. Helen is not interesting or fun, and he goes on and on about her, it starts to feel mean-spirited. What was the point of the Japanese barber with shit on his hand, the punch line makes the whole thing pointless - other than to embarrass the man.
I also am not crazy about all the swearing. Perhaps its the audio book, rather than reading it. It just seems to be a cop out. Instead of humor or thoughtful quirky description, you get one word swears, it just seems lazy.
I am not as enamored of the stories of Sedaris' childhood, and birth family, so I didn't miss them as some did. I prefer the ones with Hugh and in Normandy, and foreign countries. I just wish we could get more detail about Hugh. What does he do ? Why the strange locales of his childhood, yet Sedaris portrays Hugh's mother (family) as hicks from Kentucky ? Why are they living in Paris ?
The Taxi driver story has potential and some humor, but again it seemed to end on a mean-spirited note.
I enjoyed the Japanese sequence but was confused about why he went there. He said it was because he and Hugh had been there before, but the stories seem like they are about the experiences of newbies to the country. finally, is he really that dumb: why does he think Hiroshima doesn't look like other Japanese cities; did he really not know women characters are played by men in traditional theatre ?
I just found myself thrown out of the story he was telling by some of the above mentioned issues.
I liked this book, but not as much as some in the past. At the start it seemed all over the place in terms of theme; later death became the theme. Death
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can be funny, the whole black humor field springs to mind, but Sedaris doesn't quite get past pathos.Others are upset that the stories in the book have been published or read before. The only one I have heard before is the one about the catheter to allow him to pee in public. So I didn't feel ripped off as some do.
It just seemed to me that a lot of his stories are not funny and in some cases even mean. Helen is not interesting or fun, and he goes on and on about her, it starts to feel mean-spirited. What was the point of the Japanese barber with shit on his hand, the punch line makes the whole thing pointless - other than to embarrass the man.
I also am not crazy about all the swearing. Perhaps its the audio book, rather than reading it. It just seems to be a cop out. Instead of humor or thoughtful quirky description, you get one word swears, it just seems lazy.
I am not as enamored of the stories of Sedaris' childhood, and birth family, so I didn't miss them as some did. I prefer the ones with Hugh and in Normandy, and foreign countries. I just wish we could get more detail about Hugh. What does he do ? Why the strange locales of his childhood, yet Sedaris portrays Hugh's mother (family) as hicks from Kentucky ? Why are they living in Paris ?
The Taxi driver story has potential and some humor, but again it seemed to end on a mean-spirited note.
I enjoyed the Japanese sequence but was confused about why he went there. He said it was because he and Hugh had been there before, but the stories seem like they are about the experiences of newbies to the country. finally, is he really that dumb: why does he think Hiroshima doesn't look like other Japanese cities; did he really not know women characters are played by men in traditional theatre ?
I just found myself thrown out of the story he was telling by some of the above mentioned issues.
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LibraryThing member katydid-it
Always hilarious - Sedaris made me laugh out loud on a flight across the country.
LibraryThing member CasualFriday
I love David. His humor is biting and dark but not mean or unfair, usually. Sometimes his self-deprecation goes over the top, as if he's begging to be reassured, but I fall for it; I think it's cute. This latest collection is close in tone to the last one, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim.
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There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments mixed in with some wistful, bittersweet ones. Everyone's talking about the essay in which he quits smoking, but for sheer silliness, I like the one where he learns misunderstands a French nurses's directions and ends up inappropriately dressed. Show Less
LibraryThing member palmer73
I enjoyed 95% of this book. Sedaris has a lot to say in simple observation. That's the sign of a true paranoid genius.
LibraryThing member jeniferbal
This was definitely not my favorite David Sedaris book. I am a big fan but I think that this time I was looking for something new and exciting; When you are Engulfed in Flames is the same old Sedaris. I heard him speak a couple of years ago and was excited about the animal fairy tales that he said
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he was writing. When you are Engulfed in Flames is not that. It is the same style essay that we have grown to love him for but...I was a little disappointed that we didn't get to see him stretch his boundaries and I think that I read or heard at least five of the essays in other places before I read the book. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheScrappyCat
Another great entry from humorist Sedaris! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It seemed more lightweight than some of his others, more geared toward making the reader laugh than using his humor to illustrate his own life, but I loved it. As always.
LibraryThing member seanj
Favorite essays: "Old Faithful" and "That's Amore."
LibraryThing member bnbooklady
In When You Are Engulfed In Flames, David Sedaris delivers another collection of hilarious stories from his less-than-normal life. I discovered Sedaris's work a few years ago with Naked, which made me laugh out loud so many times that my husband added Sedaris to the ever-growing list of authors
I'm sorry to say it, but I was a bit underwhelmed. All of the essays carried Sedaris's trademark wit and sarcasm, but I just felt like he was trying too hard most of the time. There were a few rather memorable pieces, including his description of the ways in which he and his partner Hugh allow Hugh's mother to cook, clean, and do the heavy lifting around the house when she visits, and his case study of the differences in the ways their familys functioned, especially during holidays, during their childhoods was hysterical. The essay "April in Paris," in which Sedaris gives a detailed account of how he became obsessed with a spider he found living in one of their window sills and set out on a mission to catch flies and insects to feed her--he recalls waking up at 3am and stumbling through the house in the dark trying to catch more food for her--was my favorite of the bunch and served to remind me why I started reading Mr. Sedaris in the first place. However, the book's final piece, "The Smoking Section," was far too long and was much funnier in its shortened form, which appeared in the The New Yorker just before the book was published. I would still recommend this book to established Sedaris fans who will appreciate hearing from him again, but I would use Naked as the best introduction to Sedaris for those who haven't read him before.
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he'd rather I not read while he's trying to sleep (not that that stops me), and I thoroughly enjoyed Me Talk Pretty One Day and Dress Your Family In Corduroy and Denim, so I had high hopes for this one.I'm sorry to say it, but I was a bit underwhelmed. All of the essays carried Sedaris's trademark wit and sarcasm, but I just felt like he was trying too hard most of the time. There were a few rather memorable pieces, including his description of the ways in which he and his partner Hugh allow Hugh's mother to cook, clean, and do the heavy lifting around the house when she visits, and his case study of the differences in the ways their familys functioned, especially during holidays, during their childhoods was hysterical. The essay "April in Paris," in which Sedaris gives a detailed account of how he became obsessed with a spider he found living in one of their window sills and set out on a mission to catch flies and insects to feed her--he recalls waking up at 3am and stumbling through the house in the dark trying to catch more food for her--was my favorite of the bunch and served to remind me why I started reading Mr. Sedaris in the first place. However, the book's final piece, "The Smoking Section," was far too long and was much funnier in its shortened form, which appeared in the The New Yorker just before the book was published. I would still recommend this book to established Sedaris fans who will appreciate hearing from him again, but I would use Naked as the best introduction to Sedaris for those who haven't read him before.
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LibraryThing member manadabomb
I love this man.
I've listened to his interviews about this book on NPR and The Daily Show and just love this man. I would have rather listened to this book as read by him but that wasn't feasible at the beach. So I took the new hardback (sans dust jacket) every day to the beach and laughed
I'm still shaking sand from the pages.
Sedaris tells us the stories of Hugh, the worm growing out of his leg, Paris and the spiders in his home, and traveling to Japan just to quit smoking. It is pretty bad when all the good hotels go non-smoking and only a semen covered remote jolts him into realizing that maybe he should just stop smoking.
I particularly loved the line about his finding new snacks in Japan that "tasted like penis". Lord. I can't even comprehend that.
Another good book by Sedaris.
I've listened to his interviews about this book on NPR and The Daily Show and just love this man. I would have rather listened to this book as read by him but that wasn't feasible at the beach. So I took the new hardback (sans dust jacket) every day to the beach and laughed
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hysterically while people glanced at me in apparent fear.I'm still shaking sand from the pages.
Sedaris tells us the stories of Hugh, the worm growing out of his leg, Paris and the spiders in his home, and traveling to Japan just to quit smoking. It is pretty bad when all the good hotels go non-smoking and only a semen covered remote jolts him into realizing that maybe he should just stop smoking.
I particularly loved the line about his finding new snacks in Japan that "tasted like penis". Lord. I can't even comprehend that.
Another good book by Sedaris.
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LibraryThing member ferdinand1213
This is good because it's David Sedaris, but is not that good as David Sedaris goes. Fans will enjoy it, but I wouldn't use it to start someone off with Sedaris.
LibraryThing member yarmando
Solid work from Sedaris. Funniest is the final section: his diaries of his stay in Japan, where he went to quit smoking.
Subjects
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — 2009)
Language
Original publication date
2008-06-03
Physical description
xii, 323 p.; 21 cm
ISBN
9780316154680