Product Description
Un vestido de domingo retoma los elementos clásicos en la narrativa de David Sedaris; la mezcla, en clave humorística, de la ficción y la autobiografía del autor. En esta colección de retratos y anécdotas, Sedaris revela el lado más absurdo de la cotidianidad: se marcha de vacaciones con su familia, asiste a la boda de su hermano, se hace un análisis de sangre, se come una hamburguesa. Todas ellas son actividades perfectamente normales, que no obstante, en el mundo de Sedaris, adquieren una comicidad insospechada.
Conocido por las delirantes e impúdicas historias que contaba en un programa de radio americano, Sedaris explica de si mismo que vive 'esperando material' para sus narraciones, historias que vuelca a sus libros a través de la ironía. Con la lectura de dichas anécdotas es fácil comprender el porqué de su  espectacular éxito mundial como humorista.

“Uno no es proclive a explicar la carrera de un autor a partir de las excentricidades y los detalles morbosos de su vida personal, pero se siente autorizado a hacer una excepción cuando esas excentricidades y detalles, como en el caso de David Sedaris, son el objeto y razón de ser la su carrera. En resumen: la bomba Sedaris estalló por primera vez en 1993, cuando la National Public Radio empezó a emitir desde Nueva York una serie de extrañas historias donde un limpiador gay de apartamentos, inmigrante griego de segunda generación, con acento de Carolina y una vida laboral atribulada hasta extremos imposibles, narraba episodios descabelladamente impúdicos de su vida. El éxito inverosímil de aquel serial sonrojante puso en alerta a los principales editores del país: ¡un colgado le estaba explicando su vida patética a América y a América le gustaba!” Javier Calvo.
“Estaba leyendo a Sedaris en la oficina mientras comía y casi me atraganto de larisa con sus historias, es un escritor fabuloso.” The New York Times Book Review ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

I Couldn't Stop Laughing
In "David Sedaris Live for Your Listening Pleasure" he reads to audiences, and there's a lot of funny stuff he mines from his book tours. In this hilarious recording there's not as much family dissecting as usual, but his father, Lou, does appear to be hung out to dry (humorously, of course.) There are five titled sections on this recording.
He starts out with a fable in "Cat and Baboon" with a cat visiting the local masseuse, a baboon. Naturally they gossip, and they talk about various animal clients. The bit about the personal and shall we say, unsanitary habits of dogs and cats, I think it will have you roaring. Sedaris gets his biggest laughs from his occasional obscenities and the raunchier aspects of his comic writing. His delivery is always great, and he makes no bones about being gay; in fact, it's a source for great humor in his narratives.
He knows how to tell a story, very imaginatively and creatively. His "Laugh Kookaburra" about his trip to Australia has terrific descriptions and a literary flair. He's big on irony. "Australia is Canada in a thong." To give a shout is to treat someone to a drink or something else. Sedaris made a trip into the bush and came back with a tender story. This section has the cleverest thematic construction of all the stories on the CD. It could be a case study in how to tie words, ideas, and themes into a coherent whole.
"Author, Author" recounts his book tours. He goes to signings at Costgo, and in one funny episode he and his brother-in-law go there to pick up little gifts he can give at his signings. I'm not going to spoil the fun. You really should hear it. He gets a lot of joke material from people at the signings. He asks off-the-wall questions of his fans and gets weird answers.
"Innocence Abroad" is about the weird pronunciations people come up with when speaking a foreign language. In this section Sedaris's own snobbishness and dare I say, bitchiness, come through. He and his lovere Hugh live in France most of the year.
His last section "Diary Entries" is made up a series of short show-stopping jokes. It has some sensational one-liners. Watch out for the cabin attendants walking up and down the aisles crop dusting. This CD is a great joy ride! You can listen over and over and still laugh your head off!

Very endearing, very quirky, very funny, and colorfully gay
Sedaris's audio recordings are very quirky, very funny and always professionally delivered. You end up endeared to his humble, painfully honest and overtly anxious decency... and yes, his openly funny gayness too.

Had me laughing out loud
David Sedaris had me laughing out loud as I listened to him tell story after story. This is a short collection that will leave the listener begging for more. In this anthology, the listener will find several short stories and journal entries.

This audio only book will leave the listener laughing until they cry. The first story is Cat and Baboon an animal fable. Author, Author concerns Sedaris' book tour and Innocence Abroad's focus is on attempting to speak foreign languages.

The language in this audio book is a bit off colored at times. Sedaris, delivery is what makes this book.

Don't listen while driving
I looked like an idiot driving down the freeway at 7am laughing.
that's the problem with this CD, where can you listen to it laugh almost to tears and not look like you've escaped from the mental ward.
not while driving
not on the bus
not on a park bench
not alone in your bedroom or your mates will call the men in the white coats to pick you up
I guess you can't buy this.Much to risky to your reputation.

Hilarious
David Sedaris tells story after humorous story, always pulling laughs from his audience (the audio recording is live). This short collection of memoir-esque stories will keep you laughing the whole way through.
The recording features four stories and several diary entries that are sure to have you grinning at the least and crying from laughing at the most.

Content: There was some mild language and some sexual references. Not for the easily offended.

Recommendation: Ages 18+ to anyone who enjoys radio shows, comedy, or just needs a good laugh and a break from reality.

**Thank you to Anna from Hachette Audio for providing my review copy!**

... Read more

Product Description
In these wonderfully funny and poignant stories, Willett's eccentric, complex characters think and do the unconventional. Soft, euphonic women gradually grow old; weak, unhappy men confront love and their own mortality; and abominable children desperately try to grow up with grace. With a unique voice and dry humor, Willett gives us a new insight into human existence, showing us those specific moments in relationships when life suddenly becomes visible.

Critically acclaimed when it was first published in 1987, Jenny and the Jaws of Life is being brought back due to popular demand. It's a timeless collection filled with a certain freshness and wit that ring just as loudly today.
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Customer Reviews (19)

More dark than funny; engaging
Really interesting book of short stories, many on the dark and lurid side of things.Many drop you right in the middle of a scenario w/o any setup; makes you really work to figure out what's going on...but that's not a bad thing.Not as laugh-out-loud funny as your typical Sedaris/Vowell/NPR collection but engaging enough to recommend.

same league as Alice Munro
If you are a short story aficionado, buy this book and read it over and over. For pure craftsmanship and style it is a veritable bible. Beyond that, though, is it's heart and humanity. Willett is a wise, wise woman, deeply moral and compassionate, and screamingly funny. My personal favorite is The Haunting of the Linguards, but I agree with Sedaris that The Best of Betty alone is enough to buy the book.

A mixed bag...
These stories were really hit or miss for me. I found some of the stories hard to get through, and others I absolutely loved (The Best of Betty, Under the Bed, Mr. Lazenbee). The humor is clever and at times quite grim. I enjoyed about half of the stories so much that I may return to the book at some point and give the other half a second shot.

Sedaris loves it, but this is not like his work at all
My favorite short story writers are Alice Munro, Lorrie Moore, Amy Bloom and Flannery O'Connor, if that helps you place my taste on the spectrum of what's out there. People looking for the comedy of bleak sarcasm, the kind that leaves you wincing as you laugh (Sedaris, Burroughs), will only be able to find some of that here, but not a lot of it. This is a book about the connections between people, how strange and errant love is. Everyone is quite realistic and human, and there's none of that tied-up-in-a-tidy-bow feeling I get from too many short stories. These stories rely on intelligence rather than cleverness. This collection actually brings something new, fresh and just a little STRANGE to the short story reader; not strange in the sense of bizarre (like Aimee Bender) or parodic (like George Saunders). It's strange in its depth and compassion. Maybe the best way to say it is that each story, no matter how short or ambiguous, is as fully realized as a novel. That's hard to find.

Human
Having an endorsement by the hilarious David Sedaris at the top of this book may have been misleading, because this book is not full of the same kind of absurd outrageousness that makes his books such a riot. There is humor in this collection of stories, but overall this book is more of a bittersweet series of character studies of modern people whose lives often take unexpected turns. What I loved about the book is that none of the stories were formulaic or trite at all. The characters all seemed so real and human, full of complicated and conflicting emotions and desires. Some of my favorites included the advice columnist who transforms her corny column into a postmodern confessional, the confused little girl whose therapist father is too quick to label a sociopath, the rape victim who refuses to have a meltdown, and the rich bachelor who falls in love with a uniquely awkward secretary, only to lose her when her new status turns her into a typical society wife. The author treats her characters like sympathetic friends, who she both admires and pities for all their strengths and flaws. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (7)

Courteous and Caring Critique
In reading a lot of the criticisms of the book I was dumbfounded. Kevin's writing should be a taken for what it is, the writings of a fan trying to get deeper insight into the way that the best selling author's mind works. Kevin is obviously a big fan of Sedaris. So much so that he clearly spent countless hours researching each and every line of every story/essay that Sedaris has wrote. He pulls meaning and insight from Sedaris' work while comparing his work to other similar works with the ease of a professor (not surprising as he teaches at the University of Iowa).

I do admit my bias as I was a big Sedaris prior to reading, but reading Mr. Kopelson's book has changed the way that I read Sedaris and has actually led to an increase in my enjoyment of them. I'd recommend the book to both beginning (who will find the book to be a great introduction) and experienced (who will appreciate the insight and find the books take on greater meaning) Sedaris readers.

Interesting and insightful
I found this to bean insightful book and Kopelson had me thinking about Sedaris' work in a different way. As I am not familiar with all of Sedaris' books, I found the author's use of quotes helpful. The book is engaging and has inspired me to read more Sedaris after which time, I will reread the Kopelson.

Dear Kevin:

Sorry, I don't mean to be rude, I respect all writing of every kind, But Come On Man!I've read every page of your book, obviously I've read a David Sedaris book or 2 (otherwise I never would have picked up yours at all, again, Sorry).No Contest, you're bitter.

A Sham
As I read this book, I began to feel a bit sick, sickened by the author, who seems to believe he can critically analyze Sedaris' character the way a student analyzes a work by Austen or Hemingway in grad school. This book is not about analyzing or discussing Sedaris' writing but a pseudo-psychoanalysis of Sedaris and the characters in his writing.

Something felt off about the whole thing. How can Kopelson assume to know all these people Sedaris writes about in his works to such a degree that he can psychologically analyze not only Sedaris but his family members as well? Who knows how much Sedaris chooses to share with his readers? How can we know who these people really are to such a degree that we can perform an accurate analysis of their characters?

Each chapter of Koplelson's book focuses on a main character in Sedaris' works: Sedaris' mother, father, sisters, brother, friends, teachers, partner. Kopelson then attempts to critically/psychologically analyze each person in relation to David Sedaris using excerpts from Sedaris' works to support his assumptions. It's nothing more than a grocery store rag packaged in book form, something to peruse as you wait to have your tomatoes and wine rung up, knowing all the while that it's nothing but trash.

very disappointing
I've never bothered to review a book on Amazon before and am only doing so now because I am so profoundly disappointed in this purchase. The author seems to feel he is just too erudite to make complete or correct sentences, much less have any insight into his topic. He has absolutely nothing to say about Sedaris' work at all. The book is rambling, overzealous, and boring -- it's almost stream-of-consciousness, and is unfortunately the consciousness of some drunk party guest who has trapped you in a corner because you've mentioned you like David Sedaris' work, and is now going to talk at you for hours under the assumption that you're bound to appreciate what he has to say.

As I read, I tried to picture the circumstances under which this text had managed to come to light. Editors? Publishers? This snuck through them all? Well, more fool me -- I bought it, didn't I?

I cringed with embarassment for Sedaris himself; his work does warrant a critical volume, but let's pray that this one simply disappears and a better one emerges. ... Read more

Product Description
HOLIDAYS ON ICE collects six of David Sedaris's most profound Christmas stories into one slender volume, perfect for use as a last-minute coaster or ice scraper. This drinking man's companion can be enjoyed by the warmth of a raging fire, the glow of a brilliantly decorated tree, or even in the backseat of a van or police car. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Funny
Nice cd, great for the long trip to work except for others wondering what is so funny.A good eperience.

Holiday humor
I'm a huge fun of Sedaris and his humor.Having said this, I am so thrilled to have Christmas stories Sedaris style. Some of these stories are more funny than others.Definitely, this book is worth reading or listening to (Book on cd is read by David Sedaris) to get you in the holiday season spirit if your idea of Christmas are elves and Santa Clause and crazy family reunions.

So very amusing!
Find yourself a copy and enjoy!!amusing! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

It's Not Required But It's Worth Extra Credit
The pieces in Best American Nonrequired Reading 2010 are fiction and nonfiction, articles, stories, lists, and comics, chosen from online blogs and publications as well as print magazines. The front section consists of the short items, mostly lists, mostly funny, some just silly. Among the funny is a short blog post - Best American Woman Comedy Piece Written By a Woman by Wendy Molyneux.

The larger second part of the book is an unsorted group of stories and essays. Without much context (such as Best American Short Stories or Best American Travel Writing) it was not always clear which pieces were fiction and which were nonfiction. I found this uncertainty rather invigorating. Is Sherman Alexie telling stories or is this a moment of truth? I vote truth. Did Evan Ratliff really Vanish? Truth, I think. Is Bryan Furuness really the Man of Steel? Fiction, probably. I hope the tent city of George Saunders' journalistic piece is fiction, but I'm afraid it's fact.

The Photographer is a combination of photojournalism and comic about a Doctors Without Borders mission in an Afghanistan war zone. The photos are from the 1980s, when the Soviet Union was fighting the Mujahideen. Coincidentally, I found out about the artist, Emmanuel Guibert, a few days ago when I was listening to a podcast about his inspiration for a previous book, Alan's War, about a US soldier who settled in France after he fought there during World War II.

The "nonrequired" in the title of the book appealed to me, probably because I have read so many reviews lately that insist that "this book should be required reading." Imagine someone shoving a book in your face and instructing "You have to read this book!" Even if it's your best friend and you were planning on reading that book anyway, your reaction is to lose enthusiasm. Now that it's an assignment, you no longer look forward to it. Your well-meaning friend has ruined it for you. So a sarcastic thanks to Publisher's Weekly for their quoted review for this very book "...nonrequired reading that should be required."


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Customer Reviews (1)

Funny yet honest
In this collection of autobiographical short stories David Sedaris gives us a glimpse into his life as a boy and a young man starting out in the world of work. They are not in any chronological order, and can jump back and forth in time, but one thing they have incommon is that they are all very funny, some hilarious. Yet they are not flippant nor slight in content, and underlying the humour one cannot miss the occasional anguish of a young man aware of his own shortcomings; for Sedaris writes self-effacingly and with candour, and his honesty only warms us to him.

Naked is a very enjoyable read, and at times very moving as hidden behind the humour, Sedairs opens himself up just as the title suggests. ... Read more

Product Description
Unabridged on MP3 audio disc. Note that some cd players will not play this type of media.From Publishers Weekly:Starred Review. Sedaris's sparkling essays always shimmer more brightly when read aloud by the author. And his expert timing, mimicry and droll asides are never more polished than during live performances in front of an audience. Happily, four of the 22 pieces are live recordings, and listeners can hear Sedaris's energy increase from the roaring, rolling laughter of the appreciative audience. Sedaris's studio recording of his 10-page Of Mice and Men runs 16 minutes, while the live recording of Town and Country, which runs the same length in print, expands to 22 minutes thanks to an audience that often doesn't let him finish a sentence without making him pause for laughter to subside. The studio recordings usually begin with an acoustic bass and brief sound effect (a buzzing fly, the lighting of a cigarette, the clinking of ice in a drink, etc.). Sedaris's brilliant magnum opus, The Smoking Section (about his successful trip to Tokyo is quit smoking) stretches across the final fourth of the recording. A Little, Brown hardcover (Reviews, Apr. 28). (June) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review:"The new book by renowned gay humorist David Sedaris is even better on CD; Sedaris reads the stories, and his comedic timing adds another layer of wit to the already hilarious prose." (L.A. Times) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Laughing out loud while driving!!!!!!!!!!!
This book was a treat since it is read by David Sedaris himself.He is over the top funny and I love the cynical snaps throughout the book.There are also several live recordings captured on this CD that are especially enjoyable since you can hear the audience react to David's story telling.Can't wait to read (or listen to) the rest of his work!Thanks! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Skewed ratings..
This is not a 2 star book.Don't rate the book poorly because you didn't make the connection.

It's just as fabulous as "Me Talk Pretty One Day" and it's in french.

Nothing lost in translation
This is definitely a let-down and a product of bad advertising. But the cover is amazing, and I bought it because I speak French. It's actually a little different from "me talk pretty one day" -- there are more french inside jokes. If you are bilingual, it's worth the buy. But if you think it's a new David Sedaris book, don't be fooled.

FYI, to the reviewer who so hastily tried to make the other reviewers feel bad, "Je Parler Francais" means "I speak French" not "I talk pretty one day" (It is actually gramatically incorrect in french -- should be "je parle francais")

so maybe you should get your facts straight.

Oh please!
Don't give the book low marks just because you didn't do your research. It's pretty obvious that the book is a French version of "Me Talk Pretty"... Je Parler Francais translates into what?

If you can read/understand French, and haven't read the English version yet, you'll enjoy this book.

Poor Advertising!
I'm glad I'm not the only one who waited excitedly for this book only to discover that it was in French!Why is it even advertised in English?

I was going to use it for my ESL class...
I am incredibly frustrated to have anticipated this book, to have ordered it to be sent to my parents' house in Missouri, and to have had my mother ship it to me in Paris, where I live, only to find that it is a French translation. I should have paid more attention to the publisher, but ... everyone thought it was a new book! Bad advertising, fellas. ... Read more

Product Description
BRAND NEW 2010 HARDBACK EDITION. SOME SHELFWEAR MARKS. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: David Rakoff, Dan Savage, David Sedaris, John Hodgman, Sarah Vowell, Ira Glass, Jon Ronson, Julia Sweeney, Jonathan Goldstein, Curtis Sittenfeld, Jake Warga, Davy Rothbart, Mike Birbiglia, Karen Sosnoski, Sandra Tsing Loh, Jon Langford, Shalom Auslander, Jack Hitt, Scott Carrier, Alex Blumberg, Dishwasher Pete, Jay Allison, Heather O'neill, Nancy Updike, Starlee Kine, Annie Baxter, Adam Davidson. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 156. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: David Rakoff (born November 27, 1964) is a Canadian-born writer based in New York City who is noted for his humorous, sometimes autobiographical non-fiction essays. Rakoff is an essayist, journalist and actor and is a regular contributor to Public Radio International's This American Life. Perhaps mocking the unimaginative pigeonholing of his work, Rakoff has described himself as "a 'New York writer' who also happens to be a 'Canadian writer', a 'Jewish writer', a 'gay writer' and an 'East Asian Studies major who has forgotten most of his Japanese writer'". David Rakoff was born (significantly, by caesarean section) on November 27, 1964 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is the youngest of three children: his brother, the comedian Simon Rakoff, is four years older than David and their sister Ruth was a chef and is now a family-conflict mediator, is the middle child. David Rakoff has said that he and his siblings were close as children. Rakoff's mother, Gina Shochat-Rakoff, is a doctor who has practised psychotherapy and his father, Vivian Rakoff, is a psychiatrist. Psychiatry and psychology are common themes in David Rakoff's work, both in his journalism and in his autobiographical essays about his lengthy experience as an analysand and his long-time role as a confidante. Also, his knowledge of psychiatry played ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=2508913 ... Read more