When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of When You Are Engulfed in Flames
Book Review: Still Familiar, but Still Funny
Summary: 3 Stars
A few years back word got around that one of Sedaris' first books (Naked) was to be made into a film. The idea seemed impossible. "Naked" is a seemingly random group of short stories. Sporadic but polished diary entrees at best. There was no real story there. Matthew Brodrick was rumored to be attacked to the project and it seemed for a short time that it was actually going to happen, then things, I guess fell apart. Since "Naked" Sedaris has written several other books, "Me Talk Pretty One Day", "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim" and now "When You Are Engulfed in Flames".
The books all follow the same pattern, Sedaris takes notes and entries from his diary and/or life experience, seasons them with humor and slight exaggeration and then presents them as self-depreciating musing about his family, his world, and himself. They are like candy to read (his stories/observations often around a dozen pages or so long) and often bring forth a chuckle or two if not a full blown guffaw. The inherent problem however is that when Sedaris wrote "Naked" (fresh from the success he had with his masterpiece "Santaland Diaries) he seemed to have a gold mind of material or maybe it was that his style seemed so fresh and new; but now there seems to be few surprises. Not that familiarity breeds contempt, but perhaps it breeds a slight bit of boredom. Such excerpts from "...Flames", like "Solutions to Saturday's Puzzle" and "Of Mice and Men" are very funny and biting. Others seem to tread over to familiar territory. "The Smoking Section" (a far too long story about Sedaris quitting smoking in Japan) has us back in a classroom with our hero learning Japanese. Funny, but not unlike "Me Talk Pretty Some Day" when our hero was learning French. There are also more stories about his youth, his hard smoking colorful mother, the cranky father, his boyfriend Hugh. All are enjoyable but all are very familiar.
As I look back on this book as well as his others, the idea of a movie makes more sense now. With each book we get a little more nuance, a little more filler. As a whole the books reflect a sort of non-liner auto -biography and right now that's good enough for me; but it begs the question: Can a David Sedaris movie be made? Maybe if you mined all of his work. If Hollywood were to bite again, what's the worst that could happen? Perhaps it might give David more material for his next book.
Book Review: Gimme More.....................
Summary: 4 Stars
As always, David Sedaris delivers an easy to read and very funny book. He never disappoints.Book Review: Sly & Funny
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm sure David Sedaris takes his stories from his experiences - the fun (for me) is wondering what really happened versus where his imagination took over. No matter - his stories are full of his world-view that often made me laugh out loud. Very entertaining.Book Review: When You Are Engulfed in Flames
Summary: 5 Stars
This is just another example of the brilliance of David Sedaris. Now, not as ordinary in his lifestyle, David embarks on new adventures that most people would care to forget or just let pass into obscurity. His style and sincerity remain the same. Go David. This book needs to be read twice in succession. Once to injest the initial shock, again to savor all the wit and irony of everyday stories being turned into hysterical anectdotes. Book Review: David Sedaris is HILARIOUS
Summary: 5 Stars
For my money, he's the best bittersweet comic author out there and nothing beats him reading his own work.