Fiction Book Reviews

Book Review: When You Are Engulfed in Flames

By Sandy Amazeen Jun 24, 2008, 0:38 GMT

"David Sedaris\'s ability to transform the mortification of everyday life into wildly entertaining art," (The Christian Science Monitor) is elevated to wilder and more entertaining heights than ever in this remarkable new book. Trying to make coffee when the water is shut off, David considers using the water in a vase of flowers and his chain of associations takes him from the French countryside to a hilariously uncomfortable memory of ...more

This intriguing collection of observations is rather like eavesdropping on someone’s inner dialog, it is at once fascinating and hilarious. Sedaris skips through childhood memories replete with the babysitter from hell, dressing for school, Halloween and getting high with the same dexterity he displays when examining adult relationships, the trials of air travel, smoking and so much more. Dry wit cuts to the core of daily life and reveals some uncomfortable truths about how families really work. Anyone familiar with Sedaris’s work will want to add this to their library and for those new to this author, dive in and enjoy.