David Sedaris Books

"There's no right way to keep a diary, but if there's an entertaining way, David Sedaris seems to have mastered it. If it's navel-gazing you're after, you've come to the wrong place; ditto treacly self-examination. Rather, his observation turn outward: a fight between two men on a bus, a fight between two men on the street, pedestrians being whacked over the head or gathering to watch as a man considers leaping to his death. There's a dirty joke shared at a book signing, then a dirtier one told at a dinner party -- lots of jokes here. Plenty of laughs. These diaries remind you that you once really hated George W. Bush, and that not too long ago, Donald Trump was just a harmless laughingstock, at least on French TV. Time marches on, and Sedaris, at his desk or on planes, in hotel dining rooms and odd Japanese inns, records it. The entries here reflect an ever-changing background -- new administrations, new restrictions on speech and conduct. What you can say at the start of the book, you can't by the end. At its best, A Carnival of Snackery is a sort of sampler: the bitter and the sweet. Some entries are just what you wanted. Others you might want to spit discreetly into a napkin."--From publisher

A lavish gift edition of David Sedaris's best stories, spanning his spectacular bestselling career. Hand-picked by David himself, these are stories that will make you laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time, from "the funniest man alive" (Time Out New York).

A new roundup of personal essays from the No. 1 bestselling writer Time named America's favourite humourist

David Sedaris returns with a new collection of personal essays, reflecting on life before and during the pandemic. As "Happy-Go-Lucky" begins, he shares experiences like learning to shoot guns with his sister, visiting flea markets in Serbia, and making jokes with his elderly father. However, everything changes when the pandemic strikes, forcing him into lockdown and halting his beloved tours. To cope, he walks through a nearly deserted city, vacuums his apartment frequently, and ponders the lives of those struggling during quarantine. As the world adapts to a new normal, Sedaris finds himself transformed. After an awkward encounter while trying to help a stranger, he gains newfound confidence and reflects on being newly orphaned in his seventh decade. Venturing back into a changed America, he observes a landscape marked by weariness, empty storefronts, and graffiti that captures the complexities of contemporary life—messages like "Eat the Rich," "Trump 2024," and "Black Lives Matter" abound. In this collection, Sedaris masterfully conveys the unexpected humor and poignancy of recent upheavals, both personal and societal, while articulating the misanthropy and longing for connection that resonate with us all.

David Sedaris returns with his most deeply personal and darkly hilarious book. If you've ever laughed your way through David Sedaris's cheerfully misanthropic stories, you might think you know what you're getting with Calypso. You'd be wrong. When he buys a beach house on the Carolina coast, Sedaris envisions long, relaxing vacations spent playing board games and lounging in the sun with those he loves most. And life at the Sea Section, as he names the vacation home, is exactly as idyllic as he imagined, except for one tiny, vexing realization: it's impossible to take a vacation from yourself. With Calypso, Sedaris sets his formidable powers of observation toward middle age and mortality. Make no mistake: these stories are very, very funny--it's a book that can make you laugh 'til you snort, the way only family can. Sedaris's powers of observation have never been sharper, and his ability to shock readers into laughter unparalleled. But much of the comedy here is born out of that vertiginous moment when your own body betrays you and you realize that the story of your life is made up of more past than future. This is beach reading for people who detest beaches, required reading for those who loathe small talk and love a good tumor joke. Calypso is simultaneously Sedaris's darkest and warmest book yet--and it just might be his very best.

* A brilliant new collection of essays from the number 1 bestselling writer named by TIME magazine as America's Favorite Humorist

SantaLand Diaries 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 back seat of a police car. It should be read with your eyes, felt with your heart, and heard only when spoken to. It should, in short, behave much like a book. And oh, what a book it is! ¿Acidly camp, bitchily kitsch and slickly satirical packages of out-there humour . . . very funny¿ Sunday Times

"It's a pretty grim world when I can't even feel superior to a toddler." Welcome to the curious mind of David Sedaris, where dogs outrank children, guitars have breasts, and French toddlers unmask the inadequacies of the American male. Sedaris inhabits this world as a misanthrope chronicling all things petty and small. In Me Talk Pretty One Day Sedaris is as determined as ever to be nobody's hero--he never triumphs, he never conquers--and somehow, with each failure, he inadvertently becomes everybody's favorite underdog. The world's most eloquent malcontent, Sedaris has turned self-deprecation into a celebrated art form--one that is perhaps best experienced in audio. "Go Carolina," his account of "the first battle of my war against the letter s" is particularly poignant. Unable to disguise the lisp that has become his trademark, Sedaris highlights (to hilarious extent) the frustration of reading "childish s-laden texts recounting the adventures of seals or settlers named Sassy or Samuel." Including 23 of the book version's 28 stories, two live performances complete with involuntary laughter, and an uncannily accurate Billie Holiday impersonation, the audio is more than a companion to the text; it stands alone as a performance piece--only without the sock monkeys. (Running time: 5 hours, 4 cassettes) --Daphne Durham

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.

The writing here is funnier, (even) sharper . . . There isn't a dull word among these pages India Knight Sunday Times

Welcome to the hilarious, strange, elegiac, outrageous world of David Sedaris. In Naked, Sedaris turns the mania for memoir on its proverbial ear, mining the exceedingly rich terrain of his life, his family, and his unique worldview—a sensibility at once take-no-prisoners sharp and deeply charitable. A tart-tongued mother does dead-on imitations of her young son's nervous tics, to the great amusement of his teachers; a stint of Kerouackian wandering is undertaken (of course!) with a quadriplegic companion; a family gathers for a wedding in the face of imminent death. Through it all is Sedaris's unmistakable voice, without doubt one of the freshest in American writing.

A guy walks into a bar car and... From here the story could take many turns. When this guy is David Sedaris, the possibilities are endless, but the result is always the same: he will both delight you with twists of humor and intelligence and leave you deeply moved. Sedaris remembers his father's dinnertime attire (shirtsleeves and underpants), his first colonoscopy (remarkably pleasant), and the time he considered buying the skeleton of a murdered Pygmy. With Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls , David Sedaris shows once again why his work has been called "hilarious, elegant, and surprisingly moving" ( Washington Post ).

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 traveler. He eats a hamburger. He has his blood sugar tested. It all sounds so normal, doesn't it? In his newest collection of essays, 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 is another unforgettable collection from one of the wittiest and most original writers at work today.

"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 book.

The author has always had a special affinity for Christmas. His celebrated National Public Radio debut, The Santa Land Diaries, which first appeared in print in Barrel Fever was hailed the Seattle Times. The New York Times also wrote of this book. Now The Santa Land Diaries & five other hilarious Christmas stories are available in a wonderfully subversive holiday gift package. For anyone who has had enough of the forced good cheer, family madness, & commercial overkill of Christmas, Holidays on Ice will be the perfect antidote

*A collection of personal essays - surprising, disarming, heartbreakingly funny - from the No. 1 bestselling writer Time named America's Favorite Humorist. číst celé

David Sedaris explores the journey of a dog from the wilderness to life with humans, questioning what keeps him there despite the challenges. Through humorous four-line poems, he pays tribute to various everyday canine heroes, delving into the essence of the dog's soul like never before.

A collection of Christmas stories. The story Dinah, the Christmas Whore, describes the reaction of a family when a daughter brings home a prostitute, while SantaLand Diaries is on a department store elf

A collection of contemporary and classical short fiction works includes pieces by such writers as Alice Munro, Tobias Wolff, and Joyce Carol Oates.

David Sedaris's beloved holiday collection is new again with six more pieces, including a never before published story. Along with such favorites as the diaries of a Macy's elf and the annals of two very competitive families, are Sedaris's tales of tardy trick-or-treaters ("Us and Them"); the difficulties of explaining the Easter Bunny to the French ("Jesus Shaves"); what to do when you've been locked out in a snowstorm ("Let It Snow"); the puzzling Christmas traditions of other nations ("Six to Eight Black Men"); what Halloween at the medical examiner's looks like ("The Monster Mash"); and a barnyard secret Santa scheme gone awry ("Cow and Turkey").§No matter what your favorite holiday, you won't want to miss celebrating it with the author who has been called "one of the funniest writers alive" ( Economist ).

This collection of sharply observed animal-themed tales is a delight, told with David Sedaris's trademark blend of hilarity and goodnaturedness. Though the characters may not be human, the situations in these stories bear an uncanny resemblance to the insanity of our own everyday interactions. In 'The Toad, the Turtle, and the Duck', three strangers commiserate about animal bureaucracy while waiting in a complaint line. In 'Hello Kitty', a cynical feline struggles to sit through his prison-mandated AA meetings. In 'The Squirrel and the Chipmunk', a pair of star-crossed lovers is separated by prejudiced family members.

David Sedaris and Ian Falconer make a spectacular splash with this tale of a monster turned ugly—stuck with a human face!In this beautifully gross picture book, Anna Van Ogre’s lovely monster face turns into that of a sickeningly adorable, rosy-cheeked little girl—and it’s not switching back! Can she find a way to stop looking like an ugly human and regain her gorgeous monstrosity of a face? The dynamic duo of nationally acclaimed comedian David Sedaris and renowned children's book author Ian Falconer comes together to ponder the perpetually relevant is true beauty really on the inside?

The brilliantly quirky David Sedaris returns with a collection of animal fables

Als Speisekarten noch aus Papier sind und die Entscheidung, eine Maske zu tragen oder nicht, nur an Halloween relevant ist, beschäftigt sich David Sedaris größtenteils mit den normalen Dingen des Alltags - er besucht mit seiner Schwester einen Schießstand, streift über schlammige serbische Flohmärkte und kauft Gummiwürmer, um Ameisen zu füttern. Doch dann kommen Pandemie und Lockdown: Er wandert stundenlang durch ein leergefegtes New York City, in der Nase nur seinen eigenen Atem, und macht sich Gedanken darüber, wie Sexarbeiterinnen und Akupunkteure wohl die Quarantäne überstehen. Als sich die Welt langsam in einer neuen Realität wiederfindet und er wieder auf Tour geht, entdeckt Sedaris ein gespaltenes Amerika, dessen unterschiedliche Lager sich in Graffitis verewigen: Eat the Rich. Trump 2024. Black Lives Matter.

In seinen zum Kult gewordenen Aufzeichnungen erkundet David Sedaris seltsame Frisuren, passiv-aggressive Konversationen in Postämtern und verunglückte Pointen des Smalltalks. Keinen schmutzigen Witz unterschlagend untermauert Sedaris seine Qualitäten als brillanter Beobachter und sein einzigartiges Ohr für das Bizarre. Seine Tagebücher erinnern uns daran, dass wir einst George W. Bush gehasst haben und dass Donald Trump vor nicht allzu langer Zeit nur eine harmlose Witzfigur war. Die Zeit vergeht und Sedaris dokumentiert sie, an seinem Schreibtisch oder im Flugzeug, in Speisesälen von Hotels und schrägen japanischen Pensionen. Aus den kleinen Alltagsgeschichten wird ein Abbild des politischen Weltverlaufs, mal süß, mal bitter im Abgang, aber immer lustig.

Erleben Sie die besten Geschichten von David Sedaris, die zum Lachen einladen. Diese Sammlung vereint die Erzählungen aus „Naked“ und „Ich ein Tag sprechen hübsch“ in einem ungekürzten Band, übersetzt von Harry Rowohlt und Georg Deggerich. Die Kritiken sind durchweg positiv: Der Wiener Standard bezeichnete „Naked“ als „Buch des Jahres“, während Brigitte den zweiten Band als „ein großartiges Buch über die Liebe“ lobt. Die Short-Storys werden als „Schelmenroman“ und „literarische Geisterbahnfahrt“ beschrieben und bieten einen humorvollen Blick auf das Leben. Sedaris erzählt von skurrilen Verwandten, Golfspielern und anderen Wahnsinnigen, darunter seine Mutter Sharon, die die Tics ihres Sohnes in der Öffentlichkeit zur Schau stellt, und Junior, der Gartenzwerge küsst. Die Geschichten sind geprägt von „schreiender Komik und liebevoller Melancholie“ und behandeln Themen wie LSD-Orgien und chaotische Familienfeiern. Die amerikanische Kritik vergleicht Sedaris mit Mark Twain und empfiehlt, beim Lesen auf volle Münder zu verzichten. Diese Sammlung ist der perfekte Begleiter für alle, die beim Lesen herzlich lachen möchten – und das zu einem unschlagbaren Preis.

In Wer's findet, dem gehört's gewährt Sedaris der Welt zum ersten Mal Einblick in seine privaten Aufzeichnungen. Eine persönliche Erzählung davon, wie ein drogensüchtiger Schulabbrecher mit dem Talent, jeden Job zu verlieren, zu einem der lustigsten Menschen auf dem Planeten wurde. Seine Tagebücher illustrieren, dass Sedaris - mit seinem scharfen Blick für das Bizarre, das Schöne und das Unbequeme und mit seiner Großherzigkeit, die nicht einmal sein misanthropischer Sinn für Humor ganz verbergen kann - zu einem der besten Beobachter unserer Welt gehört.

David Sedaris gioca nella neve con le sorelle. Va invacanza con la famiglia. Pulisce il pavimento della sorella. Trova lavoro. Va al matrimonio del fratello. Dà indicazioni a un viaggiatore che si è perso. Si mangia un hamburger. Si fa misurare la glicemia. Eccetera eccetera. Roba assolutamente normale, no? Ma è proprio a partire da questa “roba assolutamente normale” che il genio comico di David Sedaris, l’autore di Ciclopi e Holidays on Ice, fa emergere in tutta la sua micidiale crudezza l’esilarante assurdità della vita quotidiana. Se è vero che tutte le famiglie felici si assomigliano, e che ogni famiglia infelice è infelice a suo modo, va anche detto che ogni famiglia ha il suo ricco campionario di scheletri nell’armadio, di nefandezze condivise, di bizzarrie più o meno edificanti, di bassezze perpetrate o subite. Ed è questo cuore oscuro della vita quotidiana che Sedaris disseziona nei suoi racconti in modo brillante quanto impietoso, dando corpo alla più struggente e spassosa delle commedie umane.

In sechzehn autobiographischen Geschichten präsentiert der humorvolle Star eine Mischung aus Größenwahn, Menschenliebe, multipler Schizophrenie und tragikomischer Alltagssatire.

Diario di un fumatore è una raccolta di storie (vere e inventate) che al centro della narrazione hanno come sempre figure e situazioni tanto bizzarre quanto sinistramente familiari, che descrivono in modo irresistibile la tremenda difficoltà della vita moderna. Malvagio, grottesco, illuminante, spassoso e unico, Sedaris si conferma come “Lo” scrittore umoristico per eccellenza, un maestro della satira e uno dei più acuti osservatori di quella fonte inesauribile di vicende tragicomiche che è la condizione umana.

Van je familie moet je het hebben bevat een zorgvuldig en kundig samengestelde en ingeleide selectie door Aaf Brandt Corstius van David Sedaris' mooiste, ontroerendste en vooral geestigste verhalen: ze gaan over de dood, over zijn knotsgekke familie, over nudistencampings, over roken, over de zes tot acht zwarte mannen die Sinterklaas assisteren, over dwangneuroses, lichamelijk verval, over shoppen met zijn zus Amy, en over nog meer dood.David Sedaris is een fenomeen in de Verenigde Staten: van zijn boeken zijn meer dan een miljoen exemplaren verkocht. Zijn verhalen verschijnen in The New Yorker, hij leest voor op National Public Radio, en is regelmatig te zien bij David Letterman. Ook in België is zijn faam groot: 'Is David Sedaris de grappigste schrijver ter wereld? Wij zijn er alvast van overtuigd,' schreef Het Nieuwsblad geheel terecht.

Oft kopiert – nie erreicht: Sedaris ist das Original, denn niemand kann die Schrecken des Jungseins und des Familienlebens so haarsträubend komisch und charmant schildern.