Me Talk Pretty One Day

Read September 2009.
Photo courtesy Wikipedia. 

The Scoop: The fourth essay collection of humorist David Sedaris (US). Published by Little, Brown and Company in 2000. New York Times bestseller for which Sedaris was awarded the 2001 Thurber Prize for American Humor, and became Time magazine's "Humorist of the Year".

The Ingredients: Essays based on Sedaris' own experiences, split into two parts - life before moving to France, and after. He touches upon such topics as his childhood speech therapy classes, family and pets, instrument lessons, and much more; the title story revolves around his attempts at learning French.

Serves: Mainly adult audience; some mature topics and strong language.

[One] Go Carolina: "Anyone who watches even the slightest amount of TV is familiar with the scene: An agent knocks on the door of some seemingly ordinary home or office." [4/5]

Result: I can't add much to its already rave reviews. I distinctly remember hearing about this book in high school and had been trying to read it since then, but it was always checked out, which comes to no surprise to me now. It was entertaining the whole way through; I had trouble putting it down, even though I really needed to go to sleep; and I finished it so satisfied and already wanting to reread it. David Sedaris' colors his stories with fantastically-expressed self-deprecating humor and sharp wit, making them memorable. And even though our lives are obviously so different, I could still find myself to relating to much of it, by the way he expressed his feelings and his spot-on observations. It is an example of both humor and writing at its best. [5/5 High reread value; very funny and entertaining; quick, easy, relaxing read.]