Product Description

David Sedaris plays in the snow with his sisters. He goes on vacation with his family. He gets a job selling drinks. He attends his brother's wedding. He mops his sister's floor. He gives directions to a lost traveller. He eats a hamburger. He has his blood sugar tested. It all sounds so normal, doesn't it? In his new book David Sedaris lifts the corner of ordinary life, revealing the absurdity teeming below its surface. His world is alive with obscure desires and hidden motives - a world where forgiveness is automatic and an argument can be the highest form of love. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim finds one of the wittiest and most original writers at work today at the peak of his form.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18455 in Books
• Published on: 2004-12-16
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Most of us would be lucky to be able to express ourselves in writing half as well as David Sedaris does in Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. But on top of his skills with the written word, the author also has substantial gifts as a performer, as he proves on the audio version of the book. But while the CD or cassette version of this collection is possibly the best bet for furthering your appreciation of the material, the book itself still showcases Sedaris's ability to capture the essence of his characters. Whether he's relating a tale involving his high-voiced brother Paul, or recalling times when he and his sisters tried to win good karma by speaking and acting like well-behaved, fairytale children, Sedaris's prose hits the right note in both the opening, comedic stories, and in the more poignant essays that tend to come later in the book.

In Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, Sedaris describes fights with his boyfriend, and of his sister-in-law's difficult pregnancy. When sister Lisa complains about the stories involving the family, he writes about that, too. Sedaris's latest book provides more evidence that he is a great humorist, memoirist and raconteur, and readers are lucky to have the opportunity to know him so well. Perhaps they are luckier still not to know him personally. --Leah Weathersby, Amazon.com

Review
'This is a man who could capture your heart and lift your spirits while reading out the ingredients of a rice cake.' Observer 'His best, funniest, most satisfying book.' Time Out 'Sedaris writes with a gentle but unfailing acuity and a keen eye for the ridiculous...extremely funny.' Sunday Times 'If you haven't come across David Sedaris, get in quickly before over- exposure sucks him dry.' Guardian.

Time Out
'His best, funniest, most satisfying book.'

Customer Reviews

Top of the mark
Sedaris is one of America's greatest and funniest writers. I love all his books as I do those of J.T. McCrae, such as his -Katzenjammer- or the works of Kurt Vonnegut with his -Welcome to the Monkeyhouse-. All are great, but Sedaris distills the humour and makes it razor sharp. There's no one who can touch him. Top of the mark, this one. While a lot of people rate his books; usually "Me Talk pretty One Day" is at the top, for me, "Dress" is number one.

author does good, film at eleven
Loved this book, though it was third in place for my Sedaris collection. "Me Talk" is first, followed by "Naked," then this one. On the same great humour and wit as the works of Burroughs or Jackson McCrae (think his --Katzenjammer--), DYFICAD is a must for fans of not only Sedaris, but humour as well.

He can buy and sell you!
"Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim" is a collection of typically hilarious essays from David Sedaris - one of the true modern masters of comic writing. Many of the stories chronicle his years growing up gay in North Carolina, with his wacky family featured prominently. Other stories are more contemporary, with glimpses of his current life in France with his boyfriend Hugh. For his fans, Sedaris and his family have become old friends: I relish every detail that provides insight into his writing much as I savor news about people I know.
In addition, I was pleased by some of his stories that go a bit deeper. Instead of relying on unusual circumstances that he has experienced, Sedaris creates some funny situations through introspection; he's clearly growing as a comic writer. Some of his fans may worry that he will run out of childhood stories to tell - this collection suggests that he'll continue to put out great writing long after that happens. Overall, this collection is top-notch; it's incredibly funny and has a great deal of heart.

Minor quibble: I was a bit disappointed that a few of the essays were familiar - many of them have been published elsewhere, such as Esquire. However, this complaint is minor compared to the pleasure I received from reading this book. A real winner sure to please his fans!