I’ve been a fan of David Sedaris’s writing for a very long time; Me Talk Pretty One Day was the first book of his that I read, and I quickly blew through his back catalogue at the time. Since then, I’ve bought and read every new book he has released, including his latest, The Best of Me. I’ve been in a bit of a reading rut this year, so when trying to decide what to read next, I was confident Sedaris’s latest release would break the spell.
Reader, it did not. In fact, it took me nearly two months to drag myself through this book – and for that, I resent it a little.
Usually, the appeal in Sedaris’s stories for me lies in his sardonic humor and the way he will judge the shit out of anyone, for any little thing. I am a nice person, but I am also a very petty and judgmental person, so the way he gleefully makes fun of others – and himself – makes me giggle like nothing else. Unfortunately the stories collected in this book were more of the sentimental variety, with a handful of fables thrown in, which for some reason I cannot stand. I rated it three stars, because there were a few standout stories included, and even the worst ones have a funny line here or there.
As disappointing as it is to be bored while reading a ‘best of’ collection of one of your favorite authors, I’m still a huge Sedaris fan, and cannot wait for his second set of diaries to be released later this year. To me, no one has mastered the art of turning an ordinary story into an outrageous joke quite like Sedaris.
