I don't like to read reviews and descriptions of a book prior to reading it because so very often they give away too much and spoil the book for me. This book was given to me as a gift and I just assumed it was fiction. I kept waiting for some sort of story to evolve, a plot, a direction. Took me many a chapter to even realize this was non-fiction and basically a collection of anecdotes. Perhaps I would have enjoyed the book more if I had realized that at the onset.

Anyway, I thought it was a fairly weird grouping of stories. What a bizarre family! While mildly humorous I thought it was mostly weird and quirky (and sad) rather than funny.

I've loved every one of Sedaris' books, and just fininshed re-reading this one. I felt like some good laughs, and his books really deliver. Sometimes a "yikes" rather than a laugh, but always an impact. I have yet to find anyone than has the wit and style and ability to fascinate as well as produce a belly laugh like David Sedaris.

This book has been on my stack of "to read" books for ages, and I finally got around to it. He's quirky and sarcastic, but overall I found the essays depressing and disturbing. I didn't find him or his family all that interesting. When he moved toward the more outwardly comedic, he also became more crude. It's certainly not at all flattering to his family or others who find their way into his stories. I'm sorry I bought it - wish I'd just borrowed it from the library!

This book is hysterical! Probably one of his best works if not the best.If you like Sedaris at all then you must read this (even though it's not his latest). It's even funny a second time around, the semi biographical short stories don't get dated.

If you like the dry wit of David Sedaris you will love this book. Even if you don't know who he is, once you have read the first page you will probably love this book.

Seeing the world through the author's eyes for a while helps us to remember the little absurdities we experience every day and, somehow, cherish them for a moment rather than let them drive us stark, raving, looney.

Thank you Mr. Sedaris, for reminding us to treasure even the stranger moments that make up the life of a human being.

I NEVER have received the book...I got charged for it but can't get a response back from anyone!!!!!!

I had to read this book for a book club and it was very difficult to get through. The story was all over the place and it just didn't have a flow and continuity to it. I enjoy Sedaris' work and was shocked that I had such a hard with this book. Try it for yourself and let's discuss.

makes you fall in love with his unremarkable characters, who do nothing grand and simply just...live

I don't believe that Sedaris intended a hilarious read like Me Talk Pretty One Day. While reading this book, all I could think was that he was pouring his heart out about some very painful events in his life and about painful observations about humanity (the chapter about TV, for instance) but had to throw in some comedy for those who expect it from him. I read this book and laughed out loud a number of times, but I also cried a few times. This book was very well written and is funny but also painful at times.

A copy of Dress Your Family etc was given to me by a friend, with an enthusiastic recommendation, and served a my intro to humorist Sedaris. A collection of family and daily life-based stories, some are LOL funny, some are poignant, and a few are merely snide. Among my favorites are the hilarious Dutch Christmas essay and final vignette, a tale about a carload of European tourist who stop at the Sedaris house in his French "willage", and David sees the contents of his home through their eyes. The other members of the Sedaris family, with the exception of his witty mom, could not be more different from David, and not only because he is gay. His knack for nail-on-the-head characterizations is outstanding, but he does not allow the comic aspects to obscure the human ones. Witty and wise without being preachy.

I'm between 4 and 5 stars on this one... There are a couple of stories that don't "do it" for me, stories that I more/less regard as filler for the binding. And then there are the rest of the stories in here which are (all of them) blisteringly, timelessly, laugh-out-loud funny.

Maybe it helps that before this came out, we saw him read several selections from the collection. For that, I'll err on the side of five starts.

"Yes, I am talking about boat trailers. But also, I am dying."

This was the first book of David's which I read. It came as a recommendation from a friend. I found myself unable to put it down. Most people will easily relate to the stories of his childhood. I highly recommend this as a first book if you have never had the privilege of experiencing David Sedaris.

I'm a huge fan of David Sedaris. He's not only hysterical, but also inspirational. I was surprised when i spoke about his book to my friends and co workers, that many of them have already read his books. "Me talk pretty one day" is highly recommended as well.

A collection of essays about his life and family, David Sedaris once again entertains and tickles with his intelligent wit, sarcasm and his humorous but admirably perceptive outlook on everyday things the rest of us absorb, not file away for future reference. I truly wouldn't want to be around David though. I would feel like I'd unwittingly make it into one of his books.

This book, and I assume the rest of the author's work, is enjoyable primarily for it's informal style, and seemingly obvious although rare deducation that focus on heroism or tragedy isn't necessary for interesting memoir writing. Although it was more often entertaining than not the book still left me thinking that if more people wrote books like this Sedaris would probably not be a frontrunner in the genre. 3½ stars.

David Sedaris is probably one of my favorite writers. He manages to make situations that are just plain odd into wonderful stories that make me laugh every time I read any of them. There are times where certain events seem very unlikely but they only add to the hilarity and they aren't crazy enough to take away from the main idea. The poker game scene seems a bit embellished along with a few others although I absolutely loved reading every story. The little side notes he adds in about what's happening are wonderfully placed. The way he presents the material in the book always makes me want to read more. The only time I could make myself stop reading was after a story had ended. This story focuses a lot on his dysfunctional family and it is scary that he considers himself the normal one. I loved the variety of stories and situations he chooses to express such different people and events in his life. His use of subtext is flawless and makes the reader feel smart and like they're in on one of his secrets when they pick up on it. His story about the "popular crowd" and his dad was hysterical. No matter how awkward or risqué a topic he's talking about might be, he always finds a way to mention it politely or add a funny spin on it. The story about not wanting to share his Halloween candy is something everyone who ever went trick-or-treating can relate to and that's why it was so funny. It was during that scene in which I received many glares from Starbucks patrons as I laughed out loud to myself. This book was absolutely fantastic and I would highly recommend reading it, especially if you enjoyed any of his other books.

This is the first David Sedaris book I ever read, and after reading his other books, this is still my favorite. The best story is "six to eight black men". I can't even tell people about that story without laughing so hard that I have tears in my eyes. I was often reading this book while in a public place, and it caused the awkward situation of laughing out loud in public!

This book was a good read. At times I was bored with the writer, but over all it was a great book!

David Sedaris puts things in writing that aren't discussed in polite company but ring true to everyone. And sometimes he tells polite, but amusing tales too. What insight.

I enjoyed "Dress Your Family...". It delves more into his family and personal relationships than the others have and while funny - it is occasionally funny in a disturbing way. You can't help but wonder how much is true and how much is sort of maybe true but somewhat embellished. You find yourself hoping there is in fact embellishment because we're talking serious dysfunction otherwise - particularly when he discusses one of his sisters and his brother.

His writing is as usual quick and biting and witty. He is self-deprecating, but compared to a couple of his siblings, and maybe his father (as he describes them) - he is the *less messed up*, which is scary.

Although I didn't like it as much as "Me Talk Pretty One Day", I still recommend it.

This was the first title I have read from the author and after seeing all of the reviews, I somewhat expected this to be one of the those laugh out loud books. With a few exceptions, it wasn't. I was still entertained by the accounts of this very unique family and was able to relate to various pieces of the different stories. I dont regret picking up this book up but I I think I was expecting more.

This is the first book I've read by the author after many recommendations from people. The book was so-so...the only time I laughed out loud was in the "Girl Next Door" when he finds out the little girl's hick grandmother is nicknamed "Rascal." That was brilliant. The reason the stories lacked a lot of humor for me is because they were so banal and commonplace. This guy does not have a unique family--everyone I know has a family just as crazy, but in different ways. My family is twice as nutty as his, though nobody drinks. I just didn't feel like this guy had any experiences worth writing about. As another reviewer pointed out, the book read like some random dude's mildly amusing, though ultimately pointless, blog.

"...Still I adopted my mother's attitude, as it allowed me to pretend that not making friends was a conscious choice." So ends the first paragraph of David Sedaris' star achievement, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim.

Sedaris' writing is not linear, though while his books have no beginning, middle, or end; all of his essays revolve around a central point. Throughout Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, we see Sedaris really look at himself for the first time, realize that money is material, and find that even those who should love you most can turn on you for no appropriate reason. There is no specific setting in this book but Sedaris' life; the main characters are the people he encounters; and the obstacles that he faces are those anyone can relate to. Sedaris is able to connect with the average man because he is the average man, making this book that much more hilarious.

Being told to pick your favorite moment out of Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim is like being told that although you have a million dollars; you can only buy one thing, so you better make it count. There are just so many things to choose from- Sedaris and his siblings trying to get their youngest sister run over so that their mother will let them in out of the snow; a little misunderstanding between maid services; and even the birth of The Rooster. Despite all of the humor, I would have to choose a slightly more serious moment as the one that affected me most. When Sedaris left college he went back home to live with his parents. After a few months of bumming around and doing drugs, Sedaris' father called him into his office, and kicked him out. When his mother dropped him off at his new apartment, she began to cry. As Sedaris states, "I wouldn't know it until a few months later, but my father kicked me out of the house not because I was a bum, but because I was gay."

It was difficult to pull a theme from this book, and for a while I wasn't so sure that there was one. A few weeks after I finished the book, I began to think about how people always try to cover up anything ugly, like Sedaris' father kicking him out of the house; and there I had my theme. In the last essay included in this book, "Nuit of the Living Dead," Sedaris finds a mouse in his house late at night, and proceeds to drown it in a bucket. Partway through killing it he is interrupted by a man looking for directions. He is, of course, worried about what the man will think of him. However, when the man gets up to the house and looks into the bucket, he does not seem shocked or surprised. After he left with directions, Sedaris walked back out onto his porch and looked at the lifeless animal in the water. As he stared at the floating body he felt the darkness around him, and later wrote: "When the sun came up I would bury my dead and fill the empty bucket with hydrangeas, a bit of life and color, so perfect for the table. So pleasing to the eye." As usual, something ugly was being replaced with something beautiful, and once again the illusion that everything was okay was being put up for show.

This book will make anyone who reads it laugh, yet due to the hilarity of Me Talk Pretty One Day, I did not find this to be his best humorous achievement. I did however find it to be the one that affected me the most. I have always believed that a book that means something to the author is better than a book that is meant to entertain, which is why I believe that Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim is a must-read.

David Sedaris is a talented master of the short (autobiographical) story. This collection of pieces spans various eras of his life, but I found the pieces dealing with his childhood (which were the bulk of the pieces) the most enjoyable. These are the pieces where the Sedaris family comes full-fore.

One thing to note about Sedaris is that he has been accused of his family (and independently documented by a piece in "The New Republic") of some exaggeration of events that has occurred. So I wouldn't take the events here as gospel truth.

Still, even with a bit of fiction thrown in, these are wonderful essays and very enjoyable.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading these comedic essays based on the author's own life! They are not only witty, but poignant! Sedaris is a gifted and talented writer, who truly adds a refreshing view/perspective on daily life that might otherwise seem mundane.

A naked Barbie Doll adorns the cover, yet this autobiographical bestseller is about a boy growing up with a Greek background and a mismatched family, all while dealing with his homosexuality. The chapters express only a few memorable stories, yet have distinctively affected Sedaris' life. The stories include embarrassing moments where his father confronts the most popular guy's dad about a rock throwing incident, and also anecdotes of his redneck brother on a quest to buy all the baby paraphernalia he can buy, even before his wife goes to the doctor. The seasons of Sedaris' life are all accounted for, from childhood to drug addiction to life in France with his boyfriend. Overall, Sedaris is able to capture the reader with undeniable wit and true to life tales.
In the very first chapter of the book, Sedaris introduces the reader to his humor with a bit of childhood innocence. A family who "doesn't believe in T.V." trick-or-treats at the Sedaris Household on the day after Halloween. Sedaris' mother insists that the children produce pieces of their own "earned" candy. When much time elapses, his mother enters his room and begins to snatch Necco wafers, ""Not those," [he] pleaded, but rather than words, [his] mouth expelled chocolate, which fell onto the sleeve of her sweater. She shook her arm, and the mound of chocolate dropped like a horrible turd upon [his] bedspread". The crude humor and inclusion of "turd" appeals to many readers, mainly because it comes from a real child's thoughts. This scene is the first hint of madness in Sedaris' life. The story, including the humor, makes him contemplate the family who doesn't watch T.V. for months, and in turn learns that television is a way to distract himself from his own issues and problems with his family.
The humor continues throughout the book in the seventeenth chapter when his crazed sister finds a turkey in the trash, then cooks and eats it. Sedaris must learn to balance his high-class integrity with his connection to his sister who eats out of the trash. The reader learns about what type of man he has become through his sister's sarcastic comment, "Listen to you. If it didn't come from Balduccci's, if it wasn't raised on polenta and wild baby acorns, it has to be dangerous". The reader understands how his obsessive compulsive personality has affected his relationships with his family. He also grows more and more into the homosexual stereotype. The obvious comedy found in eating a turkey that has been thrown away for a reason is a signature of Sedaris. While his book is nonfiction, the bluntness of his writing makes for more humor in these types of situations.
In every chapter, Sedaris takes real life accounts and formulates them into a good read. Laughing out loud while reading each chapter is quite common and this bestseller is very promising. It can change a bad mood into a good one. Sedaris really will strike your funny bone.

David Sedaris opens up his family album to allow us to wander through the pages of someone else's history. I appreciate my own family more, now that I've read David Sedaris' musings. Wisdom comes in many disguises, in this case it came decked out in corduroy and denim. I ended up asking myself, "What is normal life? " after reading this book. Surely the aim of any writer is to inspire their readers to ask questions. Sadly, I haven't found the asnswer, but I continue to ask.

I didn't find this book too interesting. It felt like I was reading a random stranger's blog. If that's the type of thing you enjoy, then read *real* blogs - they're free. It's hard to connect with Sedaris, even after reading the short stories.

I'm a huge fan of Sedaris, and while I cannot cop to this being my favorite book of his("Me Talk Pretty One Day" takes that title), it comes in a close second place. In this, Sedaris recounts individual memories from his childhood to, as far as I can gather, a few months before writing. He has the uncanny talent for bringing the people in his life to a sympathetic yet realistic light. In this one, Sedaris concentrates on his siblings Lisa, Tiffany and Paul, touches briefly on his father, and goes into further detail about his mother-while also skimming on his partner, Hugh, who he tends to be the most mysterious about. Each and every one of them I ended up liking, and yet also could see where they had made mistakes.

Lisa, the animal-loving sister who breaks down at the death of a puppy but doesn't flinch at human tradgedy rings perhaps the most true-a woman who ended up on the unlikely "path" for her life, and yet ended up happy anyways. Tiffany is the most colorful of the Sedaris siblings, forever stealing turkeys from other people's garbage cans and stripping her floor down to tar, unarguably unique, yet she has something inately normal about her. Paul is the sole redneck of the family, and the only one to reproduce, whom Sedaris gives a hilarious voice to and simply comes alive. I can imagine what he is like, exactly. His father, despite his open homophobia and traditionalist views, still gains my sympathy, perhaps becuase I can tell D.S. really loves him. His mother is by far the most likeable character in the book-she has a sharp tounge and biting wit, seems outwardly cold and yet is always there for her children in the best way that she can. From what I can gather, his mom died prematurely and Sedaris remembers her fondly.

Overall, this is a hilarious book with moments of sentimentality, though not his best-if you want a true Sedaris Classic-go for "Me Talk Pretty One Day"-you won't be dissapointed.

This is the first book I've read by David Sedaris, and I am stupid for that. He is hilarious. This collection of short stories detail small moments in his life, ranging from childhood to present, all engaging and funny. Watch as his redneck brother applies bacon to his face (the grease holds it on there) in order to fake having huge sideburns shortly before his wedding. Read as his mother gives a dead-on but sometimes brutal running commentary on David's early 20's apartment life, and his dad drags 11 year old David to the most popular guy in school's house to demand payment on dental work done after the popular guy threw rocks at David and messed up his teeth. David always feels like he doesn't belong, doesn't feel comfortable, doesn't know what to say, but really he does all three. Witty, secretly insightful, and amazingly able to zing you with tiny, short sentences and segments that add up to a greater whole.

This is the first book I've read by David Sedaris, and I am stupid for that. He is hilarious. This collection of short stories detail small moments in his life, ranging from childhood to present, all engaging and funny. Watch as his redneck brother applies bacon to his face (the grease holds it on there) in order to fake having huge sideburns shortly before his wedding. Read as his mother gives a dead-on but sometimes brutal running commentary on David's early 20's apartment life, and his dad drags 11 year old David to the most popular guy in school's house to demand payment on dental work done after the popular guy threw rocks at David and messed up his teeth. David always feels like he doesn't belong, doesn't feel comfortable, doesn't know what to say, but really he does all three. Witty, secretly insightful, and amazingly able to zing you with tiny, short sentences and segments that add up to a greater whole.

Sedaris is at his best in this book. More semi-autobiographical tales with his trademark dry humor will leave you wanting more. A good book for someone who doesn't have time to read long stories, the chapters are relatively short. As I am in several classes where I have to read over 100 pages a day, this is kind of like a snack for me, something that's not British and from the 1800s to enjoy.

I'm not saying I blame him for doing it, because I don't, but I do feel bad for his poor family. In this book David Sedaris takes them through the ringer and the byproduct is a collection of hilarious, insightful, fascinating stories that I could recommend to anyone. What better source material than our families do any of us have, and he knows this better than anyone as nearly everyone of the stories has them in the starring role. Early on the tone is light as his childhood basks in something of a golden glow, he doesn't get along with his parents, per se, but of course they are right and he is wrong because they are the parent and he is the kid. However, as the book progresses and we dig deeper into his life I was jarred by the dark turns the tales began to take. His disagreements with his parents suddenly have a nasty edge to them. His mom might mean well, but she is judgmental and just a tool of his dad. His dad, on the other hand, is outright aggressive, spitting on everything about him; his homosexuality, his place of residence, his lifestyle choices in general. And while his dad's anti-gay rants make him look bad, Sedaris is also exposing himself to us through them. This is what his dad truly thinks and here is an example of his family not approving of him.

My two favorite stories were "Us and Them" and "Six to Eight Black Men." "Us and Them" is the opener and involves his crazy neighbors who, get this, don't have a TV. The wit in the story was making me envious, and the fact that I didn't see my life in the same humorous light was making me feel silly. "Six to Eight Black Men" is Sedaris getting back in touch with his roots as he tells a Christmas story with some cultural misunderstandings thrown in for good measure. A lot of the jokes seemed somewhat obvious but I didn't mind, I just went along for the ride. I also liked how he doesn't shy away from racial humor here. Racial jokes have survived the test of time because racial jokes are funny, and for Sedaris to turn his back on a funny joke would be doing a disservice to his readers.

As I read through I started to notice how much control he had over each story structure and the prose within. The tone he takes may be conversational, but the way the exposition is laid down perfectly and the foreshadowing boomerangs back around makes you realize that they have all been well thought out. I whipped through the entire book in just a few days which says two things to me: it is kind of fluffy and it is a ton of fun. To Sedaris the world doesn't really reach much further than his domestic situation at any given point so don't look for any real social or political humor. And to me that says that he at least content with his life, sure he lives in Paris for some reason, but good for him. The book is more of the same from Sedaris, but I think you will agree that that is a good thing. My only concern now is what happens when he inevitably runs out of new stories to tell? How many more occurrences from his childhood can there be left that he can take and construct comic gold out of? Oh well, for now enjoy this book which I highly recommend. ***3/4

Another winner by David Sedaris. I am so enjoying getting to know this writer. In this book, we learn a bit more about his family. His mother sounds like an absolutely fabulous woman, someone I probably would have gotten along with very well. (In the hilarious "Let it Snow" essay, she efficiently kicks the children out of her house during a snow day, desperate for some peace and quiet. And in "The Girl Next Door," she casually mocks her son's correction of her own Chinese menu interpretations. "Oh, he speaks Chinese now! Tell me, Charlie Chan, what's the word for six straight hours of vomiting and diarrhea?") The details of his siblings' lives are also recounted, and Sedaris guiltily acknowledges his own vulture-like tendencies to turn private family moments into public reading material. Funny, funny, funny.

I fell in love with this book just a couple of pages in, which is usually a good sign. I really identify with Sedaris' style of writing in general, so I found this an incredibly easy-read. There are several parts where you will snicker out loud, and then maybe later you'll go back and re-read those spots just to giggle again.

I keep this book out for a quick pick-me-up whenever the mood suits me.

Sedaris is a funny man!! The desription of him and his stories as laugh out loud funny is right on the mark. I would have appreciated a heads up on the graphic nature of some of his tellings, though. I bought two of hese books as gifts...I felt I needed to apologize to the one recipient who received the book before I read it myself...the other one was never given...I was too embarrassed by the the raw sexual nature of several of Sedaris' musings. So be ready to laugh out loud but keep ready, ready to hide your eyes...I would strongly suggest a read through BEFORE you decide to gift this one.

After reading an essay by David Sedaris online and liking it, I checked out this book from the library. I was eagerly anticipating an enjoyable read. Unfortunately, while going through a few of the essays I found them to be-as I see others have pointed out-very vulgar; so I stopped. If it weren't for his inclusion of such lurid sexual and profane content-content that detracts from the author's talent-it's possible I would enjoy his work.

This book reminds you that it is not only your family that is crazy. It's fun to laugh at others and then think of your own insane family functions.

Similar to "Me Talk Pretty One Day," "Dress Your Family..." delivers hilarious essays/stories by Sedaris. He has a special talent for storytelling that should tickle any reader or listener. The CD version allows the listener to hear Sedaris imitate family members and other characters making the stories even funnier than in print. I especially enjoyed the live performances and wish there were more. A couple times during the stories, Sedaris comes close to the point of being too explicit for my tastes, but he seems to draw back before ever crossing the line from my perspective. I think he is more self-revealing in these stories than in "Me Talk Pretty One Day" which adds to the connection with the reader/listener. I don't think Sedaris needs to change what he is doing at all...just keep doing it, because it works superbly and does not get old.

I read this book while driving from southern cali to central cali. It was so hilarious that I ended up reading chapters out loud to my husband. I love Sedaris' sense of humor about his family and was also able to put the pieces together about his family from other memoirs he's written. He is a gem.

I quote this book more than I quote seinfield. I have become addicted to it, to David's twisted use of the English language. I have read all of his other books, and I highly recommend his cds.

I had read the Barrel essays and loved them. I bought the audio CD for this book, and was nervous that someone speaking out loud was not going to be as entertaining as reading the essays myself. Turns out they are even funnier when Sedaris reads them!

Not every story is funny, and I agree some are a bit graphic and/or boring, but there are some hysterical, laugh out loud pieces in here, and I suspect you will find some stories you can play over and over again during future car trips. My favorite was the one about the family that had no idea how to behave in society because they did not watch televison.

Over the past few months, I read David Sedaris' books in order of their publications. Upon completing Dress Your Family In Corduroy and Denim, I feel that Sedaris has come to an impasse. While I certainly enjoyed a few of the essays here, I also feel rather numbed to the Sedaris style. Between Barrel Fever and Naked, there is a tremendous jump in maturity as Sedaris decides to write essays instead of stories. Me Talk Pretty One Day solidifies Sedaris' command of his comic voice. Dress Your Family In Corduroy and Denim feels like an extension of Me Talk Pretty One Day instead of a continuation of the writing process.

While I don't agree that Sedaris is a pretentious writer, I do think that he needs to advance the quality of his next book. Doing the same thing over and over will appeal to fans, but I may lose interest if I see another book where he is the star. I wonder what a third-person point of view Sedaris essay would sound like? Could it freshen his funny? Would fans even let him change?

I have now read all of Sedaris' books (just finished dress your family in Corduroy and Denim), and I have loved them all. They are great coming of age type of stories for any orientation and very funny. not just gay literature -- just funny literature. Not quite as funny as "Running with Scissors," but probably more poignant and identifiable to more of us. Running with Scissors is hilarious, but seems out of this world. Sedaris as 99% as funny, but much more identifiable to us and seems much more like a family member of ours gone awry in a funny, funny way. Plus, we all know that if our siblings were to rant about us, we'd be characters in a book like Sedaris' too! I highly recommend this. Quick read, and very, very good!

I have long delighted in David Sedaris's pieces in The New Yorker and on "This American Life." His humor is edgy, but--and granted this will seem contradictory--there is something familiar and down-to-earth to it. Perhaps this is because it's like the aphorism popularized by Homer Simpson: "It's funny 'cause it's true."

Sedaris's stories mostly revolve around his family, now and when growing up, as well as his partner, Hugh. His family's interrelationships often seem disfunctional, but like the Simpson family, the abuse they heap upon one another is just another way of saying "I love you." It's sometimes painful to watch, even if one is also amused by their interaction.

Wouldn't anyone be just a little uncomfortable reading how (in "Let It Snow") the Sedaris children, locked out of their house by their mother, decided to sacrifice their youngest sibling by having her lie down in the middle of the road--all for the ultimate purpose of making their mom feel bad? And yet, Sedaris makes this funny: "Poor Tiffany: She'd do just about anything in return for a little affection.... When we asked her to lie in the middle of the street, her only question was 'Where?'" (Don't worry, Tiffany lives--to become the stuff of another story.)

Aside from the humor, one reads Sedaris because he's just so literate, so good at story telling. He has a real gift with capturing a moment, particularly in the dialogue. His reminiscences of his mother are particularly touching and funny. I'm reminded of the line in the play/movie "Same Time Next Year" when Doris says that she has fallen in love with Helen, the wife of her lover, George: We hear these wonderful stories about her and fall in love with her.

Sedaris at times takes a labyrinthine route in tracing a course of events. "Nuit of the Living Dead" is a good example of this. You sort of wonder where the story's going (zombies? rats? burglars starving to death in chimneys? ungrateful children?), but you don't really mind because you're amused all along the way. Another example is the first story, "Us and Them," which originally appeared in The New Yorker. It's a hilarious story which, though focused at first on the strangeness of a family that doesn't watch TV but actually talks at the dinner table (Mon Dieu!), turns on one particular encounter with this family: having been away at camp, they show up at the Sedaris door trick-or-treating the day *after* Halloween. This is one of the laugh-out-loud moments of the book, when Sedaris, ordered by his mom to get some piece of candy from his previous night's stash, sequesters himself in his room to gorge himself on sweets, sitting on his bed with chocolate oozing from his mouth while he develops a headache (because he's allergic to chocolate), all to deny the silly twits from across the street his candy.

Sedaris's stories might not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you enjoy fresh writing, bizarre situations, and a good, warm laugh, Sedaris will not disappoint.

Another collection of essays from a brilliant wit who you know you love to read. It's like I've said in my reviews before. There's no need to review each book when I can just give the author a blanket endorsement and guarantee you'll love whatever you find by the guy. I love it when that happens. I may have annoyed Jan by laughing out loud too often. Sedaris is like that.

This installment of the Sedaris family saga is not nearly as good as "Naked" or "Me Talk Pretty One Day", which are both absolutely brilliant. The book has its moments, but some of the essays are actually dull. And the ones involving his disgusting (sorry, David) brother Paul are simply gross. Some of the graphic descriptions and language go a bit overboard.

Sedaris is hillarious. The book is a compilation of short storis of his family and life history. If anyone is an Amy Sedaris fan and wonders how she could be so eccentric than read anything by any of the Sedaris'.

"Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim," makes an entertaining leisure read. I reccomned it!

First of all, I don't see why Amazon would print a reveiw by someone like David Smith who admittingly only read 4 pages of the book. I'm a big David Sedaris fan from way back. My favorite book of his is "Barrell Fever." That book had me not only laughing out loud, but calling friends and reading them entire essays. His childhood recollections in this book are funny, particularly when they involve his sisters, but this one, for me, wasn't as entertaining as the other books. And this one felt too short, as well. Regardless, David Sedaris is a great writer and a great performer. I saw him live once and got the change to meet him afterwards and he lives up to his talent. As for Mr Smith who called him a young pretentious writer, David is at least in early 40's. Trust me there are much younger and more pretentious writers out there. And had he taken the time to read the book he would find out, that unlike many memiors, this book does not ask for any pity or sympathy even in his worst of times. He's simply showing you how he and his family have always been able to find the humor in even the darkest of moments. There's nothing pretentious abou that.

David Sedaris has always been a favorite of mine and like his other books, this one is just as funny and entertaining. Love it!