Holidays on Ice [Hardcover]

David Sedaris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 8, 2008

David Sedaris's beloved holiday collection is new again with six more pieces, including a never before published story. Along with such favorites as the diaries of a Macy's elf and the annals of two very competitive families, are Sedaris's tales of tardy trick-or-treaters ("Us and Them"); the difficulties of explaining the Easter Bunny to the French ("Jesus Shaves"); what to do when you've been locked out in a snowstorm ("Let It Snow"); the puzzling Christmas traditions of other nations ("Six to Eight Black Men"); what Halloween at the medical examiner's looks like ("The Monster Mash"); and a barnyard secret Santa scheme gone awry ("Cow and Turkey").

No matter what your favorite holiday, you won't want to miss celebrating it with the author who has been called "one of the funniest writers alive" (Economist).

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For those dreading the holiday season, bestseller Sedaris (When You Are Engulfed in Flames) makes life a little easier with this re-release of his uproarious essay collection, newly expanded from the original 1997 edition. Sedaris gets the most mileage out of Christmas, from his stint as a Macy's elf in "Santaland Diaries," to comparing American and Dutch holiday traditions in "Six to Eight Black Men." In "Jesus Shaves," Sedaris recalls a French class in which students try to explain to each other, in broken French, the concept of Easter: "On the Easter we be sad because somebody makes Jesus dead today." This updated version includes "The Monster Mash," poached from When You Are Engulfed, in which Sedaris spends Halloween at the morgue; and "The Cow and the Turkey," a new story featuring the Secret Santa woes of barnyard animals. Longtime fans will be happy to have all Sedaris's holiday stories in one volume, and those who've managed to miss the literary funny-man couldn't get a better gift.
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Review

"...Sedaris has as much fun as is humanly (or elfishly) possible in his behind-the-scenes look at this particularly American tradition of sitting on Santa's lap and asking for stuff...Part of the fun is hearing the reaction of the New Yorkers who have to wait in line, pay for Santa photos, and generally go mad in the Christmas frenzy that Macy's embodies. And Sedaris, never quite who he seems to be, has the nasty tone of his commentary down perfectly." (The News and Advance ) --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; First Edition edition (October 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316035904
• ISBN-13: 978-0316035903
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 7.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #336,275 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, David Sedaris has become one of America 's pre-eminent humor writers. The great skill with which he slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that Sedaris is a master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today.David Sedaris is the author of the bestsellers Barrel Fever and Holidays on Ice, as well as collections of personal essays, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, and Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, each of which became immediate bestsellers. There are a total of seven million copies of his books in print and they have been translated into 25 languages. He is the editor of an anthology of stories, , Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules: An Anthology of Outstanding Stories. His essays appear regularly in Esquire and The New Yorker. Sedaris and his sister, Amy Sedaris, have collaborated under the name "The Talent Family" and have written several plays which have been produced at La Mama, Lincoln Center , and The Drama Department in New York City . These plays include Stump the Host, Stitches, One Woman Shoe, which received an Obie Award, Incident at Cobbler's Knob, and The Book of Liz, which was published in book form by Dramatist's Play Service. His recent collection of essays, titled When You Are Engulfed in Flames, was published in June 2008.David Sedaris's original radio pieces can often be heard on This American Life, distributed nationally by Public Radio International and produced by WBEZ. In 2001, David Sedaris became the third recipient of the Thurber Prize for American Humor. He was named by Time magazine as "Humorist of the Year" in 2001. David Sedaris was nominated for two Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word Album ("Dress Your Family in Corduroy & Denim") and Best Comedy Album ("David Sedaris: Live at Carnegie Hall"). In 2008 the audio version of When You Are Engulfed in Flames was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Spoken Word category.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious! The new stories are a welcome addition!, October 26, 2008

By 

Mint910 (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Holidays on Ice (Hardcover)

I read the original version of this collection a few years ago and really enjoyed it so I jumped at the chance of reading the stories again and the new additional stories! The new stories are definitely a welcome addition!

Of the original stories, The SantaLand Diaries starts the collection off on a hilarious note. You get to read bout the inner workings of being a department store Christmas elf. The crazy santas, elves and customers! Season's Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!! starts off innocently enough as a family holiday letter and quickly takes a turn for the hilariously insane, like a lot of Sedaris's stories.

Of the new stories, Jesus Shaves is by far my favorite. It had me crying from laughing so hard. I don't want to give anything away, so just trust me, it's hilarious. Six to Eight Black Men was also hilarious along the same line. Definitely learned things I didn't know about how other countries celebrate to holidays.

I wasn't totally fond of The Monster Mash, about a trip to a medical examiner's office, it spoke to my weak stomach and my stomach said no thank you. But it still had it's funny moments.

All in all this is a hilarious holiday collection and the new stories are a welcome addition helping add additional holidays to this collection.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Holiday Pick-Me Up, October 26, 2008

By 

Bibliophile By the Sea (US) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Holidays on Ice (Hardcover)

I have always enjoyed David Sedaris' humor, and although I generally listen to his audio books (read by him), this time I picked up the printed version, just under 200 pages. The Holidays on Ice title was originally released in 1997. This 2008 release contains some of the same stories and several new ones as well. Featured are:

* Santa Land Diaries
* Seasons Greetings to our Family and Friends
* Front Row Center With Thaddeus Bristol
* Based Upon a True Story
* Christmas Means Giving
* Dinah, the Christmas Whore
* Jesus Shaves
* Us and Them
* Let it Snow
* Six to Eight Black Men
* The Monster Mash
* The Cow and the Turkey

One of the funniest for me was: "Dinah, the Christmas Whore" an essay describing the dysfunctional world of David Sedaris. He tells how his sister Lisa brought her friend Dinah home four days before Christmas. He describes the humorous way in which his family reacts to her, and the questions they ask her about her interesting life in prison and about her experiences as a prostitute.

Sarcasm and cynicism fill this collection of short stories. You will be laughing your way through each story. If you are looking for something to cheer you up during the stressful holiday times, pick up this little book. It would make a fun gift for your family and friends who might need some cheering up this holiday season as well.

Although I really did enjoy this book, I am still a bigger fan of the audio books read by this author. In fact, I'm in the process of listening to his latest book: When You are Engulfed in Flames right now, and it's terrific.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Bitter and violent but still funny, December 27, 2008

By 

Colleen Cunningham "mistyq" (Quincy, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Holidays on Ice (Hardcover)

OK, I love David Sedaris on This American Life and loved his previous books about his family. This little book was more bitter and violent than I expected. "Santaland Diaries" is a classic and a great read, but after that there are stories of people dismembering themselves, family members treating each other cruelly, and a barnyard animal being led to slaughter. Not denying Sedaris' talents but I enjoy it more when he is turning is razor wit and observations to his hilarious, off-kilter, endearing family and less when he is creating stories that seem designed to shock us out of whatever little holiday cheer we have. Sorry David!