Author:David Sedaris Binding: Paperback ISBN: 0316779237 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
"A couple of bright stars"
"Not Sedaris at his best, but still really really good."
"Dark stuff"
"Casual Brilliance at it's best"
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Editorial Review:
A new holiday classic--six of the most profound Christmas stories by the author of the bestselling "Naked" and "Barrel Fever"--is now in a paperback edition perfect for stocking stuffing.
Holidays on Ice is a collection of three previously published stories matched with three newer ones, all, of course, on a Christmas theme. David Sedaris's darkly playful humor is another common thread through the book, worming its way through "Seasons Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!!" a chipper suburban Christmas letter that spirals dizzily out of control, and "Front Row Center with Thaddeus Bristol," a vicious theatrical review of children's Christmas pageants. As always, Sedaris's best work is his sharply observed nonfiction, notably in "Dinah, the Christmas Whore," the tale of a memorable Christmas during which the young Sedaris learns to see his family in a new light. Worth the price of the book alone is the hilarious "SantaLand Diaries," Sedaris's chronicle of his time working as an elf at Macy's, covering everything from the preliminary group lectures ("You are not a dancer. If you were a real dancer you wouldn't be here. You're an elf and you're going to wear panties like an elf.") to the perils of inter-elf flirtation. Along the way, he paints a funny and sad portrait of the way the countless parents who pass through SantaLand are too busy creating an Experience to really pay attention to their children. In a sly way, it carries a holiday message all its own. Read it aloud to the adults after the kids have gone to bed. --Ali Davis
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
A couple of bright stars "SantaLand Diaries" and "Dinah, the Christmas Whore" save this one. Sedaris is at his best telling tales (tall or otherwise) of his own life and family. I like the satirical stories less. Still, it is David Sedaris after all... which means you'll no doubt laugh and enjoy yourself.
Not Sedaris at his best, but still really really good. I'm a big David Sedaris fan. I think that Me Talk Pretty One Day is one of the funniest books I've ever read. I've checked out several of his books, the most recent being Holidays on Ice, a collection of holiday-themed comic essays. If you've seen the stage production of Santaland Diaries, then the anchor story in this collection will be very familiar to you. It details Sedaris' stint as a Macy's Christmas elf one year, and it is freaking hilarious. From the humiliating "uniform" to the strict... more info
Dark stuff Try to imagine David sitting next to you, bathed in the twinkling glow of the tree, telling these stories to get the full effect.
Casual Brilliance at it's best Must read - brilliant!
For everyone who has felt weird or knows weird people - these are the voices and stories.
We've all been there or been near it.
