Where have I been? I'm a Sedaris fanatic and I had no idea this book existed until it popped up on my Kindle suggestion. So, I downloaded a sample. Again, I had no idea it was an art book. (Not very conducive to Kindling.)
I bought the hard cover almost immediately.
It's fantastic. A Visual Compendium is a scholarly look at Sedaris' diary and art work. Jeffrey Jenkins, the editor and childhood friend of Sedaris, writes the commentary in, yes, a scholarly tone.
After reading the first part of the book, I wanted to keep a diary. After perusing through all of Sedaris' artistic endeavors, I wanted to go trash rifling and thrift store shopping to find visuals.
This is really a fascinating look into Sedaris' life. A timeline runs along the bottom documenting major moments in his life (like having a trash truck named in his honor in the UK). If you read the snippets of his real diaries, you can obviously make connections to his essays and stories.
Funniest part ever: "On my fifth trip to France, I limited myself to the words and phrases that people actually use. From the dog owners I learned 'Lie down,' 'Shut up,' and 'Who shite on this carpet?' Th couple across the road taught me to ask questions correctly, and the grocer taught me to count. Things began to come together, and I went from speaking like an evil baby to speaking like a hillbilly. 'Is thems the thoughts of cows?' I'd ask the butcher, pointing to the calves' brains displayed in the front window. 'I want me some lamb chop with handles on 'em'" (88).
Beautiful book and there's a bonus glycine envelope in the back cover that contains postcards and bookmarks from his artful diaries.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2021
I really like Sedaris and was excited about this book but after 5 minutes with it I'm going to donate it. it is big and the reproductions/photos are so great I tried several times to pick something up that was just the flat page ( there are a few cardboard inserts that are attached) there is nothing to this book. I must be missing something. it is minimal, occasional reproduction of some few sentences that are neither clever nor funny nor thought provoking. people are mentioned with the reader having no idea who they are. 80 pages - 80- are just photos of the covers of these many journals. other photos are of 1-color or some faint paper with 3 words written off the edge, dirty found stuff. I kept wondering what am I looking at? I know many who have kept journals or artistic blank books of thoughts, wonders, unique or emotional times, things that they created or found that meant something. this book is like things found cleaning out a 12 year olds desk. very surprized and not in a good way .
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Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2017
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2022
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2017
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2019
A MUST for David Sedaris fans and diary-keepers!
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2019
So much fun for Sedaris fans! I tried to show in the photos that the covers have raised 3D sections with spot gloss on them. The book is full of surprises. Knowing something about publishing, the book must cost a bunch to produce. You’ll have to get the book to check out the contents of the semi transparent envelope inside the back cover.
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2019
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Christopher Rogers
Great book for a Sidaris fan. Very creaitively assembled collection of photos and some text.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 2, 2023
