Me Talk Pretty One Day

By: David Sedaris

Narrated by: David Sedaris

Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

David Sedaris' new collection of essays - including live recordings! - tells a most unconventional life story. It begins with a North Carolina childhood filled with speech-therapy classes ("There was the lisp, of course, but more troubling than that was my voice itself, with its excitable tone and high, girlish pitch") and unwanted guitar lessons taught by a midget. From budding performance artist ("The only crimp in my plan was that I seemed to have no talent whatsoever") to "clearly unqualified" writing teacher in Chicago, Sedaris' career leads him to New York City and eventually, of all places, France. His move to Paris poses a number of challenges, chief among them his inability to speak the language. Arriving a "spooky man-child" capable of communicating only through nouns, he undertakes language instruction that leads him ever deeper into cultural confusion. Whether describing the Easter bunny to puzzled classmates or watching a group of men play soccer with a cow, Sedaris brings a view and a voice like no other to every unforgettable encounter.

©2000 by David Sedaris, All Rights Reserved (P)2000 by Time Warner AudioBooks, A Division of Time Warner Trade Publishing

Critic reviews

"At his best, he makes you laugh out loud, which indeed may be worth the price of admission." (The New York Times)

Must read Sedaris

Just an amazing collection of the stories by David Sedaris. Must, must read and tell others about it.

Made me laugh out loud!

Where does Me Talk Pretty One Day rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I was so happy with my purchase of David Sedaris's Me Talk Pretty One Day. It constantly made me laugh aloud or at least smile. I was very satisfied with his performance reading the book and also the length of the selection. Most people will be able to see a little of themselves in David's stories even if they don't really want to admit it! I especially liked the stories featuring his parents and his portrayal of them. I have and will keep on recommending this audiobook to everyone I know with no fear of reprisals in any way, shape or form. Happy Reading! :D

What was one of the most memorable moments of Me Talk Pretty One Day?

To me, it was when David's Dad found something in his suitcase and, after taking a bite of it, still could not figure out what the object was.

Have you listened to any of David Sedaris’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to David Sedaris frequently on This American Life radio podcast but, it was really nice to listen to him for as long as I wanted to instead of little snippets here and there.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Definitely made me laugh out loud many many times.

Any additional comments?

One day I wanna be seated next to David on a park bench sharing a cigarette surrounded by non smokers . . . . .

Entertaining

Great storytelling. Funny stuff. This is my first book that I have read of David sedaris. I think I will try another.

Great, but skip the last two chapters

As a retired language prof, I found Sedaris’ take on learning French hilarious! Likewise his experiences in Paris and his observations on living there. However, I regret to say that the last two chapters kind of ruined it for me. I wish he had left out those two chapters from this collection, or at least that I’d known to stop reading before those last chapters. That part had absolutely nothing to do with the overall topic of the rest of the book. I will try to just remember the rest of the book, which was great.

So entertaining!

David Sedaris is a hilarious, gifted storyteller, and he's never been better than he is here. I could listen to him tell stories for hours.

Funny Guy

I always get a chuckle from listening to David read his stories. I get to delve into a world never imagined

Tres fantastic

Funny, witty, charming and insightful, vulnerable, catty, shocking and delightful. David makes you feel like his best friend as he regales you with stories about himself, his family and his experience living in Paris. Great for the car or as you grudgingly do housework.

Hilarious

A must read if you want many chances to laugh out loud. Never been to France. Now I must go.

Fun, Sharp, Fast

He does sarcastic New Yorker better than anyone else. There is a fifteen word minimum.

A constant set of chuckles and a few gotchas!

I really like this Sedaris book. True to his other novels, this is a compendium of stories. The title is taken from the first story where David, as a 3rd grader, goes to a speech therapist. You cannot help but laugh as the story unwinds and young David gets the best of the teacher in the end. And so the stories continue one by one making you laugh and every now and again he slips in a potent serious message.

Sedaris narrates his own work, so the stories comes off more powerful than a classic text might; especially in the first story where he talks about a lisping problem he had as a child.

This is a relatively short listen and it should appeal to anyone who like satirical humor drawn from personal introspection. Although many of the stories involve family members, they are not mean spirited. You feel like you are at a dinner table and just reliving the 'best of' stories with family members. I highly recommend this series of stories -- they are all winners.