Book Project

Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris

I was very excited to see Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris on the reading list this semester due to my mom and brother's constant nagging to read his books. After explaining again and again how hilarious and easy-to-follow his stories were I couldn't resist any longer. For me, the name Sedaris was always attached with Amy (his sister) because of her unforgettable role in a TV series entitled Strangers with Candy. After dying with laughter during every episode I knew I HAD to give these books a chance.

The moment I picked up Me Talk Pretty One Day I immediately noticed how easily his writing flowed off the page. David begins the book with an essay entitled Go Carolina. This short story is set in his elementary school where he was placed in speech therapy for his severe lisp. He explains the embarrassment he faced while being the only student pulled out of his class EVERY Thursday at 2:30 PM. He also recalls how much he despised his speech therapist due to her "ridiculous" lessons and  never being satisfied with his improvement. However, by the end of the story he realizes his teacher wasn't so bad after-all. Poor Miss Samson wasn't a bad person, she was only trying to help

. 

 " I didn't know how to respond. Who was this college bowl fanatic with no mixer and a finance in Vietnam, why had she taken so long to reveal herself? Here I thought of her as a cold-blooded agent when she was really nothing but a slightly dopey, inexperienced speech teacher. She wasn't a bad person, Miss Samson, but her timing was off. She should have acted friendly at the beginning of the year instead of waiting until now."

After laughing so much during the first essay I knew I had made a wise choice. I was hooked. I couldn't put down the book during work, while watching TV or while eating dinner. Each essay was just as entertaining and amusing as the one before. The first half of the book is a collection of essays where David recalls his childhood and his dysfunctional family. He goes over the different dynamics of his relationships with his mother, father, brother and sisters. He recalls vacations, old family pets and his different attempts in becoming an artists in college. 

The second half of the book is geared towards David's adult life while deciding to move from New York City to France with his boyfriend. He explains how difficult it was to communicate and adapt to life in France without having a very strong grasp on the language. He further explains his new-found love for movie theaters and cassette tapes, his absolute hate for the French giving each noun a corresponding sex that affects both it's articles and adjectives and so on. 

In my opinion, David Sedaris did an awesome job in writing this collection of short stories about his life. He wrote in such a way that made it easy for anyone to read and understand. While making me laugh out loud on almost every page - his wit and humor throughout was so perfectly done. I also enjoyed how every short story had a true beginning and end which made it rewarding every 3-6 pages. I would definitely recommend this lighthearted, hilarious and easy-to-follow book to anyone who asks. I am looking forward to stealing my mom's copies of his other books she has stored away in her room. I just wish it wouldn't have taken me so long to listen to my mom and brother in the first place :-P