When You Are Engulfed in Flames
David Sedaris
Little Brown & Company
*** ½
David Sedaris is a very funny man. And his latest collection of short stories sticks to his tried and true format. Basically, David makes an observation of some weird quirk of human nature (like human fear of contagious germs in the opening story ‘It’s Catching’) and details his observations and encounters with that quirk. He almost always hits his mark with humour, exaggerating as necessary for comedic effect and never failing to poke fun at himself for a greater laugh. Sedaris’ male partner Hugh weaves in and out of the world Sedaris details, and in quite a few stories his sexuality plays a central role. In ‘This Old House’ he crushes on his cute if crazy housemate and in ‘Road Trips’ he tells the tale (with a Twain-like deftness for dialogue) almost losing his virginity to a trucker who picked him up as a hitcher. For fans of humour writing, Sedaris is a must. A regular guest on American radio shows such as National Public Radio’s ‘This American Life’, Sedaris writes with a sharp ear and his pieces often translate well into spoken pieces. As with his previous books (Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, Naked to name a few), When You Are Engulfed in Flames takes you into the mind of a rather unique fellow and allows you to observe the world. As a result you are sure to find your own perception altered, as you walk through the day observing with wit the everyday happenings and idiosyncracies of western living.
