Now as I’ve told you before, I almost never buy books. Partly because I’m too cheap, and partly because I only really like owning books I really like. But I’m off to Zimbabwe for three months, where good books are hard to come by, so I gave in and spent some serious money on Amazon. Oh yes. So this is one of the first from that batch. I blogged about WHEN YOU ARE ENGULFED IN FLAMES by David Sedaris as I read it earlier this year, and really enjoyed it. ME TALK PRETTY was a bit of a let down, really. In the previous book, I enjoyed the way Sedaris was so open about his somewhat messed up life, but in this way rather than being pleasingly open and honest, it started to seem like a gimmick. And I didn’t really find it that funny. Hmmm. Is it because that it’s not as good a book, or is it because it’s the second of his books I’ve read, so I’m wise to his shtick? A pressing question for the ages.
Since I last wrote I’ve flown to Africa – 20 hours, FOUR stop overs – let’s not talk about it – so I’ve read a lot of books, but not been in a bloggable state. Much more to follow. After I get back from a four day holiday, far from internet. Laterz!
This is my first time reading David Sedaris. In fact, i read the copy that was on your bookshelf while i was house sitting your flat (grin). However, this is not the first time I have encountered him, as he is very famous in the world of podcasts and frequently contributes to This American Life which i regularly listen to. By the way, have you heard him read his work? He has this high-pitched, kinda reedy and nasal voice. Its so weird! Anyway, having heard his schtick before, it was lovely to just read it and hear it in my head. I thoroughly enjoyed it, with many laugh-out-loud (LOL!) moments on public transportation and often, startling Camberwell out of some reverie wherein she imagines herself playing the lizard game… I will look out for When you are Engulfed in Flames. 🙂