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David Sedaris
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Me Talk Pretty One Day Paperback – January 1, 2002

by David Sedaris (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars 8,844
See all formats and editions
Previous page
  1. Lambda Literary AwardWinner, 2001
Next page
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Anyone that has read NAKED and BARREL FEVER, or heard David Sedaris speaking live or on the radio will tell you that a new collection from him is cause for jubilation. His recent move to Paris from New York inspired these hilarious new pieces, including 'Me Talk Pretty One Day', about his attempts to learn French from a sadistic teacher who declares that 'every day spent with you is like having a caesarean section'. His family is another inspiration. 'You Can't Kill the Rooster' is a portrait of his brother, who talks incessant hip-hop slang to his bewildered father. And no one hones a finer fury in response to such modern annoyances as restaurant meals presented in ludicrous towers of food and cashiers with six-inch fingernails.
Previous page
  1. Part of series
    Me Talk Pretty One Day
  2. Print length
    288 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Orbit & Abacus
  5. Publication date
    January 1, 2002
  6. Dimensions
    4.96 x 1.02 x 7.72 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0349113912
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0349113913
  9. See all details
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  1. I know it sounds calculating, but if you’re not cute, you might as well be clever.
    Highlighted by 892 Kindle readers
  2. The guilt applies only to those things that are being given away for free.
    Highlighted by 813 Kindle readers
  3. The word therapy suggested a profound failure on my part. Mental patients had therapy. Normal people did not.
    Highlighted by 530 Kindle readers
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Orbit & Abacus; New Ed edition (January 1, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0349113912
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0349113913
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.96 x 1.02 x 7.72 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 8,844

About the author

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David Sedaris

David Sedaris

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David Sedaris lives in Paris. Raised in North Carolina, he has worked as a housecleaner and most famously, as a part-time elf for Macy's. Several of his plays have been produced, and he is a regular contributor to ESQUIRE and Public Radio International's 'This American Life'.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
8,844 global ratings
Okay, is this abridged or not?
3 Stars
Okay, is this abridged or not?
The "book cover" (audiobook) says unabridged and read by author, but it says abridged audiobooks in the description under "narrated by David Sedaris". Soooooo, what's up? Am I missing important content or is this just a mistake? I'm not even sure if I should start it.
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Top reviews from the United States

Lydia Dustin
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2024
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The funniest book ever. If you haven’t read this book, order it now! You’ll laugh until you cry. He’s a genius.
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Mark D. Walker
4.0 out of 5 stars Author has become a humorist icon and his book is a fun read!
Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2019
Verified Purchase
I’d heard enough about the author’s wit and humor to finally purchase one of his books. I didn’t realize it was a compilation of his short stories which was initially confusing but I found a number of them hilarious. Although he’s no Mark Twain, I found his insights and cultural euphemisms and political correctness helped lighten up my day.
I can’t imagine him trying to convince family members to share some of the more outrageous stories about them. He’s teamed up with his sister Amy on several projects. She was brilliant when in one of his stories, she imitated a family friend and propositioned their father—making Sedaris one of the kings of parental grief giving.
On the whole, the author’s childhood memories were quite entertaining although I bought the book for his cross cultural witticism and stories of how language—or a lack of understanding it can have dire and very humorous consequences.
His insights into the French was entertaining and insightful although not as well developed as Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t be Wrong: Why We Love France but Not the French by Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Bartow. But I enjoyed his quips about French language:

Nothing in France is free from sexual assignment. I was leafing through the dictionary, trying to complete a home-work assignment, when I noticed the French had prescribed genders for the various land masses and natural wonders we Americans had always thought of as sexless, Niagara Falls is feminine and, against all reason, the Grand Canyon is masculine….I wonder whose job it was to assign these sexes in the first place….

The author has become incredibly popular with seven million copies of his books in print after being translated into 25 languages. He’s been on several late night comedy shows lately and he does stand-up comedy. He’s the author of an anthology of stories, “Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules: An Anthology of Outstanding Stories” and his essays appear regularly in Esquire and the New Yorker. He’s been at it for a while—he became the third recipient of the Thurber Prize for American humor in 2001. Sadaris and his sister Amy, have collaborated under the name “The Talent Family” and have written several plays which have been produced at Lincoln Center. He’s also been nominated for two Grammys for Best Spoken Word Album ("Dress Your Family in Corduroy & Denim") and Best Comedy Album ("David Sedaris: Live at Carnegie Hall").
The author is a regular contributor to The New Yorker and BBC Radio4 and he lives in England. He’s become a humorist icon in our country and this book was well worth the read.
21 people found this helpful
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Macaela
5.0 out of 5 stars witty and silly
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2024
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Loved this read, picked it for a girls trip to NYC. Read most of it between subway stops. Will read these short stories and essays to anyone willing to listen.
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Brian
3.0 out of 5 stars Average Essay Anecdote
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2023
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The first half of the book contain personal stories of David from his time in the US ever since he was a child. Some of the stories were compelling and interesting while others seemed to fall flat and I questioned what was the point of these stories. Even when trying to find the humor that everyone claims that is in this book, I have had laughed seriously for only one part in this book. Maybe it's because I am out of touch since this book was written in 2001 and I am reading this in early 2023, but I did not find any of his humor to be as compelling as I thought.

The second half of the book is where the book definitely seems to shine, since this is supposed to be about his time France and his struggles with the French language. I loved all of those essays with the exception of two.

I feel like my biggest issue with this book is that even though David is supposed to be the main center of attention with his personal narratives, I tend to feel no sympathy for the guy and he seems rather arrogant to me in his story telling. Maybe that is his personal way of telling funny jokes, but he does seem to be quite self-centered and arrogant in the way these stories are written. I tend to feel more for all of the other members that are involved such as his family members and others. I think I say this mainly because the first half of the book didn't hit hard in terms of comedy or seeing David as a funny man. Most of the stories that were wrapped around him in the first half seemed rather dull and dumb to me. I get some of the jokes that he tries to make, but a lot of the stories seem more bizarre to me. Probably it's better to hear those stories in an audio book, but even then I don't think I found him as interesting as his family members like his father and the one called "The Rooster"

David does shine better in the second half of the book and his stories are a lot more interesting. Some of his ways of telling his story in a comedic fashion didn't seem as childish to me, but rather clever and witty compared to the first half. This is with the expectation of the two stories.

Overall I had mixed feelings of this book as the whole, but the stories I did enjoy were definitely some of the most interesting stories I read in non-fiction literature. I would only go back again to read a few essays, but not all of them. I would only read 5 out of 12 stories from the first half, while almost all of them in the second. If you were gonna buy this book, I suggest only reading the second half rather than the first, but as I stubborn reader I am, I need to read everything.
8 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Vincent Van Crow
5.0 out of 5 stars Favourite book
Reviewed in Canada on January 1, 2022
Verified Purchase
One of my favourite books. I’ve bought several copies because I always end up loaning it out. So funny. I keep a copy in my guest room at all times and often my guest will take the book with them when they leave. Love David Sedaris. ❤️
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abhishek kr
5.0 out of 5 stars Really fun read.
Reviewed in India on September 5, 2023
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I never laughed so much in the foreword itself.
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JBM
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 28, 2022
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Sedalia is a wonderful writer whose observations are so astute and well written. His experiences filtered through his thoughtfulness and honesty make his books so captivating. Something to really look forward to reading whenever I have a spare moment.
One person found this helpful
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P
5.0 out of 5 stars Very funny
Reviewed in Spain on December 19, 2021
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Great book
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B
5.0 out of 5 stars Ótima!
Reviewed in Brazil on August 9, 2020
Verified Purchase
A entrega do Sebo Mosaico foi rápida e o vendedor atencioso. O livro é incrível, uma leitura muito divertida e que com certeza vale a pena.
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