David Sedaris’ 1997 offering, Naked, is a blazingly fast and fun read. It is not a morality play, as far as I can tell, but rather an autobiography that tells stories not intended to teach anything per se, but which do anyway. The author and main character is truly a product of genes and environment, with a number of unique twists thrown in. No overall theme stands out to this reader, except perhaps when one considers the title. Perhaps, Sedaris means to honestly allow his life to lay bare, for all to see. Nah! Never trust comic authors! He may in fact be referring to a funny minor idea that resurfaces throughout the book: How does someone look naked? And more to the point, how does that knowledge affect the situation?
The book is divided into 17 chapters, each of which is an event or idea that is plucked from the author’s timeline. The chapters run more or less in chronological order. Thus, David’s immediate family is explored in the first half of the book, with most of the emphasis on his parents and the sister closest to him in age. These 4 mains are richly detailed characters who never grow tiresome. The mother, in particular, is a cantankerous, snappy cynic whose deadpan dialog leaves a wake of shock, or at least one must imagine, since most every line she delivers marks the end of the scene, leaving the reader to pause and imagine the looks she must have been drawing. Her personality is fully established early on, and one cannot help but like her. The father’s personality, on the other hand, is built up slowly, like placing one’s hand on the burner prior to turning on the heat. Eventually, you pull away as you come to realize that he epitomizes the customer that the entire store talks about...and dreads.
David’s 4 sisters and brother get a little bit of attention, but each is spun away with serious problems, enough of a treatise not to get to know each, but to get a feel of the individual effects of this dysfunctional family. Lisa, the sister closest in age to David, gets the most attention, and comes across as a bit of a chameleon with a typical-younger-sister foundation. She turns out to be the most unpredictable character, and the most compelling.
Our author, of course, paints our protagonist in a colorful, if less than flattering, light. His snobbish, haut monde personality is beautifully established in the opening pages, a fantasy of a family too beautiful to be in church and a son basking in riches uninherited by sisters who were conveniently kidnapped. Brilliant!
As David evolves, a few omissions become apparent... and annoying. As a youth, he eschews sex and love, yet later has a boyfriend. What was the crossing of this bridge like? What kind of guy would put up with a guy like David? I longed to know more. This was almost the exact reaction I had to another book reviewed here, last year, Openly Bob. Why are comedians so quiet about their first kisses?
The book is loaded with light and funny moments, but despite the promise made on its back cover, the book is not “sidesplitting.” At times, in fact, it is not funny at all, because David’s heart is exposed and naked and there’s something of his experience worth sharing. All of these chapters have little bits like this, and all are worth a read. Although my colleagues did not have much to recommend this book, I do. And its quick, too. Check it out.