Me Talk Pretty One Day
24 journalers for this copy...
Though his anarchic inclination to digress is his glory, Sedaris does have a theme in these reminiscences: the inability of humans to communicate. The title is his rendition in transliterated English of how he and his fellow students of French in Paris mangle the Gallic language. In the essay "Jesus Shaves," he and his classmates from many nations try to convey the concept of Easter to a Moroccan Muslim. "It is a party for the little boy of God," says one. "Then he be die one day on two... morsels of... lumber," says another. Sedaris muses on the disputes between his Protestant mother and his father, a Greek Orthodox guy whose Easter fell on a different day. Other essays explicate his deep kinship with his eccentric mom and absurd alienation from his IBM-exec dad: "To me, the greatest mystery of science continues to be that a man could father six children who shared absolutely none of his interests."
Mailing tomorrow to thegoaliegirl as a surprise RABCK (Random Act of Bookcrossing Kindness)
Book arrived last night. What a pleasant surprise! Can't wait to read it! Thanks so much!
Very interesting story. This is the first book that I've read by him. I'll be interested in reading more of his books. I really liked the French Students trying to explain Easter. It was interesting. It was a really fun read. Highly enjoyable.
Thank you, goaliegirl! I got the book today. You are so kind! After I read it I will make it into a bookring. Thanks a million!
Oh My God! This was one of the funniest books I have ever read! I was laughing so hard that I was crying! This was such a good book. I know that I have a somewhat strange sense of humor, things will strike me funny and other people will say "I don't get it." Like the Far Side, if someone doesn't get most of the Far Side humor, then I just know they don't have the same sense of humor.
This book has a lot of anecdotes on his life. Things that he saw that were funny or strange or different. His family, work, school, relationships. This was my first book by this author, so now I need to try and read his other books!
Giving this to Lumbermoose to read, then I will make it into a Bookring.
Thanks, JennyC1230!! This book was really enjoyable. I found myself laughing out loud quite a few times. Sometimes when you look at your own life - all you can do is laugh. Sedaris does a great job of putting the stories of his life onto paper and just laughing the the absurdity of the events he has experienced.
This is an International Bookay/Ray it Forward for Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. This is an open Bookray, so if you are interested in joining, please send me a PM.
Bookray Started: October 18, 2007 1. When you receive book, please make a journal entry.
2. PM the next person on the list for their address. (Always check to make sure the list hasn’t changed.) Make sure the person is able to take the book.
3. After you read the book, tell us what you thought of the book.
4. When you mail the book, make another journal entry to let us know.
5. Try to keep the book for only a month. If you are having trouble please PM me or e-mail me.: j.chaban@comcast.net.
6. If you see anyone on this list who is a known staller of bookrings please let me know that too!
7. At the end the book will come back to me, so if you are the last on the list, let me know and you can send back to me.
8. Most importantly have fun and enjoy the book!!
Thank you!
JennyC1230 List of participants for the Bookray:
1. maggiemo/Intl. shipping (Scotland)
2. voveryte/Intl. shipping (UK)
3. boirina/Intl. Shipping (Portugal)
4. starflash/Intl. shipping (UK)
5. Vamperstein8782/Intl. (UK)
6. LadyKnightNiko/US shipping (Tennessee)
7. -AuntieM-/US shipping (Oregon) formerly MRWiley
8. silverflame/US shipping (Utah)
9. Shroffland/Intl. ok (Georgia) <---Travelling for 1 year!
10. EthlArnold/Intl. (Oregon)
11. scrutiny/Intl. (Hong Kong)
12. mikime/Intl. (Italy)
13. daisyflower123/Europe pref. (Germany)
14. Qantaga/Intl (Germany)
15. Brujala/Intl(France) 16.
Icila/Intl. (France)
<-- Travelling for 2 years!
17. kihli/Intl. (Greece)
18. bookguide/Intl. (Netherlands) 19.
HunterRyu (US)
Last person continue the Bookray or Ray it Forward to another Bookcrosser! pedriza06 *no response to PM's* VividReader, RockBird, and liz-z *would like to be skipped*
Journal Entry
9 by
JennyC1230 at
by mail in To the next participant, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, October 18, 2007
Released 16 yrs ago (10/18/2007 UTC) at by mail in To the next participant, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
Mailed to maggiemo to start the bookring!
Happy Travels Little Book!
Journal Entry
10 by
maggiemo on Saturday, October 27, 2007
Received today. thanks jennyC1230
Journal Entry
11 by
maggiemo on Thursday, November 15, 2007
almost finished. pm ing voveryte for her addy
Journal Entry
12 by
maggiemo on Friday, November 30, 2007
Really enjoyed this book. Laughed out loud in places. Loved his descriptions of his Dad.Posted today via Royal Mail to voveryte
The book was waiting for me after I came back from holidays! TBR, thanks maggiemo
Finished! Will write a proper journal entry later, PMing the next in line
ETA 05 May 2008: Hm, honestly, I didn't find this book as funny as some other readers did. I consider myself having quite a good sense of humour, but probably not for this one... A good book anyway!
The book got here today. Thanks for the opportunity to read it!
The book is on its way to starflash. I must say I didn't really find it funny. I guess it was a matter of connection, or lack of, I don't know but that's how I felt as I was reading it. Anyway, it's been an interesting read. Thanks!
Arrived yesterday. Looking forward to this one.
1.4.08-Pming next participant. 17.1.18-FOUND!
I chuckled mildly a few times, however Sedaris rather came over as a spoilt, indulgent brat. There was not much to like about him personally, as far as he was able to tell me, anyway. He doesn't seem to have achieved much or interacted with the world in a sober way. His insular (Walkman and hours at the cinama) and insulated (via chemical haze) experiences were rather dull; this, coupled with a narrative that was not particularly amusing leaves me wondering where all the rave reviews came from. The emotionless narrative focused on his experiences of himself, rather than his interactions with others. Perhaps its his style of writing I didn't gel with. Perhaps its a cultural difference.....perhaps I've missed the point? Perhaps he didn't make it very well......... perhaps there wasn't one? Hm.......there is a communication issue lurking here somewhere.....
However, it's never a waste to read a new author, as you never know what's there is to discover. I wouldn't want to accuse myself of intellectual narrowness now, would I? (:~}
So, thank you for sharing this book with me!
Journal Entry
18 by
starflash at
To the next participant in Bookring/Bookray, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Canada on Thursday, April 17, 2008
Released 15 yrs ago (4/19/2008 UTC) at To the next participant in Bookring/Bookray, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Canada
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
will be on its way this weekend!
Sorry, arrived safely about a week ago - totally forgot about journaling it until this morning! Currently about halfway through so should be sending it on in a week or so
I was a little disappointed that I didn't find this funnier, I suppose I was expecting it to be more in the same vein as The Santaland Diaries but if I hadn't known they were by the same author I probably wouldn't have made the connection. Sedaris can be incredibly funny, but having read this it is apparent that he can also be rather dull.
I have LadyKnightNiko's address and will mail this out on Monday.
This arrived today- I will finish the current book I'm reading and then start this one.
Thanks for sending it to me! :)
I've already read some of his essays, but it was so nice to finally read the whole book. Thanks for sharing- I'll mail this on Friday when I get paid!
Journal Entry
23 by
LadyKnightNiko at
by mail in To the next participant, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Released 15 yrs ago (6/6/2008 UTC) at by mail in To the next participant, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
On to the next reader!
Received today! Thanx i'll read it as soon as i finished the one i am reading now.
Parts of this book were absolutely hysterical... and of, course, parts of it not so hysterical. :)
Contacting the next person in the ring to get it on its way.
Thanks for including me!
Ha Ha! Look what arrived in the mail today! I am so looking forward to reading this! Thanks for sharing.
I really wanted to enjoy this, but simply could not get engrossed in these vignettes. I found the stories more poignant and ironic than funny. Unfortunately, that's not the expeerience I had hoped for.
Am pm'ing EthlArnold to send this book out on its journey again.
Journal Entry
29 by
Shroffland at
By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Released 15 yrs ago (10/7/2008 UTC) at By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Sent to EthlArnold today.
Journal Entry
30 by
EthlArnold on Thursday, October 16, 2008
Just picked it up from my mail... I'm excited to read this! I'll PM the next person to get it.
Overall, some essays were great, and others I didn't identify with so easily. I didn't read the whole book, but I stumbled across "You Can't Kill the Rooster" and had flashbacks - I had read it in high school and enjoyed reading it again.
As of 11/1/08 it is traveling to the next reader!
Journal Entry
32 by
scrutiny on Friday, November 14, 2008
Book arrived in the mail today! Thank you. I'll get started on it right away.
Journal Entry
33 by
scrutiny on Friday, January 9, 2009
I'm sorry I kept the book for over a month - I was so busy over the Christmas holidays I simply did not have time to read! That said, having just tediously plodded my way through this book, I don't think it was worth it. This book is a pointless mass of inane drivel, and reading it killed some braincells which I will never get back. I read the first half with the hope that it would get somewhere, but increasingly lost hope and patience with it as it went on. And on. And ON. I will mail this book on in the hopes that the next person will actually find something redeeming from reading it.
This arrived safe and sound yesterday! I've nearly finished another bookring and this will be next. Thanks for sending it!
Miki
This was quite funny, especially the parts about learning French and about foreign food. ;) I didn't really laugh out as someone else did, I'm afraid I missed a few cultural-related inside jokes, but still I found it brilliant. Thanks for letting me read it! :)
I sent it this morning to daisyflower123! Have fun with it!
Miki
The book arrived here couple of days ago. I started reading already and it seems to be a good read.
Sorry, but somehow I just didn't manage to read the book all to the end. That's why it travels on to Qantaga now.
Arrived safely today. Thanks a lot for this well-travelled ring!
I almost gave up on this one after reading about 100 pages because the humour wasn't really my cup of tea. Now I'm very glad I persevered because the rest of the book was extremely funny (especially the stories about the author's stay in France). My guess is that I just didn't get the humour in the first few stories - maybe you have to be American to understand some of the jokes...
Thanks a lot for the ring! The book is now on its way to France ;).
This book was waiting for me on my dining-room table as I returned from my holidays. Thank you for the nice card, and the little haribo bears! They made the envelope smell fantastic!
I've really enjoyed the little bits of memories, the family tales, and the life of the author in Normandy and Paris. Sedaris humour is dry sometimes, most of the time really funny!
I'll mail it to Icila this week.
Journal Entry
42 by
Brujula at on Friday, September 25, 2009
Released 14 yrs ago (9/24/2009 UTC) at
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
mailed to Icila.
Sorry about the delay, and thank you for your patience, and for sharing this book!
Just back from a little holiday in the centre of France and the book was waiting for me. Thanks Brujula for the cards and the beautiful bookmarks !
Sorry I didn't catch the humour of the book.
PMing kihli
the book is here now,thank you very much.
the book is interesting,although not the funny one I expected. Some parts were better than others.
I'll send it to the next person on the list as soon as I have an address.
thank you!
Journal Entry
48 by
kihli at
Thessaloniki - Θεσσαλονίκη, Thessaloniki Greece on Sunday, March 21, 2010
Released 14 yrs ago (3/22/2010 UTC) at Thessaloniki - Θεσσαλονίκη, Thessaloniki Greece
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
going to bookguide by post
Arrived safely today in a spring-ike Holland. Thank you for sending it with beautiful Greek stamps, Kihli, and the lovely postcard of the little boy asleep, slumped over his computer keyboard. I will try to read this within a month, but I already have a couple of ringbooks queuing up on my ringbook shelf, so if it takes too long, feel free to contact me. I keep my profile updated, so you can see how I am progressing with the list.
Having read the book, and not being especially impressed or amused, I read the back cover and am amazed at so much enthusiasm, especially the top quotation "Wildly entertaining" from the Christian Science Monitor; I am slightly bemused that anyone should find it wildly entertaining, and particularly Christian Scientists, who I would expect to be shocked rather than amused! As a fine upstanding citizen myself, I am reluctant to admit that the most amusing story was 'Big Boy' (the one about having to flush the toilet several times), and several of the stories seemed to rely on (literally) toilet humour. I've just looked David Sedaris up on Youtube, reading one of his essays on David Letterman's show, and all I can say is that, while it was funny, and the live audience enhances the experience, he was back to the pros and cons of an external catheter device. I suspect if you've seen him live, you might be in the right frame of mind to appreciate this more, but actually the story I really enjoyed the most was the one about his sister Amy. Apparently she is a regular guest on The Late Show, and you can watch her hyperactive and over-the-top performance on Youtube too. In any case, this book came as rather a disappointment; Garrison Keillor does it better.
11th May: I have sent a PM to HunterRyu for her address.
Journal Entry
51 by
bookguide at
Wijchen, Gelderland Netherlands on Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Released 13 yrs ago (6/8/2010 UTC) at Wijchen, Gelderland Netherlands
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
In the post on the way to HunterRyu. Hope it travels safely.
This book has been released as part of the following BookCrossing challenges:
- The Ultimate Challenge - read and release books, with extra points for a monthly theme
- Reduce Mount TBR (To Be Read) - read and release books on the TBR list since before Jan. 2010. My reading goal is 75 books. This book: TBR since Jan. 2008.
- Pages Read Challenge - read a self-set target number of pages in 2010. My goal is 24,000. This book: 272pp.
- Set It Yourself Challenge
Journal Entry
52 by
HunterRyu at
Elk Township, New Jersey USA on Monday, August 2, 2010
Received this book at least a week ago but my mail was misplaced between the mailbox and my room. Sorry for the journal delay. Arrived safe, will read it as soon as I can!
Journal Entry
53 by
JennyC1230 at
Woodstock, Georgia USA on Monday, August 2, 2010
Thanks to everyone for a successful Bookray!
Since this book has reached the last person on the Bookray list, HunterRyu can do what she likes with it after she reads it. You could continue the Bookray, Ray it Forward to a Bookcrosser, give it to a friend, or RABCK it to another Bookcrosser.
Journal Entry
54 by
HunterRyu at
Elk Township, New Jersey USA on Monday, December 20, 2010
This was not my favorite of David Sedaris's story collections, but aside from a few select stories I enjoyed it. Some of them I enjoyed extra to make up the balance! Thank you for sharing with me, will be passing the book along this afternoon. Happy Bookcrossing!
Journal Entry
55 by
HunterRyu at
Mantua, New Jersey USA on Monday, December 20, 2010
Released 13 yrs ago (12/20/2010 UTC) at Mantua, New Jersey USA
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
I am passing this along to a friend, with the condition that after he reads the book he must then share it with someone else! He saw me reading another of David Sedaris's books a couple months ago and said he had never heard of him. So I must introduce these story collections to him!
Journal Entry
56 by
AnonymousFinder at
DeKalb, Illinois USA on Saturday, December 18, 2021
Enjoyed this book very much.