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Audio CD Description 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

Customer Reviews Real life was never so hilarious "Me Talk Pretty One Day," is a collection of essays inspired by everyday life, which David Sedaris brilliantly transforms into experiences of unparalleled hilarity. I'm referring to the kind of laughter that rips through your belly in a matter of seconds and leaves you hopelessly sprawled on the floor. His unpretentious storytelling and his often-commonplace subject matter never cease to amaze me. A foreign language class, dinner in SoHo, a bawdy, cantankerous younger brother, crossword puzzles, and an unwelcome specimen in a friend's toilet are all featured in such a way that one will never want to dismiss ordinary life events (as well as the humor that lies therein) again. In an age where everything but the latest on-the-edge trends seems to have lost its flavor, Sedaris has truly achieved the impossible. A gem like "Me Talk Pretty One Day" is nothing short of a breath of fresh air and makes for the best literature I've read all year. Sedaris has cast new light on my perspective of everyday life and made me revel in the delicious potential of the mundane. If it seems like I'm really hyping this guy and his work, I am. Honestly, how many other writers do this? Don't miss this great book! Two other wonderful books I'd like to recommend include "The Losers Club: Complete Restored Edition" by Richard Perez, and "WILL@epicqwest.com" by Tom Grimes -- each funny and entertaining. Me Like book all time ME TALK PRETTY is one of the funniest books you'll ever read. And I quote from the book: "I hate computers for any number of reasons, but I despise them most for what they've done to my friend the typewriter. In a democratic country you'd think there would be room for both of them, but computers won't rest until I'm making my ribbons from torn shirts and brewing White-Out in my bathtub. Their goal is to place the IBM Selectric II beside the feather quill and chisel in the museum of antiquated writing implements. They're power hungry, and someone needs to stop them." The reason why David Sedaris, the character, works so well in the book is because of his flat-out honesty on any number of subjects and issues. He also has an extraordinary sense of self-awareness most do not possess, or at least are less than eager to broadcast it. Sedaris has managed to convert ordinary happenings from one's life to incredibly comical vignettes worth discussing. His linguistic tongue most closely resembles a sharp and oddball Woody Allen for his clever ability to make situations funnier than they normally would be and his over-the-top affair with words. In creating something more valuable than a simple comedic story-telling book, he has both educated and entertained us with his personal experiences and observations of the world. Like other great reads of his: NAKED and BARREL FEVER, this is a wonderful and laugh-out-loud book. I also enjoyed Jackson McCrae's THE CHILDREN'S CORNER as it too is funny, though has a disturbing side as well. Whatever you do, take on "Me Talk Pretty" first as it's quick, easy, and just a whole lot of fun. Me Talk Hilarious One Day Great book...read it on a vacation, and it had me laughing out loud (very, very loud) on the airplane both ways. Definitely worth picking up!