When David Sedaris releases a new book, I buy it – almost always the audio version. His latest work was released last week, and I finished it yesterday evening just as I pulled into my driveway after a three-hour drive. Did I take that drive to finish the book? Possibly.

My general impression of Sedaris’ work is that his earlier stuff (starting with SantaLand Diaries in 1999) is focused on family, work, and relationships. In recent books, especially Calypso, current events are discussed more frequently. A Carnival of Snackery is a mix, but the last few chapters focus more specifically on political and social events – not surprising, given the time frame.

Sedaris’ posts are nothing if not honest – especially his diary entries – and for much of the book, that honesty is hilarious. Conversations with Romanians, Poles, Italians, and Japanese in their native tongues, chats with readers at book signings, disputes with his partner Hugh – all honest, all funny.

At one point , his truth is my truth. David and I are of an age (he’s almost exactly five years older than I am), and his recounting of his father’s illness – well, I recognize it. At one point he shares that listening to the song “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” made him cry:

“It makes me ache for the Christmases we had in the seventies in eighties, all of us young and together . . . .”

Sedaris’ mother died many years ago, and his sister Tiffany committed suicide in 2013. Anyone who has lost loved ones might relate the same way, and this is my feeling every Christmas since my parents’ deaths in 2017 and 2019. This unvarnished truth gave me comfort – a little suprise gift, I guess. One doesn’t typically crack open a David Sedaris essay looking for solace.

Entries from 2020 were riveting. It was weirdly fascinating, and sobering, to revisit the mask debate, the hostility, illnesses, and deaths – all from diary entries that anchor the writer and the reader in that time, without the foreknowledge that a vaccine and a change in leadership are forthcoming. The deaths at the hands of police, the protests, the general violence – Sedaris’ recounting, though far from sensationalized, brought back all of the fear and anger of the summer of 2020.

In the past, David has recruited others, including his sister Amy, to share some limited narrating duties. In this book, he changed it up by sharing his narrator’s role almost 50/50 with actress Tracey Ullman, ostensibly for her skills with accents. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to which person narrates when, and when Tracey narrates as David (which, of course, she would), she does so in a British accent, in spite of the fact that, as we all know, Tracey can rock an American accent. To listen to “David” speaking in a British accent is offputting and dilutes the story’s humor. This is the reason for the honest four-star rating.
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It's David Sedaris and he is the best. I probably could give this 5 stars but due to the length of this diary(536pages) there were some dead spots. This to be expected in a diary. Because it covers 2003-2020 it deals with David as he enjoys his success. His previous book of his diaries was more serious and represented his less successful earlier life. This one deals with his many book tours and his famous signings in which he engages his readers and uses these interactions as source material. We were lucky to be able attend one of his readings and to engage with him
when he signed our books. If you have never read Sedaris you are in for a treat. He is very funny and as an introduction to him,, I would start with his first book and read them in order. What is good about humor is that you can read his book and then pick it up 5 years later and it is still very funny. ( )

Fabulous, of course. Definitely not the same as his usual books, but without doubt the same writer with the same point of view.

I think I liked the first diary collection a little more, it was so interesting hearing about his younger days. But this was good too, for the Sedaris lover.

I listened to the audiobook as I always do for his stuff. I’m sure if I read one of his books I’d just hear his voice anyway - but his real voice is more entertaining than a made up version in my head. In this book he had Tracy Ullman read about 10% of the stuff (diary entries that took place in UK or Australia). That was a little weird. I like her and she did a good job reading, but it was a bit jarring and I would have been happier if he had just done the whole thing. But it was ok. ( )

3.5 stars
Advance copy from NetGalley (but oddly, not approved before it was already published)

I went back and forth with my opinion on this one. On one hand, reading these journal entries feels like I’m getting an unfiltered look at DS’s thoughts, and if that’s what it really is, I admire his honesty and willingness to show his vulnerable and sometimes unpleasant sides. On the other hand, I don’t necessarily want to be privy to so many of his thoughts, and I’m starting to think I prefer the format of the majority of his books, which is a little less raw.
But I still sure like him, especially when he’s writing about his family and Hugh, and it was interesting to read such recent entries, with the way the past two years have gone. I also love that he tries to learn so many different languages when he’s traveling, and his stories about cultural and linguistic exchanges are also very funny. I wouldn’t have minded if he had related fewer of the jokes people told him at signings, or the messed up things some of them have said to him. ( )

Another great book by Sedaris. I would have given it a 5 but the parts Tracey Ullman narrated were confusing and not well done. ( )