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David Sedaris

Me Talk Pretty One Day Hardcover – Bargain Price, May 2, 2000

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A new collection from David Sedaris is cause for jubilation. His recent move to Paris has inspired hilarious pieces, including Me Talk Pretty One Day, about his attempts to learn French. His family is another inspiration. You Cant Kill the Rooster is a portrait of his brother who talks incessant hip-hop slang to his bewildered father. And no one hones a finer fury in response to such modern annoyances as restaurant meals presented in ludicrous towers and cashiers with 6-inch fingernails. Compared by The New Yorker to Twain and Hawthorne, Sedaris has become one of our best-loved authors. Sedaris is an amazing reader whose appearances draw hundreds, and his performancesincluding a jaw-dropping impression of Billie Holiday singing I wish I were an Oscar Meyer weinerare unforgettable. Sedariss essays on living in Paris are some of the funniest hes ever written. At last, someone even meaner than the French! The sort of blithely sophisticated, loopy humour that might have resulted if Dorothy Parker and James Thurber had had a love child. Entertainment Weekly on Barrel Fever Sidesplitting Not one of the essays in this new collection failed to crack me up; frequently I was helpless. The New York Times Book Review on Naked

Part of series

Me Talk Pretty One Day
Print length

288 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Little, Brown and Company
Publication date

May 2, 2000
Dimensions

5.88 x 1 x 8.5 inches
ISBN-10

0316777722
ISBN-13

978-0316777728
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I know it sounds calculating, but if you’re not cute, you might as well be clever.
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The guilt applies only to those things that are being given away for free.
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The word therapy suggested a profound failure on my part. Mental patients had therapy. Normal people did not.
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

David Sedaris became a star autobiographer on public radio, onstage in New York, and on bestseller lists, mostly on the strength of "SantaLand Diaries," a scathing, hilarious account of his stint as a Christmas elf at Macy's. (It's in two separate collections, both worth owning, Barrel Fever and the Christmas-themed Holidays on Ice.) Sedaris's caustic gift has not deserted him in his fourth book, which mines poignant comedy from his peculiar childhood in North Carolina, his bizarre career path, and his move with his lover to France. Though his anarchic inclination to digress is his glory, Sedaris does have a theme in these reminiscences: the inability of humans to communicate. The title is his rendition in transliterated English of how he and his fellow students of French in Paris mangle the Gallic language. In the essay "Jesus Shaves," he and his classmates from many nations try to convey the concept of Easter to a Moroccan Muslim. "It is a party for the little boy of God," says one. "Then he be die one day on two... morsels of... lumber," says another. Sedaris muses on the disputes between his Protestant mother and his father, a Greek Orthodox guy whose Easter fell on a different day. Other essays explicate his deep kinship with his eccentric mom and absurd alienation from his IBM-exec dad: "To me, the greatest mystery of science continues to be that a man could father six children who shared absolutely none of his interests."

Every glimpse we get of Sedaris's family and acquaintances delivers laughs and insights. He thwarts his North Carolina speech therapist ("for whom the word pen had two syllables") by cleverly avoiding all words with s sounds, which reveal the lisp she sought to correct. His midget guitar teacher, Mister Mancini, is unaware that Sedaris doesn't share his obsession with breasts, and sings "Light My Fire" all wrong--"as if he were a Webelo scout demanding a match." As a remarkably unqualified teacher at the Art Institute of Chicago, Sedaris had his class watch soap operas and assign "guessays" on what would happen in the next day's episode.

It all adds up to the most distinctively skewed autobiography since Spalding Gray's Swimming to Cambodia. The only possible reason not to read this book is if you'd rather hear the author's intrinsically funny speaking voice narrating his story. In that case, get Me Talk Pretty One Day on audio. --Tim Appelo

From Publishers Weekly

Sedaris is Garrison Keillor's evil twin: like the Minnesota humorist, Sedaris (Naked) focuses on the icy patches that mar life's sidewalk, though the ice in his work is much more slippery and the falls much more spectacularly funny than in Keillor's. Many of the 27 short essays collected here (which appeared originally in the New Yorker, Esquire and elsewhere) deal with his father, Lou, to whom the book is dedicated. Lou is a micromanager who tries to get his uninterested children to form a jazz combo and, when that fails, insists on boosting David's career as a performance artist by heckling him from the audience. Sedaris suggests that his father's punishment for being overly involved in his kids' artistic lives is David's brother Paul, otherwise known as "The Rooster," a half-literate miscreant whose language is outrageously profane. Sedaris also writes here about the time he spent in France and the difficulty of learning another language. After several extended stays in a little Norman village and in Paris, Sedaris had progressed, he observes, "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." But in English, Sedaris is nothing if not nimble: in one essay he goes from his cat's cremation to his mother's in a way that somehow manages to remain reverent to both of the departed. "Reliable sources" have told Sedaris that he has "tended to exhaust people," and true to form, he will exhaust readers of this new book, tooDwith helpless laughter. 16-city author tour. (June)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In this collection of 27 fairly short essays, some of which appeared in Esquire and The New Yorker, Sedaris gives the impression of ease and naturalness. Whether he iswriting about overcoming a lisp, learning to play the guitar, trying to master French, or taking an IQ test, whether the locales are North Carolina, New York, or France, the author is both amused and amusing. Call what he writes essays, sketches, minor discourses, whimsicalities, reminiscences, curiosities, vignettes, chronicles, orbits of narrativeDno convenient blanket phrase covers them allDit is a testimony to his talent that he manages to infect the pieces with his geniality. They are all based on the author's own experiences and are all nicely constructed, cheerful, and absolutely not taxing on the brain. This is the sort of book from which you can read a chapter at random before turning out the lights at the end of the day. Recommended.DA.J. Anderson, GSLIS, Simmons Coll., Boston
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

" ...deftly navigates some unsettling subject matter...ultimately, it's his notes of rapture that leave the strongest impressions..." -- "Seattle Times" 6/11/00

"...as hilarious and insightful as his earlier work...." -- Wall Street Journal, 6/2/00

"...celebrates its author's ability to mock himself...while wildly funny, is also moving..." -- LA Weekly Literary Supplement

"...funny, smart, and wickedly observant...but it's the other stories in which he redeems ...smarting pain...with searing humor where Sedaris is at his best..." -- Colorado Springs Gazette, 6/18/00

"...genius lies in transforming strangeness, obsessive voyeurism and endearingly snotty observations into wildly entertaining art...he has earned a place as one of America's finest...humorists..." -- Denver Post, 6/25/00

"...his brilliance resides in a capacity to surprise, associate, and disassociate, and the result is something like watching lightning strike in slow motion..." -- Boston Book Review, July/August 2000

"...if wit were measured in people, Sedaris would be China...his talent is that huge...Sedaris' wit should be regulated. Experiences this enjoyable are usually illegal..." -- Denver Rocky Mountain News, 6/11/00

"...laugh-out-loud funny, witty, and trenchant and ver far too soon..." -- Book, July/August 2000

"...reveal a writer who is capable not only of being funny, but touching, even tender, too." -- New York Times, 6/16/00

"Stunning in its simplicity...one of the best novels you're likely to encounter this year...relish it." -- The Free-Lance Star, 6/25/00

At his best, he makes you laugh out loud, which indeed may be worth the price of admission. -- The New York Times Book Review, Jonathan Reynolds

About the Author

"David Sedaris is the author of the books Barrel Fever, Naked, and Holidays on Ice and is a regular contributor to Public Radio International's "This American Life."

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown and Company; First Edition (May 2, 2000)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316777722
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316777728
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.88 x 1 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #168,269 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #476 in Humor Essays (Books)
- #583 in Essays (Books)
- #5,506 in Memoirs (Books)

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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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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.

5 people found this helpful

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Judy K. Kem

Interest take on learning French

Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2023

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The parts where Sedaris talks about learning French were intriguing. The French professor was a real stinker. Too true-to-life to be funny…

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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).

4 people found this helpful

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JOEL DODSON

It's what I expected

Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2023

Very funny!

Author has become a humorist icon and his book is a fun read!

Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2019

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I’d heard enough about the author’s wit and humor to finally purchase one of his books. I didn’t realize it was a compilation of his short stories which was initially confusing but I found a number of them hilarious. Although he’s no Mark Twain, I found his insights and cultural euphemisms and political correctness helped lighten up my day.
I can’t imagine him trying to convince family members to share some of the more outrageous stories about them. He’s teamed up with his sister Amy on several projects. She was brilliant when in one of his stories, she imitated a family friend and propositioned their father—making Sedaris one of the kings of parental grief giving.
On the whole, the author’s childhood memories were quite entertaining although I bought the book for his cross cultural witticism and stories of how language—or a lack of understanding it can have dire and very humorous consequences.
His insights into the French was entertaining and insightful although not as well developed as Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t be Wrong: Why We Love France but Not the French by Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Bartow. But I enjoyed his quips about French language:

Nothing in France is free from sexual assignment. I was leafing through the dictionary, trying to complete a home-work assignment, when I noticed the French had prescribed genders for the various land masses and natural wonders we Americans had always thought of as sexless, Niagara Falls is feminine and, against all reason, the Grand Canyon is masculine….I wonder whose job it was to assign these sexes in the first place….

The author has become incredibly popular with seven million copies of his books in print after being translated into 25 languages. He’s been on several late night comedy shows lately and he does stand-up comedy. He’s the author of an anthology of stories, “Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules: An Anthology of Outstanding Stories” and his essays appear regularly in Esquire and the New Yorker. He’s been at it for a while—he became the third recipient of the Thurber Prize for American humor in 2001. Sadaris and his sister Amy, have collaborated under the name “The Talent Family” and have written several plays which have been produced at Lincoln Center. He’s also been nominated for two Grammys for Best Spoken Word Album ("Dress Your Family in Corduroy & Denim") and Best Comedy Album ("David Sedaris: Live at Carnegie Hall").
The author is a regular contributor to The New Yorker and BBC Radio4 and he lives in England. He’s become a humorist icon in our country and this book was well worth the read.

20 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Perfect copy

Reviewed in India on August 22, 2023

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Pristine original edition.

marco carrara

Read it on the beach

Reviewed in Italy on June 26, 2023

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If you are on the beach, your brain is on vacation somewhere else and you are bored to death you can read this book. It won’t hurt you and won’t require more than a few spare neurons left by your vacationing brain on emergency duty.

Louise Nielsen

Silly and Fun

Reviewed in Canada on April 6, 2018

Verified Purchase

This amusing book is a compilation of various short autobiographical stories which span the author’s life from the time he was a young boy, to more recent events as an adult, although it is not always in chronological order. Much like everyone, the author has had high points and low points in his life. In this book, the stories range from being innocent and endearing, to others that are a little more serious with its mature themes.

Some of the memories the author shares include such topics as: overcoming a speech impediment, being forced as a child to learn a musical instrument, trying to learn the French language, trying his hand at becoming an artist, various stories of his family and friends, his experiences at some of the jobs he has had, and his struggles with addiction. Throughout these stories, the author consistently pokes fun at himself, which makes this a humorous read.

Some readers may be offended by the material, or simply consider it to be too juvenile. There is some extremely course language, and a lack of political correctness at times. But, it is all presented in an honest and comical way that makes this an interesting book. This is not a complicated piece of work by any means. It is not a literary masterpiece, but it is witty and fun.

Overall, I liked this book, and, at times, it made me chuckle and smile. I found it to be uniquely funny and hard to put down. The book was easy to follow and a very simple read. It is a perfect rainy weekend, or vacation book that can be read quickly over just a few days. If you are merely looking for something entertaining and a little silly to read, and you are not easily offended, you will most likely enjoy this book.

2 people found this helpful

Derrell Lacey

Just not that funny

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 26, 2022

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This brand of humour just didn't appeal to me although I know the author is very popular. Along with other reviewers I did laugh at the section where he is learning French but other than that, read the rest without wanting to laugh at all. In fact I just thought he seemed odd. Maybe this is just not my thing!

Prabha

It is OK

Reviewed in India on September 2, 2016

Verified Purchase

David Sedaris is OK. Admittedly, this book did not make me laugh out loud at any point, but this is more of a chuckle, smile sort of funny. His writing style is good, at some places though, the book seems to ramble and I kind of lost the thread. Once put down in the middle of reading, it did not pull me back to it in a hurry though. Maybe I have to read a couple of his other books to decide whether I like his books or not, but this book as such, is OK :)

4 people found this helpful

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