I liked Barrel Fever when it came out; I was lukewarm about Sedaris' subsequent books, but this one is really very funny and much more subtle. I might even say I like it the best.

I used to like David Sedaris. "Me talk Pretty on Day" was lovely. "Naked" and "Dress Your Children..." were funny. But "When you are Engulfed in Flames" was disgusting. I started the book, got completely grossed out and then looked at others reviews. I won't be finishing it. I'm done with his disgusting imagery - worms hanging out of people's legs. I don't need thoughts like hanging around in my head. If I tought it would get better I'd give it another try but so many reviews here say it's a waste of time. I also let mey son read it before I started it. He read a few chapters and gave it back saying he didn't care for it, but didn't say why. Now I know - ick!

I was calling friends to read them excerpts from this book, only I was laughing so hard usually they couldn't understand me! I immediately bought tickets to Sedaris's next reading!

This is the second David Sedaris book that my Book Club has read and reveiwed, the first one being "Me Talk Pretty One Day". Both were a huge hit. David is hilarious and his writting is seriously laugh out loud funny. He has a unique perspective on life that is entertaining and at times enlightening. This book and author I would recommend to anyone, you won't be dissapointed!

I have read all of David Sedaris' books and love them all. I really enjoyed Engulfed in Flames, but it didn't result in as many laugh out loud moments as have occurred from past books. While I always love the belly laughs, this book contains plenty of great material and is, at times, highly contemplative.

I am about the same age as Sedaris and have always enjoyed reading about his childhood, as I can relate. This makes reading all of his book especially enjoyable.

Sedaris does a wonderful job--as always--at telling stories. He is a master at descriptions and timing.

The author performs a gripping series of four live recordings of a new book of essays which discusses everything from neurotic songbirds and how to soundproof windows against them using old LP covers to observations of everyday life. WHEN YOU ARE ENGULFED IN FLAMES will appeal to a wide audience, from prior fans of Sedaris to those who appreciate social commentary and humor, and is a pick for any general-interest audio collection.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Apparently, it's just me. I found David Sedaris's first 3 books hilarious, but these last 2 left me longing for the funnier, wittier Mr. Sedaris. He has become like my old aunts and uncles who tell the same old story over and over again, until you want to kill them. Haven't I read these same stories before? It's the same old stuff with a new cover and title. Has Mr. Sedaris run out of material, sadly, yes.

I found this book to be quite entertaining. David has a way with words, and quite a different perspective on life. The stories he tells in the book are quite humorous (not laugh out loud funny), and offer the reader some life lessons, and maybe a little insight as to what life is all about.

I am not sure how one person has so many excruciatingly funny stories, but I laughed out loud reading this! On the plane. In bed. Be prepared to tell people what you are reading... this is too good to keep to yourself.

Hilarious at times but this book is definitely for adults only. It's got
quite a bit of sexual language.

I loved this book so much, I read it twice back to back. During the first reading, I took it with me to get my hair done. I was practically in tears and trying not to laugh out loud and looking like a total freak. If you like Sedaris, you'll like this book.

David Sedaris usually is really funny. However most of this book I found myself simply trying to turn the page rather than setting the book down. This under 400 page book took me forever to read because I had to consciously force myself to read a chapter a day - just to get through it. Hopefully his next round will be funnier. Perhaps nicotine was his key to entertaining. We might be in trouble folks.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames

From rural USA to Paris France, David Sedaris pulls off an interesting and humorous collection of stories. This is the first book from David that I have read and I will confess that I will be reading more from David in the near future. I enjoyed the way David Sedaris ties his ecclectic collection of stories together.

David's usual personal essay humor is alive and well in this book which is extremely enjoyable to read.

It's light and humorous. Turn off the TV and enjoy this great book!

David Sedaris is simply a great humorist . This book is a must read for those with no exposure to his New Yorker essays.Most all of the essays in this book have been published in Esquire or the New Yorker magazines. They will make you laugh out loud and cry with family angst ,often simultaneously...ch

Sedaris' latest, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, is funny, tender, honest, sobering, introspective, heartwarming, lovely, entertaining, and absolutely hysterical. Either you'll love him or you just won't get him, in which case you're probably better off with that copy of the Physician's Desk Reference you found in the dumpster behind your chiropractor's office.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was witty and entertaining and also infused with some interesting and important life lessons. This was my first Sedaris book and I'm excited to read the rest. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for something interesting and funny to read.

His human experiences about everyday life are hilarious. He's the type of author I would love to have as a friend since he takes the most mundane and ordinary things in life and turns them into hilarous adventures!

I am a huge fan of David Sedaris and his essays on his life leave me laughing. The section on smoking was not only funny, but very truthful. I could taste the menthol while reading. Very descriptive-very hilarious!

Sedaris' book title caught my eye, and I ordered it on a whim, only later realizing that i had caught a bit of his interview about the book on Jon Stewart (I was mostlikely half asleep). It was literally laugh-out-loud funny in a realistic way, not at all forced, and I loved his phraseology. I'm recommending it to everyone i know with the same sort of warped sense of humor I have; those who can relate to the absurdity in every day occurrences.

This book was in typical Sedaris fashion - shocking statements in a deadpan manner. I thought this book, however, had stories which made me cringe more than his other works (the guinea worm to name one). Still a great read. I was trying to make it last as long as I could!

Read about half the book. I kept waiting for something funny, but it never came. Wow, how long can someone babble on about his parents and art!

As I've only read one other of David Sedaris's books, Me Talk Pretty, I found this one just as entertaining if not more so. The man has a style of writing that is vivid and infinitely amusing. I await the next addition to this author's body of work.

David Sedaris is probably one of the most iconic writers of this generation.
He continues to amuse the masses with this book. With a strong similarity to Me Talk Pretty One Day Sedaris tells a few stories of his childhood but focuses on his adult life.

A must read for the "laugh out loud" crowd, Sedaris continues to be an amazing humorist and author.

If you like David Sedaris you will love this! It is laugh-out-loud funny. If you grew up in the 60's/70's with several siblings you will feel like you could have been a member of his family. His writing should be made into movies with, of course, his sister Amy playing his mother! Imagine casting that movie!

Hillarious, Wonderful, made me cry with laughter. I own all of David's books and this one is a great collection essays. I read this book out louud to all of my co-workers and we all laughed through out the entire book. If you want to laugh David's books are the best.

A bit dark but always thoughtful and funny inspite of the pain he goes through.

I really enjoy David Sedaris and, in particular, hearing him read his own work. This one is no exception. However, note that the packaging on this is extremely poor. It is a bunch of loose cardboard sleeves that the CDs easily slip in and out of, often by mistake.

Perhaps it isn't a surprise then, that one of the CDs seemed to have come prescratched. Of course it wasn't until after I'd listened to several that I realized this, so I didn't feel that I could return it. Maybe it happened as they were slipping and sliding in their sleeves. In any case, I recommend that you check all the disks as soon as you open the package. I wish I had, maybe then I wouldn't have a skipping disk.

I'll confess that short story and essay collections take me forever to read, they're just too easy to put down. Also, my affections for Sedaris run hot and cool; he's funny, there's no getting around it. However, I find that I tend to tire of his "little" stories when taken in large doses and prefer listening to Sedaris read his own work. His storytelling gifts are prodigious, as well as idiosyncratic; no one can read Sedaris better than Sedaris.

So, what's my opinion of this new collection? Mixed; there is certainly a redundancy of themes and characters. However, if you're a fan (and I am), you'll find this exactly as you'd expect. I skipped around and back and forth. My favorite pieces were the masterful "This Old House," "That's Amore" (you'll never forget Helen), "Old Faithful" and the final, novella length, "The Smoking Section." On the whole the collection is too long and not as strong as the sum of its parts. However, what works is vintage, making it well worth reading.

this is my first david sedaris book, so i wasn't sure what to expect. i was pleasantly surprised, i would recomend this book to all new sedaris readers

David Sedaris' latest collection is well worth reading, or even better, listening to. I listened to When You are Engulfed in Flames as an audio-book, read by the author. Sedaris' deadpan delivery is priceless. Four of the stories in this collection are recorded live. These stories are among the best in the collection, but they are enhanced by a live audience (those pregnant pauses, the anticipation, and the delirious laughter that follows each punchline).

Sedaris' stories (or essays, as they are often referred to) are amusing, presumably real-life, anecdotes about the mundane. These are like the stories told by the funniest guy at a dinner party.

As with any collection of stories (or essays), some are better than others. When You are Engulfed in Flames actually gets off to a weak start, leading off with the least engaging story in the bunch (It's Catching). The second story (Keeping Up) is amusing enough, but I was starting to think about listening to something else at this point. The next few stories were quite a bit funnier (I particularly liked Road Trips and What I Learned). By this point I was hooked. The audio version really hits its stride with the live readings of In the Waiting Room, Solutions to Saturdays Puzzle, Memento Mori, and Town and Country. The remainder of the collection doesn't maintain the same quality but all are entertaining enough (Of Mice and Men is the highlight of the `back end'). The final story, Smoking Section, is by far the longest story in the collection (25% of the CD space) and unfortunately, it's an uneven effort. Smoking Section feels like raw material that hasn't been properly culled. There is enough material in the story to create 3 or 4 short essays (I especially enjoyed David's foray into the world of competitive swimming). As it is, it lacks focus and rambles on.

In Canada we have a much beloved story-teller named Stuart McLean who is virtually unknown outside the Great White North (we also watch a uniquely Canadian television show called Corner Gas and drink coffee at a place called Tim Horton's). David Sedaris is similar to McLean in that he tells amusing anecdotes' to the delight of many; however there is a distinct difference. McLean is strictly G rated entertainment; sentimental and charming. Sedaris, while not R rated, is delivering PG material. Readers and listeners should be prepared for coarse language, sexual content, and references to recreational drug use. Some may find Sedaris' humour to be a little caustic. (Although many of us like caustic humour)

All in all, this is a highly entertaining collection of stories. If you don't feel inclined to read them all, I suggest you consider picking up When You are Engulfed in Flames and reading Memento Mori, Solutions to Saturdays Puzzle, Town and Country, In the Waiting Room, What I Learned, Of Mice and Men, and Road Trips. If you have access to the audio version, I highly recommend it. These are stories that were meant to be read out loud.

Awesome book, very funny. Laugh out loud funny, the whole way through. Going to order some other Sedaris books now!

I love to read over all the other reviews to see what other people are saying before I write my own review. This can take a while because I sometimes get sidetracked and start clicking on the reviewers pages, to see what other books they liked if I agreed with what they said. In this case, I was looking up all the reviewers pages who DIDN'T like this book because I'm like, if they didn't like this book, what the heck do they like? What would rate 5 stars in their opinions? (I wasn't impressed with the answer by the way) Anyway, I sometimes get the feeling that peoples expectations are just way too high. I know that different people have different types of humor and you can't please everyone. But to me, David Sedaris just covers so much ground that the rest of us have to tread too. I mean, even if you can't laugh at it surely you can relate? I have read all his books and he just makes me laugh so hard. To be perfectly honest here, I was originally going to say that this was not his best book and recommend Me Talk Pretty One Day or (why can't I think of the name of the one before that, which was my favorite?). But these other reviewers got me thinking. How much should a person really expect from a book? Should it hold the secrets to the universe? Should it have you rolling on the floor? Should it change your life? How much can one book do, really? Even the bible, for all its greatness, has some pretty dull moments. When I am reading a book, or watching a movie even, as long as I am engaged and entertained for that period of time I am pretty happy. If I'm bored or can't sit through it thats a different story, and that happens. But in a book like this if it keeps you reading while making you think a little, smile a lot, and laugh out loud a few times, what more do you want? It does this and its definitely worth the five stars.

David's reading is hysterical! He takes every day events, that we can all relate to, and makes you laugh! I've have his other book, but I want to order it on audio. Makes my drive to and from work fly by! I'd love to see him in person.

I would have to say I think this is my favorite David Sedaris book yet. There were times I laughed out loud while reading - which can be embarrassing if you're not home alone. You would think this man would run out of material but he just keeps writing!

My wife brought this book from work and I never heard of the author before. I was immediately taken by the cover. It made me laugh so I decided to read the book. WOW! It led me to the bookstores and to buy ALL of the available titles from this funny author.

I'm shocked that half of the reviewers here gave anything less than five stars. This is by far the funniest book I have read this year. He has a way of describing things in sick details but even that bursts me to laughter every time. Whether he is describing his goofy family or France, this man knows how to tickle each of the funny senses in all of us.

David Sedaris always makes me laugh, stop and think about how ridiculous my own life is. I keep his books around so I can pick them up from time to time and reread the best pieces.

Thanks for the CD audio book of Engulfed in Flames. Perfect condition, average shipment, Hope to do business again.

David Sedaris always makes me laugh, stop and think about how ridiculous my own life is. I keep his books around so I can pick them up from time to time and reread the best pieces.

We have loved listening to the discs, but the second package of sleeves is empty. We didn't notice it until this morning when we looked for disc 5. You can't imagine our dissappointment. This set has made us chuckle constantly while listening and throughout the day when something reminds us of the stories.

PLEASE send the second set of discs.

Thank you-
Barbara

I always buy the audiobook versions of David Sedaris' books because he reads them himself, and listening to him read, with his dry wit and elfin voice, sometimes innocent and sometimes sly, is half the fun. When You Are Engulfed in Flames is in turn amusing, laugh-out-loud funny, and, occasionally, somber and serious. The title is a riff on his stay in Japan, an example of the broken English he constantly ran across. Sedaris is no snob making fun of the Japanese, however, for he tells us of his hopeless attempts to learn Japanese, being the worst student in the class, and being able to learn only the very simplest phrases. While most of the book is humorous, some of it is moving, and the tale of a trip to visit the memorial to victims of the atomic bomb blast is harrowing. A theme running through the book is Sedaris' attempt to quit smoking, and he relates this experience as only he can. This might not be the best book for first-time Sedaris readers/listeners, but established fans will enjoy it.

We have loved listening to the discs, but the second package of sleeves is empty. We didn't notice it until this morning when we looked for disc 5. You can't imagine our dissappointment. This set has made us chuckle constantly while listening and throughout the day when something reminds us of the stories.

PLEASE send the second set of discs.

Thank you-
Barbara

I always buy the audiobook versions of David Sedaris' books because he reads them himself, and listening to him read, with his dry wit and elfin voice, sometimes innocent and sometimes sly, is half the fun. When You Are Engulfed in Flames is in turn amusing, laugh-out-loud funny, and, occasionally, somber and serious. The title is a riff on his stay in Japan, an example of the broken English he constantly ran across. Sedaris is no snob making fun of the Japanese, however, for he tells us of his hopeless attempts to learn Japanese, being the worst student in the class, and being able to learn only the very simplest phrases. While most of the book is humorous, some of it is moving, and the tale of a trip to visit the memorial to victims of the atomic bomb blast is harrowing. A theme running through the book is Sedaris' attempt to quit smoking, and he relates this experience as only he can. This might not be the best book for first-time Sedaris readers/listeners, but established fans will enjoy it.

My mind must work differently than some of the other reviewers! I just didn't find much humor in this book and by midway through I was considering not even finishing it...which is a no-no for me. I was getting tired of his self-indulgence.

I started reading this book at work and actually laughed out loud. I kept passing it around to read certain parts. I love David Sedaris!

One of the things I love most about David Sedaris's work is that one essay can send me running to the bathroom because I'm laughing so hard and the next can move me to tears. Not every essay has had much meaning for me but the majority are far better written than most of what passes for "literature" and best sellers these days. No one else has captured family moments, both poignant and hysterically funny, as well as Mr. Sedaris and I can't wait to see and hear him read his work aloud the next time he is in Ohio.

It was a joy to read. An author like Sedaris doesn't come along very often. This was the first of Sedaris' books I've read. It had me belly laughing! I plan on reading his other book, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. It was #1 on the NYT bestseller list.
I bought When You Are Engulfed in Flames specifically to see how another person went about quitting smoking and that's the essay I read first. He gives me the inspiration, along with many laughs, to quit smoking
myself. I only wish we could all go to Japan to do
it. I think Mr. Sedaris has another bestseller on his hands.

Once again, David Sedaris has written a hilarious account about his neurotic family and friends. I especially loved the story about the Stadium Pal. If you're looking for some huge laughs, you won't go wrong with this book.

Fans of David Sedaris will recognize, among certain other similarities to Socrates, Sedaris' disregard for "the unexamined life." In fact, it is Sedaris' unwavering introspection which sometimes fuels his critics' disdain--as if the act of writing directly from experience is somehow inferior to that of adopting the bogus omniscient voice so popular among hack columnists and Amazon.com reviewers such as this one.

In reading Sedaris' work, expressing as it does the mechanics of a certain mode of existence, I've felt many moments of personal recognition and even identification--experiences that almost convince me that I actually know Sedaris, even with the potential of confusing me into believing that *he* knows *me*, which could result in either scary or embarrassing results were I to attend a book signing after consuming two or three martinis.

Upon reading "Town and Country," however, I experienced not mere identification but genuine illumination. Sedaris brings the reader to find commonality not with his own experience, nor even with the pathos of some family member or stranger, but with humankind itself.

In *When You Are Engulfed in Flames*, Sedaris crosses the line from straight experiential reportage into ... well, wisdom. He does not preach. However, a life of introspection does seem, finally, to yield more profound results than this reader ever imagined.

Not only is it well worth reading, but it reveals a life well worth living.

Almost every book I've read by David Sedaris has elicited body-shaking and rather loud laughter. His latest, "When You Are Engulfed in Flames," is no exception. Those familiar with Sedaris' literary voice won't skip a beat; it's almost as if the time between this and his last book was a break in a conversation.

David Sedaris is a talented comedy writer. Oftentimes the back cover of his books has compared him to Mark Twain and Nathaniel West in terms of satirical aptitude. "When You Are Engulfed in Flames" does well to promote this idea.