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David Sedaris

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Me Talk Pretty One Day Paperback – June 5, 2001

by David Sedaris (Author)

4.3 8,753 ratings

Part of: Me Talk Pretty One Day (1 books)

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A recent transplant to Paris, humorist David Sedaris, bestselling author of "Naked", presents a collection of his strongest work yet, including the title story about his hilarious attempt to learn French. A number one national bestseller now in paperback.

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Me Talk Pretty One Day
Print length

272 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Back Bay Books
Publication date

June 5, 2001
Dimensions

8.25 x 0.75 x 5.38 inches
ISBN-10

9780316776967
ISBN-13

978-0316776967
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Popular Highlights in this book

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I know it sounds calculating, but if you’re not cute, you might as well be clever.
Highlighted by 892 Kindle readers
The guilt applies only to those things that are being given away for free.
Highlighted by 813 Kindle readers
The word therapy suggested a profound failure on my part. Mental patients had therapy. Normal people did not.
Highlighted by 530 Kindle readers

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0316776963
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Back Bay Books; Reprint edition (June 5, 2001)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780316776967
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316776967
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.25 x 0.75 x 5.38 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #12,881 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #33 in Humor Essays (Books)
- #37 in Essays (Books)
- #484 in Memoirs (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.3 8,753 ratings

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David Sedaris

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David Sedaris lives in Paris. Raised in North Carolina, he has worked as a housecleaner and most famously, as a part-time elf for Macy's. Several of his plays have been produced, and he is a regular contributor to ESQUIRE and Public Radio International's 'This American Life'.

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4.3 out of 5

8,753 global ratings

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Mom65

One of the best

Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2024

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I’ve read every David Sedaris book and this is one of the funniest and best of his early work.

Helpful

Another very humorous book fans of David Sedaris will find funny and amusing.

Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2022

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It is true that reading the many books of the ramblings of David Sedaris is an acquired tasted. His earthy and irreverent memories and commentary can make one laugh and sometimes cringe; nevertheless, I have found him to be an entertaining writer who has the ability to pull you into his humorous realm.

In this book (Me talk pretty one day by David Sedaris), his commentary on learning the French language, and the difficulty he had grasping the fine grammatical nuances was very funny to me. His commentary on the French also shows his insight about the country and its people. I have never been to France, but my wife, who is also a fan of Sedaris, and has been to France, found that part of this book amusing, funny and true.

I found this book to be amusing, funny and insightful. Fans of David Sedaris should check this autobiographic book out for themselves.
Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Martial Art and Warrior Haiku and Senryu).

6 people found this helpful

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kokokathi02

Enjoyable

Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2023

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I used to have all his books and loved them so much I lent them to sad friends. I never got them back (so sad) so now I’m replacing them all! Rereading is almost as good as the 1st time. Highly recomend the earlier books.

2 people found this helpful

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Brian

Average Essay Anecdote

Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2023

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The first half of the book contain personal stories of David from his time in the US ever since he was a child. Some of the stories were compelling and interesting while others seemed to fall flat and I questioned what was the point of these stories. Even when trying to find the humor that everyone claims that is in this book, I have had laughed seriously for only one part in this book. Maybe it's because I am out of touch since this book was written in 2001 and I am reading this in early 2023, but I did not find any of his humor to be as compelling as I thought.

The second half of the book is where the book definitely seems to shine, since this is supposed to be about his time France and his struggles with the French language. I loved all of those essays with the exception of two.

I feel like my biggest issue with this book is that even though David is supposed to be the main center of attention with his personal narratives, I tend to feel no sympathy for the guy and he seems rather arrogant to me in his story telling. Maybe that is his personal way of telling funny jokes, but he does seem to be quite self-centered and arrogant in the way these stories are written. I tend to feel more for all of the other members that are involved such as his family members and others. I think I say this mainly because the first half of the book didn't hit hard in terms of comedy or seeing David as a funny man. Most of the stories that were wrapped around him in the first half seemed rather dull and dumb to me. I get some of the jokes that he tries to make, but a lot of the stories seem more bizarre to me. Probably it's better to hear those stories in an audio book, but even then I don't think I found him as interesting as his family members like his father and the one called "The Rooster"

David does shine better in the second half of the book and his stories are a lot more interesting. Some of his ways of telling his story in a comedic fashion didn't seem as childish to me, but rather clever and witty compared to the first half. This is with the expectation of the two stories.

Overall I had mixed feelings of this book as the whole, but the stories I did enjoy were definitely some of the most interesting stories I read in non-fiction literature. I would only go back again to read a few essays, but not all of them. I would only read 5 out of 12 stories from the first half, while almost all of them in the second. If you were gonna buy this book, I suggest only reading the second half rather than the first, but as I stubborn reader I am, I need to read everything.

7 people found this helpful

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Ivy

David Sedaris has figured it out

Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2000

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In his previous collections, Barrel Fever, Holidays on Ice, and Naked, Sedaris' works have been sometimes hilarious, sometimes disturbing and grim, and sometimes all three. His best works, though, were always the funny essays based on his own life. (Fortunately, he's weird enough that this works.) And in Me Talk Pretty One Day, he shows that he's realized where his strength lies.
The first portion of Me Talk Pretty, prosaically named One, contains more of his reminisces about his family. These stories are often funny, usually with an underlying tension, and their conclusions are usually wry or bittersweet. "Go Carolina" is a perfect example of these, talking about Sedaris' years in speech therapy as a child, and suggesting that perhaps his parents, teachers, and therapists were trying to fix something other than just a speech impediment.
Deux, the other half of the book, concerns Sedaris' life in France, especially his attempts to learn French. Most of the essays in Deux are truly hysterical. They're the kind of thing where, after a few minutes of reading, your eyes are tearing up from lack of oxygen and your loved one has awoken from a sound sleep (probably because the bed was vibrating with your laughter) and is threatening to call an ambulance or suffocate you with a pillow.
Deux has attractions in addition to the humor in the stories. It's nice to see that Sedaris can write - and write well - about something other than his screwy childhood and screwed-up history. Sooner or later Sedaris is bound to run out of humorous anecdotes about his past, and Me Talk Pretty is an indication that when he does, he'll still have good stuff to write about - his present. In fact, if this book is anything to go by, Sedaris' works will only improve on that day - in the distant future, of course - when he puts the past in, well, the past.
(Caveat: do not read this book in public places unless you enjoy looking like someone with a major nervous system disorder and a bronchial problem. Books like this are best enjoyed either by yourself or in the company of people who have to love you, no matter how strange you look.)

35 people found this helpful

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Vincent Van Crow

Favourite book

Reviewed in Canada on January 1, 2022

Verified Purchase

One of my favourite books. I’ve bought several copies because I always end up loaning it out. So funny. I keep a copy in my guest room at all times and often my guest will take the book with them when they leave. Love David Sedaris. ❤️

abhishek kr

Really fun read.

Reviewed in India on September 5, 2023

Verified Purchase

I never laughed so much in the foreword itself.

DeborahLeigh

Big fan of David Sedaris

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 30, 2022

Verified Purchase

So funny 😁🥰😁 if you get the chance to go to a reading by the author, please go. He is very engaging. I waited 2 hours in a queue for a book to be signed; and got a free gift of shower gel from his hotel 😀😀😀

P

Very funny

Reviewed in Spain on December 19, 2021

Verified Purchase

Great book

B

Ótima!

Reviewed in Brazil on August 9, 2020

Verified Purchase

A entrega do Sebo Mosaico foi rápida e o vendedor atencioso. O livro é incrível, uma leitura muito divertida e que com certeza vale a pena.