Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk

A Modest Bestiary

By: David Sedaris

Narrated by: David Sedaris, Sian Phillips, Dylan Baker, Elaine Stritch

Length: 3 hrs

Publisher's summary

This collection of sharply observed animal-themed tales is a delight, told with David Sedaris's trademark blend of hilarity and goodnaturedness. Though the characters may not be human, the situations in these stories bear an uncanny resemblance to the insanity of our own everyday interactions.

In "The Toad, the Turtle, and the Duck", three strangers commiserate about animal bureaucracy while waiting in a complaint line. In "Hello Kitty", a cynical feline struggles to sit through his prison-mandated AA meetings. In "The Squirrel and the Chipmunk", a pair of star-crossed lovers is separated by prejudiced family members.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2010 David Sedaris (P)2010 Hachette Audio

Not the cute stories I had hoped for

I was going to return this book, as I had hoped for heartwarming animal themed stories.
The stories are more like parables and there are some violent ones and sexual themes. Definitely not child appropriate.
The voice acting is outstanding and it is the reason I did not return the book. Once I understood what the actual feel of the book was meant to be, I enjoyed the stories more. However, as an animal lover, I found certain aspects disturbing.

the way this story is told

what an interesting way to tell a story. as with all david sedaris books, I thought it was "perfect" lol

Modern Day Fables

Any additional comments?

This book is a collection of short fables that walks the line between charming and pleasantly offensive. Each story has its own little lesson behind it, but they're not right in your face. It almost requires some thought to determine WHAT exactly the moral of each story happens to be. But this actually makes it a really enjoyable listen. Not to mention the great cast of voice actors that were brought in for the different stories. HIGHLY recommend this one.

9.1/10.

Different indeed

Not what I expected, think Grimms fairy tales with animals but I couldn't stop listening. Definitely not for everyone

Not his best work

This doesn’t measure up to the authors best work. Much of it is simply annoying to listen to.

Short hilarious stories

David Sedaris is one of my favorite author and he did not disappoint with this.Each storie us brought alive by the performance.

Interesting

Lessons of life thought the personification of different types of animals. Awesome narrators, humorous writing.

I ADORE David Sedaris but...

these stories were too sad for my taste. I love everything David Sedaris does and I was so happy to add this book to my collection but the stories while very poignant and meaningful just weren't what I was expecting. Still well written, brilliantly performed just not what I was looking for.

Sedaris knocks another one out of the park!

Would you listen to Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk again? Why?

Yes, because it made me laugh out loud several times.

What did you like best about this story?

David's wit and humor are at their best.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Too many to choose (this is a short story collection).

Who was the most memorable character of Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk and why?

See above.

Any additional comments?

David's many animal personae are hysterically funny, and a true reflection of our own human foibles and imperfections. Best read since Holidays on Ice.

In this bestiary, I do miss his humanity

In some ways this collection of stories by Sedaris is, well, brutal. He holds fast to certain aspects of an animal's life span - that it's mostly taken up with eating, sh-tting, mating and dieing. To this end, most of his animals are selfish and self-absorbed in a way that one would expect from that kind of existence, and in some ways that only Sedaris could come up with.

So many of his stories in the past have made me laugh out loud, and others have made me cry. I will admit to having a few good chuckles over some of the scatological humor in Squirrel, however these stories do not pack the punch that I am used to with Sedaris. And it could be that this is because the life span of most animals is indeed quick and brutal, and thus there isn't time for sentimentality in this universe.

His commentary on American life and culture is wicked and comes through loud and clear as he gives each of his animal characters a certain intellectual spark and situates them in modern day human social situations, and I am still thinking about a number of the stories. Sedaris hasn't lost his wit or keen eye by any means, but in this bestiary, I must say, I do miss his humanity.

(And it's worth listening to on audio - Elaine Stritch is AMAZING.)