David Sedaris is known for his acerbic, witty writing, glimpses of American life, and peeks at his family, even some international observations. In addition to his writing he is a regular contributor to Public Radio International’s “This American Life.”
Clearly with those credentials we are led to expect wonderful things. The raves used by his publisher to further sales are, indeed spectacular…“Wildly entertaining” “Sedaris glitters…” “A writer worth treasuring…” “He is a prime candidate for funniest writer alive.” The problem, I think, is that no one can live up to that sort of hype…and I, along with many other readers, I’m sure, felt as I read the book a sort of let down. Yet it is difficult to find fault with the product he produces. The writing is clean and spare…no fussy phrases, no superlative adjectives…plain nice prose. Wildly entertaining it is not! The book is mildly pleasant, does not drag, and occasionally elicits a chuckle.
I have never liked the current batch of storytellers, even the really good ones like Garrison Keillor on public radio or less noteworthy, Fritz Weatherbee on New Hampshire Chronicle (WMUR – TV). They always seem patronizing to me, a bit too snide and snooty even though I think it is not their intention. David Sedaris’ style is less abrasive than Keillor and Weatherbee…still the storytelling genre irks.
That’s my personal bias. Nevertheless I liked some of the snippets. “The Great Leap Forward” describes the narrator’s experiences working initially as a personal aide then as a moving company laborer in New York City. The first of these two separate narrations deals with his work as an administrative assistant (read: slave and gofer) to a Columbian quasi-heiress who owns a small publishing company. Although minimally amusing it leads into the second section dealing with the narrator’s moving company experiences. Sedaris’ wry observations about moving NYC dwellers from Manhattan to Brooklyn or Queens rings especially true…those customers he notes…“always put a good face on it but one could always detect an underlying sense of defeat.” Well, having moved from Manhattan to Brooklyn I have to agree…especially the comment that Manhattan friends were reluctant to ride the subway two more stops to Brooklyn. Moving out of Manhattan to elsewhere is, to a Manhattanite, a giant step downward.
The other essay which I found likable gives title to the collection. “Me Talk Pretty One Day” is a delightful reminiscence of the author’s enrolling in a Parisian school where he hoped to improve his spoken French. The scenario can be hellish or wildly amusing depending on one’s attitude. Sedaris manages here to capture both aspects of what I can only think of as an ordeal. Both his evaluations of the instructor, a strong dominatrix type and his sly descriptions of his fellow students all ring true. It is in this one story that I actually did laugh aloud.
It’s hard for me to comment intelligently on good artistic expression (no matter what form) when I don’t like the product. I usually recognize creativity even when I dislike the resulting product.
With Sedaris I’m in a bind. I think he writes well. He has a keen sense the world around him and a unique perspective. Alas I don’t like this sort of material. So…if you like amusing vignettes narrated with a sense of humor, pick up Me Talk Pretty One Day. As for me I’ll stick to Mark Twain’s stuff, or better still read a different genre… perhaps some more short stories…