Me Talk Pretty One Day

I love David Sedaris’s writing. He is so observant and has a brilliant ear for dialogue. I’ve read his diaries, which are some of the source material for this book of essays. The title refers to him learning French whilst living in Paris.

His attempts to read his essays to the class are often met with contempt by his French teacher, who barely disguises her scorn at his efforts. But, respect for David’s work ethic–he often spent the whole day on his French homework, so determined was he to crack the language. Another life lesson: there are no shortcuts–you have… show more.

No one else can make me laugh through all the cringe-y, absurd, awkward pain like David Sedaris. His pop culture touch points are a bit more esoteric than (and a generation or two above) mine–but his Billie Holiday impression is impressive and absolutely pristine. Unexpected and revelatory, his essays and memoirs brought me to tears of laughter but also of compassion and empathy.

I started with this book and quickly devoured more. By the time I was a full-fledged David Sedaris reader, I was already a huge fan of Amy Sedaris–his equally talented sister–a skilled actress and comedian. Amy, matching… show more.

While every one of Sedaris’ books is hilarious, this one is later in his life and reflects in a very deep way on a life well-lived.

While living in France, he talks about the experience of being an expat and has a lot of funny stories interacting with locals as he stowed away in his home there to both write and relax.

David Sedaris conveys humor and family behavior in one sentence. Most can relate to his spot-on observations about people. David Sedaris is able to define people in a unique way, one that most of us don't see until he shows us so many quirks of humanity! His writing truly makes me laugh out loud. 

As someone who changes their residency and social security number more often than their toothbrush, I love a good book about acculturation. The way Sedaris describes his struggle to learn French will leave any language nerd laughing out loud. As a Canadian, I’m a little like an American (sorry if that pisses off both Americans and Canadians). Anyway, the cultural observations between Americans and French people are accurate and hilarious. And, as always, Sedaris doesn’t hold back from telling you about all his flaws and mistakes.