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Naked Reviews

Customer Rating:
Summary: Funny but "raw"
Comment: I love listening to David Sedaris on "This American Life" and think he's very funny, smart and clever. This is the first book of his I've read, and I was not disappointed. Most of the stories are side-splittingly funny, but there are a few that are almost too emotional or raw for my taste. Not too crude or unpleasant, just too personal, I think. I don't think I've ever read a book that was more aptly titled. Some of the stories (and all of them are great and well-written) just made me feel like he was baring himself (emotionally or psychologically) in a way I had not anticipated, and it was just a bit more than I bargained for. It won't stop me from reading some of his other books, though.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Naked
Comment: Read this book as soon as I received it. Love this writers witt in his writings....very good book

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Add This to the List of "Things to Read Before I Die"
Comment: Anyone who has read David Sedaris' work or listened to him on NPR knows he has a style all his own. The book Naked brings the reader along on a journey through short essays that describe, in detail, aspects of his life that the common man may never experience. The final essay, which shares the title of the book, describes his experience at a nudist colony. He embraces the awkwardness of the situation and bravely details his insecurities. A tool he skillfully uses through his entire collection of essays is humor. If the humor aspect were stripped away from his writing, his work most certainly would take a darker and more depressing tone. I believe this is what makes his writing unique: his honesty, his bravery, and not to mention his phenomenal skill as a writer and a storyteller. The topics he deals with are very real which give the reader a strong sense of connection to him and his experiences. I can't help but admire him for his ability to rise above difficult situations, particularly in his childhood.

Sedaris' work can almost be described as having layers like an onion. On one level he is funny, on another he is honest and open, on yet another he is sarcastic, and at the core is a message about life. He tells a story without dominating the reader's experience; to get the core message one must look a little deeper, one must think! Any level of reader can appreciate his essays because no matter how deep one chooses to explore, he or she will find something to connect with, even if it's just for a laugh. I read his books when I'm having a bad day and need a little pick-me-up. I read his books when I want to be challenged as a reader. I read his books when I need inspiration. I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to be entertained and learn something new through another's life stories.

Just to add, Me Talk Pretty One Day is another excellent book by David!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: I guess the Yanks are quite different
Comment: The short stories were nicely written, drawing on the presumed real life experiences of the author. As an author of humour, I found the style too self-consciously witty and trying to hard to be hilarious. In short, I found it tedious and barely raised a smile, let alone a chuckle and certainly not a belly laugh through the whole production. I put this down to the cultural differences between USA and Australia. It appears that readers in the USA have to be belted over the head and told when to laugh before they can appreciate humour. I prefer something more subtle. I am sure the author is a nice person, but there you go....

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Painful to read, mostly plotless, but entertaining
Comment: The seventeen short stories in this book are entertaining and make for a fun read, but they mostly revolve around the humiliation and embarassment of the author. On more than one occasion the author ends up hiding in a ditch while others are searching to beat him up. It pains me to think that these tales actually occurred.

Most of these stories do not have plots nor any closure, since they're simply the retelling of past events, and as a result I was bored with many of them. My favourite, by far, was "Something For Everyone," which had well-developed characters, revealed the author's deepest impression of himself, and (unfortunately) ended in a humiliating tragedy.

In summary, this book is recommended but requires a fair amount of wincing.

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