How different cultures view intellectuals and their place in society always fascinates me. In France, prime time TV; if such a thing still exists in the streaming age; features high-brow, thoughtful debate. It sounds great to some, but then every speech needs to start with “As Moliere once said…” so it’s not all win-win. The Anglophone world seems to me to view intellectualism, and by that I mean careful, considered thought and subsequent arguments, with a mixture of “Gosh, isn’t that person witty” (Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain) and “Argh, kill it. It uses long words” (Oscar Wilde again sadly). This collection of essays is more in the former category than the latter. One piece of advice, read this one as an audio book. Each essay is just about long enough to lull you to sleep, but not quite thoughtful enough to keep your mind whirring.
The range of essays covers most of Sedaris’s works, his world view (and related neuroses) shaping a lot of the humor. His family and upbringing come across in a few of the essays (long-suffering is a word which springs to mind. Them to him rather than the other way round). The vagaries of the UK immigration system come under his comedic eye, along with his life in France. It would all be a little much, if he hadn’t balance it with a healthy dose of self-deprecation, although I appreciate mocking yourself is a defining trait of being British so perhaps our national need to improve our self-esteem rubbed off on him.
To me, he manages to occupy just enough of that rare middle-ground between Wildean wit and the more lofty intellectualism of the French philosopher King without becoming too overbearing. As an audiobook, it’s a welcome break from the shouting matches & soundbites that modern debate seems to have become, and in mid-winter, that’s cosy enough for me. Just enough Paris intellectual, English dry wit, tempered with an all-too-human touch.
