Customer Reviews

Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This is a compilation of David Sedaris' favorite short stories by literary greats such as Alice Munro, Flannery O'Connor and Dororthy Parker, just to name a few. With a crowd like this, you can expect stories that will leave you ever so slightly unsettled, such as Tobias Wolff's "Bullet in the Brain" and Lorrie Moore's troubling tromp through a pediatric cancer ward in "People Like That Are the Only People Here: Canonical Babbling in Peed Onk." The stories seem to gather eccentric value as the book progresses. They are provocative and probably not best read right before bed. But Sedaris has indeed gathered the best of the best, and each of the stories represents an intricate piece of literary art.

But there is another reason to buy this book. All the proceeds benefit 826NYC, an afterschool tutoring organization that also does community outreach by way of writing workshops for young people. Literature to help foster literature-it is a great idea and one worthy of support.

In all my years of reading serious fiction, I've neglected short stories. But when I saw Sedaris's name, I was willing to read his introduction to see if I wanted to delve further in this collection of stories by other writers, and I'm thrilled that I did.

Of all the stories in the collection, I had only read one before-Flannery O'Connor's "Revelation"-so this collection opened up a number of new writers to me that I'll pursue further: Jincy Willett, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Richard Yates, for example.

Sedaris does a good job of balancing heavily emotional rides, like Joyce Carol Oates's "The Girl with the Blackened Eye," with the humor of Jincy Willett's "The Best of Betty." He's also done a terrific job of blending classic stories with contemporary ones.

After reading this collection, I'm actually looking forward to reading more short fiction.

Devoted David Sedaris fans will notice that some of the themes in these stories echo his own essays - dysfunctional family dynamics, everyday moments between lovers, utter dislocation. However, don't expect this book to provide as much of the laugh-out-loud humor found in Sedaris's own writing. Even when funny, these stories have grotesque twists dealing with untimely death, illness, and insanity. Consider in advance whether you enjoy truly dark humor.

If on the fence about buying this book, keep in mind that its proceeds go toward a literacy initiative for kids in NYC.

I enjoyed every single story in this book compiled by the hilarious Sedaris. I expected fun and jokes in each story and instead received an unexpected collection invoking mixed emotions. I could not read the stories consecutively in a sitting. Each one made such an impact that I had to take my time to let them soak in. If you're tired of compilations of stories that have the same ending give this book a try. I concur with Sedaris' comment in the forward about how hard it was to select just one story from each author, they are all truly astounding writers.

The next best thing to a new David Sedaris book is a collection of his favorite short stories since they reflect aspects of his character that may not be readily apparent in his often darkly humorous remembrances. He has chosen seventeen diverse stories by both modern and legendary writers, and the net effect is a microcosm of emotions unexpected, sometimes funny (as you would expect) and often poignant. I like how Sedaris in the foreword reverses the perspective you would expect him to have and settles into being a reader like the rest of us. What he does contribute is a strong sense of himself in the presence of these stories by simply liking them enough to include them.

Being such a fan of his work and being able to relate to a lot of the quandaries he faces in his life, I immediately felt a kinship with many of the authors some of whom I am already familiar. For example, Alice Munro who captured a particularly universal perspective in her recent short story collection about women in transition, "Runaway", has a surprisingly amusing contribution with "Half a Grapefruit" about an insecure girl named Rose who is rebelling against the concept of you are what you eat. Or Jhumpa Lahiri, who won a well-earned Pulitzer Prize for her own anthology "Interpreter of Maladies", of which Sedaris has wisely chosen the title story about the delicate relationship between an insightful Indian interpreter and a bickering Indian-American couple visiting India. Both focus on identity crises in vastly different settings. I certainly am familiar with Dorothy Parker but not with her wonderfully brief and evocative story, "Song of the Shirt, 1941" about a WWII-era seamstress under duress. There's an intense little story called "Bullet in the Brain" by Tobias Wolff which raises issues of randomness and control at the moment of death in a biting, economic fashion.

Other stellar stories are by the likes of Flannery O' Connor, Katherine Mansfield, Joyce Carol Oates and Patricia Highsmith. The quirkiest may be Jincy Willett's "The Best of Betty," in which we are witness to the sarcastic decline of a domestic advice columnist. But my favorite may be Amy Hempel's "In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is Buried", which deals with the complex reactions to the dying of loved ones. There is even a brief and amusing epilogue by Sarah Vowell acknowledging the charity to which Sedaris is donating the proceeds, a kindred spirit whose ironic death obsession pervades her latest tome, "Assassination Vacation" (she was also the voice of goth-like daughter Violet in "The Incredibles"). There is not a clinker in the bunch. While reading this breezy anthology will not make you want a new Sedaris book any less, it will make you appreciate what great taste he has as a reader.

Please understand that a writer's style is not always indicative of the type of writing he/she likes to read. I think those expecting a side-splitting collection of stories will be disappointed here.

This being said, I think Sedaris has compiled a wonderful collection of stories. I am encouraged that Sedaris included a short by Alice Munro, one of the masters of the short story in modern times. A definite must!

In his introduction, David Sedaris says he hopes this collection will entice readers to seek out more of the work by the writers included. I think he reaches his goal. This collection is a jewelry box of stories, each one a gem. I'm looking forward to reading it over and over, because these are the kind of stories from which you can learn something new every time.

Its so rare to find a compilation of short stories where every one is a delight! The stories are a satisfying mix of old and new, funny, joyful and sad. All of which I found very satisfying. I admit I did cry during a couple, and I don't think it was all hormones. I wish I'd had this caliber of story to read in my English classes. This was also a nice way to be cordially introduced to some new authors to explore. And I admit, as a major David Sedaris fan, there's that little fake intimate thrill of 'Ooooo HE picked these out!'
And anyway, it makes a really good gift because even if the person dosen't like it, they won't return it because the purchase value benefits a great cause.

Like some others that reviewed the book, I hastily ordered it and failed to realize that the collection was simply edited and introduced by Mr. Sedaris, not written by him. But I decided to read the book despite my mistake, and I was rewarded instantly. From the first story by Richard Yates to the last by Tobias Wolff, I was entranced; I had to limit myself to a story or two a day so that I could savor the collection longer. Of all the books I have ordered on Amazon, this is the first I have felt compelled to review.

When I buy a new cookbook, if I find three or four killer recipes, I count my purchase a success. The same might be said for short story compilations. I thank Mr. Sedaris for introducing me to Richard Yates, Charles Baxter and Jhumpa Lahiri. Mr. Yates' story is one of the finest works of short fiction I have ever read, up there with Delmore Schwartz's "In Dreams Begin Responsibilities." The final lines of Jean Thompson's story are absolutely beautiful -- I can't get them out of my head.