| | |  | Essays | Home » » » » When You Are Engulfed in Flames | | | | | | | Description: | | "David Sedaris's ability to transform the mortification of everyday life into wildly entertaining art," (The Christian Science Monitor) is elevated to wilder and more entertaining heights than ever in this remarkable new book.
Trying to make coffee when the water is shut off, David considers using the water in a vase of flowers and his chain of associations takes him from the French countryside to a hilariously uncomfortable memory of buying drugs in a mobile home in rural North Carolina. In essay after essay, Sedaris proceeds from bizarre conundrums of daily life-having a lozenge fall from your mouth into the lap of a fellow passenger on a plane or armoring the windows with LP covers to protect the house from neurotic songbirds-to the most deeply resonant human truths. Culminating in a brilliant account of his venture to Tokyo in order to quit smoking, David Sedaris's sixth essay collection is a new masterpiece of comic writing from "a writer worth treasuring" (Seattle Times).
Praise for When You Are Engulfed in Flames:
"Older, wiser, smarter and meaner, Sedaris...defies the odds once again by delivering an intelligent take on the banalities of an absurd life." --Kirkus Reviews
This latest collection proves that not only does Sedaris still have it, but he's also getting better....Sedaris's best stuff will still--after all this time--move, surprise, and entertain." --Booklist
Table of Contents:
It's Catching
Keeping Up
The Understudy
This Old House
Buddy, Can You Spare a Tie?
Road Trips
What I Learned
That's Amore
The Monster Mash
In the Waiting Room
Solutions to Saturday's Puzzle
Adult Figures Charging Toward a Concrete Toadstool
Memento Mori
All the Beauty You Will Ever Need
Town and Country
Aerial
The Man in the Hut
Of Mice and Men
April in Paris
Crybaby
Old Faithful
The Smoking Section | | | Features: | |
• ISBN13: 9780316143479
• Condition: USED - VERY GOOD
• Notes:
| | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| David Sedaris | | Hardcover:
| 336 pages | | Publisher:
| Little, Brown and Company | | Publication Date:
| June 03, 2008 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 0316143472 | | Package Length:
| 8.4 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.8 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.2 inches | | Package Weight:
| 1.0 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 363 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
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 Competent, But Not His BestMar 14, 2010
I disclose up front that I am a huge Sedaris fan. "Me Talk Pretty One Day" was one of the most acidly funny books I ever read, and his short story "The Santaland Diaries" is nothing less than a masterpiece. And, I do not expect Sedaris to be "funny." Much of his most elegant prose, especially about his family, is not. But I admit to being very disappointed in "When You Are Engulfed in Flames."
I cannot explain exactly why I was disappointed. It's not that the writing, overall, was bad. It was just not terribly interesting. And while I got the point of tales like his companion, Hugh, proving his love by treating a noisome boil, for example, the world-weary, catty observational humor and the high-strung emotionalism just largely fell flat this time, almost sounding contrived. And the last tale about quitting smoking in Tokyo was, in my opinion, a stream of consciousness nightmare. And overall, there is a gloom settled over these pages. Since this was Sedaris' "mid-life crisis" book, I cannot object to that overmuch, but the sometime artless joylessness made "Engulfed" a numbing chore.
But, the book has side-splitting and thoughtful gems, too. The tale of Mrs. Peacock, the smelly babysitter from hell, the external catheter called "The Stadium Pal," and a harrowing piece about the nature of guilt and shame when he befriends an old sex offender shunned by society are Sedaris at his vintage best. Funny, but always thought provoking.
So, on balance, half the book is wonderful, half less so. If you are a Sedaris fan, you will enjoy it, but be prepared for some odd forays that do not work well. If you are new to Sedaris, this is not the book for you. "Naked," "Barrel Fever," and "Me Talk Pretty One Day" are where your attention should be.
Recommended, but with noted reservations.
 not even a chuckleMar 09, 2010
I had high expectations going into this book based on all the hype. This book is, no question, the worst book I have ever read. I did not laugh once, not even a chuckle. This life situations this dude tackles are not funny. I had a big boil, my queen lances it, the fluid inside smells. Are you serious?? That's just gnarly, not humorous. Don't waste your time or money on this set of booooooring stories.
quirky and fun for a sedaris newbieMar 05, 2010
this was my first Sedaris book and although not totally blown away, it was definitely entertaining and good fun. i listened to the audio version, which is narrated by Sedaris himself and although this is not an old book (pub. 2008), the dry sarcasm and tone of his voice was reminiscent of an older style of stand up comedy.
the book is written in short stories of various happenings in Sedaris's life, including babysitting experiences of his younger days, what it what like going public about being gay, his crazy neighbors (which i can completely relate to!) and a more recent effort to quit smoking. there were definite highs and lows in the stories, with some absolutely hysterical laugh out loud moments in between. some stories held my interest more than others, notably That's Amore and The Smoking Section, but regardless, it was worth the time spent and i would probably pick up another Sedaris book someday.
Sedaris is still funny, just not as hilarious as his other books...Mar 01, 2010
I'm a big David Sedaris fan, but I didn't love this book as much as some of the others. When I read "Barrel Fever" and "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim," I found myself laughing out loud numerous times. In this book, there were a few stories that made me laugh out loud, but mostly I smiled or chuckled. Not a bad track record, of course, but just not as uproariously funny as others. My favorite stories were those that chronicled his interactions with other people--the one with him fighting with the woman who sat next to him on the plane (I did laugh out loud during this one); the story of Helen, who lived in the same apartment building he and Hugh did; the horrible babysitter, Mrs. Peacock; and the final story, which chronicled his attempt to quit smoking while living in Japan. Those new to David Sedaris, I would recommend you start with a different book so you truly appreciate his amazing sense of humor.
I liked it less than his other works...Feb 09, 2010
I love David Sedaris, but this book felt darker and less funny to me. Plus, there were uncomfortable sexual undertones that made it sound much more like a regular autobiography instead of one that was supposed to evoke a comedic reaction... Overall, I just really didn't enjoy it nearly as much as, say, "Me Talk Pretty One Day" or "Naked".
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