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Happy-Go-Lucky
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Humor (2022)7 hours, 30 minutes
David Sedaris, the “champion storyteller,” (Los Angeles Times) returns with his first new collection of personal essays since the bestselling Calypso.
Back when restaurant menus were still printed on paper, and wearing a mask—or not—was a decision made mostly on Halloween, David Sedaris spent his time doing normal things. As Happy-Go-Lucky opens, he is learning to shoot guns with his sister, visiting muddy flea markets in Serbia, buying gummy worms to feed to ants, and telling his nonagenarian father wheelchair jokes.
But then the pandemic hits, and like so many others, he’s stuck in lockdown, unable to tour and read for audiences, the part of his work he loves most. To cope, he walks for miles through a nearly deserted city, smelling only his own breath. He vacuums his apartment twice a day, fails to hoard anything, and contemplates how sex workers and acupuncturists might be getting by during quarantine.
As the world gradually settles into a new reality, Sedaris too finds himself changed. His offer to fix a stranger’s teeth rebuffed, he straightens his own, and ventures into the world with new confidence. Newly orphaned, he considers what it means, in his seventh decade, no longer to be someone’s son. And back on the road, he discovers a battle-scarred America: people weary, storefronts empty or festooned with Help Wanted signs, walls painted with graffiti reflecting the contradictory messages of our time: Eat the Rich. Trump 2024. Black Lives Matter.
In Happy-Go-Lucky, David Sedaris once again captures what is most unexpected, hilarious, and poignant about these recent upheavals, personal and public, and expresses in precise language both the misanthropy and desire for connection that drive us all. If we must live in interesting times, there is no one better to chronicle them than the incomparable David Sedaris.
David Sedaris, the “champion storyteller,” (Los Angeles Times) returns with his first new collection of personal essays since the bestselling Calypso.
Back when restaurant menus were still printed on paper, and wearing a mask—or not—was a decision made mostly on Halloween, David Sedaris spent his time doing normal things. As Happy-Go-Lucky opens, he is learning to shoot guns with his sister, visiting muddy flea markets in Serbia, buying gummy worms to feed to ants, and telling his nonagenarian father wheelchair jokes.
But then the pandemic hits, and like so many others, he’s stuck in lockdown, unable to tour and read for audiences, the part of his work he loves most. To cope, he walks for miles through a nearly deserted city, smelling only his own breath. He vacuums his apartment twice a day, fails to hoard anything, and contemplates how sex workers and acupuncturists might be getting by during quarantine.
As the world gradually settles into a new reality, Sedaris too finds himself changed. His offer to fix a stranger’s teeth rebuffed, he straightens his own, and ventures into the world with new confidence. Newly orphaned, he considers what it means, in his seventh decade, no longer to be someone’s son. And back on the road, he discovers a battle-scarred America: people weary, storefronts empty or festooned with Help Wanted signs, walls painted with graffiti reflecting the contradictory messages of our time: Eat the Rich. Trump 2024. Black Lives Matter.
In Happy-Go-Lucky, David Sedaris once again captures what is most unexpected, hilarious, and poignant about these recent upheavals, personal and public, and expresses in precise language both the misanthropy and desire for connection that drive us all. If we must live in interesting times, there is no one better to chronicle them than the incomparable David Sedaris.
8 pages, Audiobook
First published May 31, 2022
2,472 people are currently reading
29.9k people want to read
About the author
David Sedaris
103 books27.3k followersDavid Raymond Sedaris is an American humorist, comedian, author, and radio contributor. He was publicly recognized in 1992 when National Public Radio broadcast his essay "Santaland Diaries". He published his first collection of essays and short stories, Barrel Fever, in 1994. His next book, Naked (1997), became his first of a series of New York Times Bestsellers, and his 2000 collection Me Talk Pretty One Day won the Thurber Prize for American Humor.
Much of Sedaris's humor is autobiographical and self-deprecating and often concerns his family life, his middle-class upbringing in the suburbs of Raleigh, North Carolina, his Greek heritage, homosexuality, jobs, education, drug use, and obsessive behaviors, as well as his life in France, London, New York, and the South Downs in England. He is the brother and writing collaborator of actress Amy Sedaris.
In 2019, Sedaris was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Much of Sedaris's humor is autobiographical and self-deprecating and often concerns his family life, his middle-class upbringing in the suburbs of Raleigh, North Carolina, his Greek heritage, homosexuality, jobs, education, drug use, and obsessive behaviors, as well as his life in France, London, New York, and the South Downs in England. He is the brother and writing collaborator of actress Amy Sedaris.
In 2019, Sedaris was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,501 reviews
April 24, 2022
I read my first David Sedaris book more than 20 years ago, and I was immediately in love. I still harbored dreams back then of being a writer myself, and Sedaris was who I wanted to be – snarky and cynical and so hilarious you’d guffaw out loud while reading him on an airplane (I did that more than once while reading Me Talk Pretty One Day).
Since then I haven’t missed a single Sedaris book, article, podcast appearance, interview or radio show. I follow him around like a lost puppy, hanging on both his written words and his reading of his own stuff on audio books and at live appearances. I met him once, several years ago, when he signed my copy of Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls, “To Emilie – let’s spit on Asian widows together.” I have no idea what it means but I’ve treasured it -- and the slightly inappropriate joke he told me while I was in the autograph line -- ever since.
That joke makes an appearance in his new book, Happy-Go-Lucky, and I greeted it like an old friend. Mostly because it’s one of the few things about the David Sedaris I know and love that is recognizable in this book.
For the first time, I didn’t finish a Sedaris book. I made it a little more than two-thirds of the way through it and decided I’d had enough. I don’t know what’s become of the Sedaris of old, but he has definitely left the building. All he left behind is a grumpy old man intent on tooting his own horn and airing dirty laundry – his and others’ – to the world.
Anyone who has read any of David Sedaris’ work knows all about his family – Hugh, his partner of 30+ years, along with his parents, five siblings, in-laws and teenage niece. He has always written about them with that unique combination so many of us feel for our relatives: exasperation and love in equal measures. Over the years he’s written about a thousand hilarious moments with his family, some of which he’s used to poke fun at himself, and some of which most definitely poke fun at them instead. He’s also written about his mother’s death, his sister Tiffany’s death by suicide, his difficult relationship with his father, and his family’s feelings about having all their private business out there in his books for the world to see. Through it all he writes about them with love, and it’s clear that the things he tells us about them – and about himself – are (mostly) exaggerated for effect. It’s what writers do, right?
Somewhere along the way to this book, Sedaris seems to have finally gotten thoroughly sick of his siblings and his dad. He’s dropped the façade, and even poor Hugh comes out not looking too great. Sedaris is fairly vicious when talking about his dying 95-year-old father, describing how he “never cared about anything but money” and spent his life finding new ways to make his children feel worthless. I completely understand using your art to tell your truth about a parent, I applaud his right to do that, and if that’s what kind of father he had, I’m sorry for the pain it’s caused him. It just seems an abrupt switch for someone who’s been writing about this same father with love and tolerance for decades.
We get a description of what brats Hugh’s great-nephews are. We hear about how his sisters are getting old, and it’s a shame because they used to be beautiful. We learn that Hugh is often a grumpy pain in the ass whose moodiness is so bad David feels the need to defend him to his siblings. We read about a presumably closeted teen boy he knew who was coming to terms with his sexuality, and we get way too much information about his behavior – behavior that I’m sure that kid had no idea would end up in a book. Even people marginal to the story, like the nurses in his father’s nursing home, come in for his snarky wrath. I’m accustomed to Sedaris’ way of writing, and I realize kindness has never been his strong suit. But this was over the top even for him. At one point, Hugh accuses him of wishing he (Hugh) would get COVID just so he can write about it, and while I realize it was meant to be a joke, I'm not sure it really was.
More bothersome to me than the blatant hatred for everything and everybody, though, was his insistence on pointing out that he isn’t like the rest of us. He shops at Barney’s. His grocery store is “high-end.” He owns not one but two beach houses, along with his home in England and his two apartments in Manhattan – the second purchased just because Hugh didn't like practicing the piano if David was in the apartment. He vacations in exotic places. Okay, we get it. You’re a successful writer and you spend money because you can. Talking about it non-stop just makes you sound like an elitist jerk. Yes, his readers are NPR listeners. No, we’re not all independently wealthy or even all that successful, thanks very much. We used to be able to identify with the things he wrote about. Now? Not so much.
It’s not that David Sedaris was ever much like the rest of us. I mean, who among us has served as an elf at Macy’s? But even when he was writing about something foreign to most of his readers, he had a way of making us feel like he was processing it just as we would. His humor, his cynicism and his obvious love for his people bridged any gaps of experience between him and his readers, allowing us in to his world so we could love his people too. Now he just seems annoyed with all of them and with us.
Glimmers of the old David Sedaris shine through now and then. He talks about how his happiest times are shopping with his sister, Amy, and it’s clear he adores Hugh, although it’s less clear why, based on what we see of him here. For me that was all overshadowed by the contempt that sometimes drips from his words. Also a turn-off: his descriptions of the pandemic dinner parties he held weekly (in New York, of all places, where a refrigerated truck full of bodies was parked near his apartment), and lines like this when discussing the protests surrounding George Floyd’s death: “In the early days of the protests there was looting . . . My fear was that my favorite stores would be emptied and that when the city finally opened back up again after the COVID restrictions there’d be nothing left for me to buy.” I know he’s a humorist, and I realize this was meant to get a laugh. But wow. It’s still harsh, especially coming from a white guy with money.
Several years ago, I read Sedaris’ Theft by Finding: Diaries (1977-2002). I loved every word, mostly because I felt like I was getting a behind-the-scenes look at so many of the situations and people I came to know in his later work. There was so much foreshadowing about places and people that would go on to be significant in his life and his writing, and for a true fan, it was wonderful to get a glimpse behind the curtain. This book has some of that same feel, but not in a good way.
If you have never read a David Sedaris book, I have two pieces of advice: first, listen to his books rather than reading them. He narrates his own audiobooks and they’re really great. Second, don’t start with this one. Go back to the Santaland Diaries or Me Talk Pretty One Day or Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. Get to know that David Sedaris before you come back to Happy-Go-Lucky and wonder how he got here.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for offering me a sneak peek of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Since then I haven’t missed a single Sedaris book, article, podcast appearance, interview or radio show. I follow him around like a lost puppy, hanging on both his written words and his reading of his own stuff on audio books and at live appearances. I met him once, several years ago, when he signed my copy of Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls, “To Emilie – let’s spit on Asian widows together.” I have no idea what it means but I’ve treasured it -- and the slightly inappropriate joke he told me while I was in the autograph line -- ever since.
That joke makes an appearance in his new book, Happy-Go-Lucky, and I greeted it like an old friend. Mostly because it’s one of the few things about the David Sedaris I know and love that is recognizable in this book.
For the first time, I didn’t finish a Sedaris book. I made it a little more than two-thirds of the way through it and decided I’d had enough. I don’t know what’s become of the Sedaris of old, but he has definitely left the building. All he left behind is a grumpy old man intent on tooting his own horn and airing dirty laundry – his and others’ – to the world.
Anyone who has read any of David Sedaris’ work knows all about his family – Hugh, his partner of 30+ years, along with his parents, five siblings, in-laws and teenage niece. He has always written about them with that unique combination so many of us feel for our relatives: exasperation and love in equal measures. Over the years he’s written about a thousand hilarious moments with his family, some of which he’s used to poke fun at himself, and some of which most definitely poke fun at them instead. He’s also written about his mother’s death, his sister Tiffany’s death by suicide, his difficult relationship with his father, and his family’s feelings about having all their private business out there in his books for the world to see. Through it all he writes about them with love, and it’s clear that the things he tells us about them – and about himself – are (mostly) exaggerated for effect. It’s what writers do, right?
Somewhere along the way to this book, Sedaris seems to have finally gotten thoroughly sick of his siblings and his dad. He’s dropped the façade, and even poor Hugh comes out not looking too great. Sedaris is fairly vicious when talking about his dying 95-year-old father, describing how he “never cared about anything but money” and spent his life finding new ways to make his children feel worthless. I completely understand using your art to tell your truth about a parent, I applaud his right to do that, and if that’s what kind of father he had, I’m sorry for the pain it’s caused him. It just seems an abrupt switch for someone who’s been writing about this same father with love and tolerance for decades.
We get a description of what brats Hugh’s great-nephews are. We hear about how his sisters are getting old, and it’s a shame because they used to be beautiful. We learn that Hugh is often a grumpy pain in the ass whose moodiness is so bad David feels the need to defend him to his siblings. We read about a presumably closeted teen boy he knew who was coming to terms with his sexuality, and we get way too much information about his behavior – behavior that I’m sure that kid had no idea would end up in a book. Even people marginal to the story, like the nurses in his father’s nursing home, come in for his snarky wrath. I’m accustomed to Sedaris’ way of writing, and I realize kindness has never been his strong suit. But this was over the top even for him. At one point, Hugh accuses him of wishing he (Hugh) would get COVID just so he can write about it, and while I realize it was meant to be a joke, I'm not sure it really was.
More bothersome to me than the blatant hatred for everything and everybody, though, was his insistence on pointing out that he isn’t like the rest of us. He shops at Barney’s. His grocery store is “high-end.” He owns not one but two beach houses, along with his home in England and his two apartments in Manhattan – the second purchased just because Hugh didn't like practicing the piano if David was in the apartment. He vacations in exotic places. Okay, we get it. You’re a successful writer and you spend money because you can. Talking about it non-stop just makes you sound like an elitist jerk. Yes, his readers are NPR listeners. No, we’re not all independently wealthy or even all that successful, thanks very much. We used to be able to identify with the things he wrote about. Now? Not so much.
It’s not that David Sedaris was ever much like the rest of us. I mean, who among us has served as an elf at Macy’s? But even when he was writing about something foreign to most of his readers, he had a way of making us feel like he was processing it just as we would. His humor, his cynicism and his obvious love for his people bridged any gaps of experience between him and his readers, allowing us in to his world so we could love his people too. Now he just seems annoyed with all of them and with us.
Glimmers of the old David Sedaris shine through now and then. He talks about how his happiest times are shopping with his sister, Amy, and it’s clear he adores Hugh, although it’s less clear why, based on what we see of him here. For me that was all overshadowed by the contempt that sometimes drips from his words. Also a turn-off: his descriptions of the pandemic dinner parties he held weekly (in New York, of all places, where a refrigerated truck full of bodies was parked near his apartment), and lines like this when discussing the protests surrounding George Floyd’s death: “In the early days of the protests there was looting . . . My fear was that my favorite stores would be emptied and that when the city finally opened back up again after the COVID restrictions there’d be nothing left for me to buy.” I know he’s a humorist, and I realize this was meant to get a laugh. But wow. It’s still harsh, especially coming from a white guy with money.
Several years ago, I read Sedaris’ Theft by Finding: Diaries (1977-2002). I loved every word, mostly because I felt like I was getting a behind-the-scenes look at so many of the situations and people I came to know in his later work. There was so much foreshadowing about places and people that would go on to be significant in his life and his writing, and for a true fan, it was wonderful to get a glimpse behind the curtain. This book has some of that same feel, but not in a good way.
If you have never read a David Sedaris book, I have two pieces of advice: first, listen to his books rather than reading them. He narrates his own audiobooks and they’re really great. Second, don’t start with this one. Go back to the Santaland Diaries or Me Talk Pretty One Day or Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. Get to know that David Sedaris before you come back to Happy-Go-Lucky and wonder how he got here.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for offering me a sneak peek of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
May 13, 2022
I used to cough to hide a fart. Now I fart to hide a cough.
This was a sign that Sedaris saw someone holding in New York City during the start of the pandemic. It made me laugh out loud and I had to text it to a bunch of friends immediately. I am not a fart-joke kind of gal, but how could I not laugh at this one? Anyway, this joke fits Sedaris to a tee. He is so good at finding wildly weird and funny stuff—be it signs on the street or whispers on a plane. He picks up on the absurdity of life (he is such a keen observer!) and he’s a master at turning it all into funny little stories. He’s cynical, outrageous, and oh so clever.
Oh, and here are two more weird signs he saw:
-Fuck you diaper face (held by a homeless guy in the street)
-Consider your man card reissued (seen at a shooting range)
Some lines I liked:
“Had I honestly just used the term hot-dog artisans? I said to Amy. “Sometimes don’t you just hate yourself?”
“I long ago stopped feeling bad about my interests. History? Give me a break! Culture? Yawn. Take me to the nearest supermarket!”
“I do do things I don’t commit to paper. I use the bathroom. I have sex. But I try to be quick about it.”
“The doctor wants me on fifty milligrams of Highfalutin, but I think he’s just full of himself."
About that last quote: He came up with Highfalutin as a good name for a fake medication, and I totally agree! In fact, I think it would have been a fantastic name for this collection. (I’m not crazy about the actual title, “Happy-Go-Lucky,” even though I know it wreaks of irony.)
I must say that this collection isn’t quite as funny as his other books. It’s understandable, given that there was horror all around him: the pandemic, political unrest, and a dying father. And even though it isn’t as funny, it isn’t as snarky or gross as his other books, either, so that’s a good thing. Both funny and snarky are turned down a notch.
I love that he was able to observe goings-on in New York City during the pandemic (I happen to be in love with NYC). One of my favorite essays was “Themes and Variations,” which was partly about women and their bras, about how they “de-bra” the first chance they get. He asked women and got some hysterical stories out of it. Another favorite was “Lady Marmalade,” which gave you a sense of just how weird, unfiltered, and inappropriate his dad was. “When the waiter asked if we were ready for the check, my father said, ‘Are you ready to bend over and take it?’”
At least six of the essays are about his dad, a guy who told David he was worthless, a guy who cut him out of the will, a guy who sounds like a real a-hole. But everyone’s relationship to their father is complicated, and in amongst Sedaris’s angst is probably a thread of love, though it’s hard to tell. I felt like Sedaris was writing to work it all out in his head, some self-therapy. He did manage to find the funny in good old dad, but I was left being pretty disgusted by the guy. Sedaris at least got good material out of his dad (and even his funeral), which he casually mentions as a perk for the eternal verbal abuse he received.
Sedaris talks a lot about other family members—his escapades with his sisters, his life with his long-time partner, Hugh. The essays are all touching and poignant, and most are funny. He’s getting to be an even bigger curmudgeon now that he’s getting up there in age. He gets annoyed more easily, but it does make for some funny tales.
I’m not crazy about how Sedaris meanders sometimes. He’ll start with a topic and then get sidetracked. It’s easy to go with the flow, especially since everywhere he goes is funny, but it still seems a little disorganized. I had the same beef with some of his other books.
My one other gripe isn’t a criticism about the book, but about his behavior during the pandemic. He didn’t follow the rules—he often didn’t wear a mask, he traveled when he could, he went to parties. I know that everyone has different levels of risk they are willing to take, but it bugged me because it seemed irresponsible. I have to remember that the pandemic was very hard for him because it meant he couldn’t work—he wasn’t free to travel around the world doing readings. He admitted that he missed the attention. I think the pandemic was especially hard for comedians.
This is a good read—plenty of funny little tidbits—from a master observer and recorder. As I said, not as great as his other books, but still very good.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.
This was a sign that Sedaris saw someone holding in New York City during the start of the pandemic. It made me laugh out loud and I had to text it to a bunch of friends immediately. I am not a fart-joke kind of gal, but how could I not laugh at this one? Anyway, this joke fits Sedaris to a tee. He is so good at finding wildly weird and funny stuff—be it signs on the street or whispers on a plane. He picks up on the absurdity of life (he is such a keen observer!) and he’s a master at turning it all into funny little stories. He’s cynical, outrageous, and oh so clever.
Oh, and here are two more weird signs he saw:
-Fuck you diaper face (held by a homeless guy in the street)
-Consider your man card reissued (seen at a shooting range)
Some lines I liked:
“Had I honestly just used the term hot-dog artisans? I said to Amy. “Sometimes don’t you just hate yourself?”
“I long ago stopped feeling bad about my interests. History? Give me a break! Culture? Yawn. Take me to the nearest supermarket!”
“I do do things I don’t commit to paper. I use the bathroom. I have sex. But I try to be quick about it.”
“The doctor wants me on fifty milligrams of Highfalutin, but I think he’s just full of himself."
About that last quote: He came up with Highfalutin as a good name for a fake medication, and I totally agree! In fact, I think it would have been a fantastic name for this collection. (I’m not crazy about the actual title, “Happy-Go-Lucky,” even though I know it wreaks of irony.)
I must say that this collection isn’t quite as funny as his other books. It’s understandable, given that there was horror all around him: the pandemic, political unrest, and a dying father. And even though it isn’t as funny, it isn’t as snarky or gross as his other books, either, so that’s a good thing. Both funny and snarky are turned down a notch.
I love that he was able to observe goings-on in New York City during the pandemic (I happen to be in love with NYC). One of my favorite essays was “Themes and Variations,” which was partly about women and their bras, about how they “de-bra” the first chance they get. He asked women and got some hysterical stories out of it. Another favorite was “Lady Marmalade,” which gave you a sense of just how weird, unfiltered, and inappropriate his dad was. “When the waiter asked if we were ready for the check, my father said, ‘Are you ready to bend over and take it?’”
At least six of the essays are about his dad, a guy who told David he was worthless, a guy who cut him out of the will, a guy who sounds like a real a-hole. But everyone’s relationship to their father is complicated, and in amongst Sedaris’s angst is probably a thread of love, though it’s hard to tell. I felt like Sedaris was writing to work it all out in his head, some self-therapy. He did manage to find the funny in good old dad, but I was left being pretty disgusted by the guy. Sedaris at least got good material out of his dad (and even his funeral), which he casually mentions as a perk for the eternal verbal abuse he received.
Sedaris talks a lot about other family members—his escapades with his sisters, his life with his long-time partner, Hugh. The essays are all touching and poignant, and most are funny. He’s getting to be an even bigger curmudgeon now that he’s getting up there in age. He gets annoyed more easily, but it does make for some funny tales.
I’m not crazy about how Sedaris meanders sometimes. He’ll start with a topic and then get sidetracked. It’s easy to go with the flow, especially since everywhere he goes is funny, but it still seems a little disorganized. I had the same beef with some of his other books.
My one other gripe isn’t a criticism about the book, but about his behavior during the pandemic. He didn’t follow the rules—he often didn’t wear a mask, he traveled when he could, he went to parties. I know that everyone has different levels of risk they are willing to take, but it bugged me because it seemed irresponsible. I have to remember that the pandemic was very hard for him because it meant he couldn’t work—he wasn’t free to travel around the world doing readings. He admitted that he missed the attention. I think the pandemic was especially hard for comedians.
This is a good read—plenty of funny little tidbits—from a master observer and recorder. As I said, not as great as his other books, but still very good.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.
July 17, 2022
David Sedaris is in the business of improving people's lives, one essay at a time.
That's really all I need to say. If you've read him before, this will be familiar territory. David continues to entertain, self-deprecate, and touch readers with his trademark irreverence and clever storytelling.
He will make you laugh, with personal anecdotes and themes of discussion while on his book tours. My favourite was "items that men shove up themselves". One particular line which included two greased up rolling pins, a box of candles, and a naked David Sedaris tumbling down the stairs of the Empire State building, had me laughing out loud.
Of course, it gets serious too, and possibly darker than his other books. His father dies, and there is a lifetime of hurt left behind, and questions, and secrets, and god-knows-what, in addition to a house full to the brim of mildewed crap.
Also, as we all know, the pandemic happened, and we see both effect it had on David, and his not terribly admirable behaviour - hosting multiple dinner parties a week during lockdown, and expressing relief when in places where people didn't mask on principle so he also could do so (while feeling at the same time morally superior to those around him). I don't know. He's kind of a dick, but I have to admire his honesty and his willingness to put it all out there. Oh, and he really does, in this book. Put it all out there.
So, even with the darkness and the less than virtuous behaviour, I remain a steadfast devotee, and a grateful one. Thank you, David Sedaris, for improving my life, one essay at a time.
That's really all I need to say. If you've read him before, this will be familiar territory. David continues to entertain, self-deprecate, and touch readers with his trademark irreverence and clever storytelling.
He will make you laugh, with personal anecdotes and themes of discussion while on his book tours. My favourite was "items that men shove up themselves". One particular line which included two greased up rolling pins, a box of candles, and a naked David Sedaris tumbling down the stairs of the Empire State building, had me laughing out loud.
Of course, it gets serious too, and possibly darker than his other books. His father dies, and there is a lifetime of hurt left behind, and questions, and secrets, and god-knows-what, in addition to a house full to the brim of mildewed crap.
Also, as we all know, the pandemic happened, and we see both effect it had on David, and his not terribly admirable behaviour - hosting multiple dinner parties a week during lockdown, and expressing relief when in places where people didn't mask on principle so he also could do so (while feeling at the same time morally superior to those around him). I don't know. He's kind of a dick, but I have to admire his honesty and his willingness to put it all out there. Oh, and he really does, in this book. Put it all out there.
So, even with the darkness and the less than virtuous behaviour, I remain a steadfast devotee, and a grateful one. Thank you, David Sedaris, for improving my life, one essay at a time.
October 26, 2022
After thirty years together sleeping is the new having sex.
“That was amazing, wasn’t it?” one or the other of us will say upon waking in the morning.
Sedaris is getting older (same as me) and if he’s getting none the wiser (again, same as me) he at least uses his irreverent humor for all the right purposes: to come to terms with the absurdities of himself, his loved ones and a world that stopped making sense sometime during the pandemic.
…I’d put a few dollars in my pocket and sneak out to a New York I had never imagined. One in which I was, if not the only person, then at least just one of a chosen few. Here’s a random night plucked out of hundreds: I’d just walked six miles and had crossed paths with no one, with no traffic to stop me, the only time I posed was to read a sign someone had put in the window of a padlocked bar: “I used to cough to hide a fart, now I fart to hide a cough.”
I listened to the audiobook of which he was the perfect narrator. Most of the pieces were recorded at live events and his voice and audience’s reaction made them really come alive. Not all of them were funny, though. Those who delved in his father’s death were bittersweet and those who commented on the social and political circumstances of recent years were caustic and bound to raise a few eyebrows. Sometimes it takes a humorist to talk about the elephant in the room and that's what Sedaris does best. I appreciated his frankness and his determination to speak his mind even when his opinions didn’t agree with the current vernacular. What makes him not just funny but a really good satirist is his eagerness to make fun of himself first before joking about others. He uses his humor as a means of self awareness and reconciliation with his environment and I guess that’s enough to make him wiser after all.
I don’t know why some people can look back and laugh while others can’t.
I don’t know either but my 5 stars are as much for the laughs he gave me as for reminding me that there is indeed another way to look at what pains us most - or simply ruins our resolve to get through the day without too much huffing and puffing: it’s humor and it’s a last resort as good as any and better than most.
“That was amazing, wasn’t it?” one or the other of us will say upon waking in the morning.
Sedaris is getting older (same as me) and if he’s getting none the wiser (again, same as me) he at least uses his irreverent humor for all the right purposes: to come to terms with the absurdities of himself, his loved ones and a world that stopped making sense sometime during the pandemic.
…I’d put a few dollars in my pocket and sneak out to a New York I had never imagined. One in which I was, if not the only person, then at least just one of a chosen few. Here’s a random night plucked out of hundreds: I’d just walked six miles and had crossed paths with no one, with no traffic to stop me, the only time I posed was to read a sign someone had put in the window of a padlocked bar: “I used to cough to hide a fart, now I fart to hide a cough.”
I listened to the audiobook of which he was the perfect narrator. Most of the pieces were recorded at live events and his voice and audience’s reaction made them really come alive. Not all of them were funny, though. Those who delved in his father’s death were bittersweet and those who commented on the social and political circumstances of recent years were caustic and bound to raise a few eyebrows. Sometimes it takes a humorist to talk about the elephant in the room and that's what Sedaris does best. I appreciated his frankness and his determination to speak his mind even when his opinions didn’t agree with the current vernacular. What makes him not just funny but a really good satirist is his eagerness to make fun of himself first before joking about others. He uses his humor as a means of self awareness and reconciliation with his environment and I guess that’s enough to make him wiser after all.
I don’t know why some people can look back and laugh while others can’t.
I don’t know either but my 5 stars are as much for the laughs he gave me as for reminding me that there is indeed another way to look at what pains us most - or simply ruins our resolve to get through the day without too much huffing and puffing: it’s humor and it’s a last resort as good as any and better than most.
September 8, 2024
cuando estaba pensando en leer este libro le pregunté a una amiga que qué tal y me dijo: es un viejo gay y rico contando sus excentricidades de viejo gay y rico, te va a gustar. y no estaba equivocada
April 15, 2022
I've always loved how Sedaris reports on his surroundings at the expense of his own image. He's not the ultimate sage but the humorous narrator reporting the confusion and oddities that surround him. His essay persona is often unlikable but relatable.
However, this new collection feels wildly out of touch with reality. This is most seen in the entries about BLM protests and covid. The former has him dithering around like a feckless aristocrat mostly bothered he can't go to his favorite shops in the midst of NYC actions. The latter, again involves his yearning to shop, but also a flagrant disregard for following safety measures which include (during the height of covid) dinner parties, travel, and not masking properly or at all. There is a brief mention of the hundreds of thousands of lives lost. But it feels like just another sentence added for flavor.
It felt gross reading these sections. As well as his mostly underdeveloped explorations of his fathers abusive behaviors.
I think its okay to skip this one!
However, this new collection feels wildly out of touch with reality. This is most seen in the entries about BLM protests and covid. The former has him dithering around like a feckless aristocrat mostly bothered he can't go to his favorite shops in the midst of NYC actions. The latter, again involves his yearning to shop, but also a flagrant disregard for following safety measures which include (during the height of covid) dinner parties, travel, and not masking properly or at all. There is a brief mention of the hundreds of thousands of lives lost. But it feels like just another sentence added for flavor.
It felt gross reading these sections. As well as his mostly underdeveloped explorations of his fathers abusive behaviors.
I think its okay to skip this one!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2022
As for my dad, I couldn’t tell if he meant “You won” as in “You won the game of life,” or “You won over me, your father, who told you — assured you when you were small and then kept reassuring you — that you were worthless.” Whichever way he intended those two faint words, I will take them and, in doing so, throw down this lance I’ve been hoisting for the past sixty years. For I am old myself now, and it is so very, very heavy.
When I finished David Sedaris’ latest volume of diary entries (A Carnival of Snackery), my biggest complaint was that it felt, overall, mean in spirit and in tone. And while the humour in Sedaris’ latest essay collection, Happy-Go-Lucky, can also cross the line from arch to snide, there’s something polished and refined in each essay — a narrative arc, space for comedic recalls, a thematic thread — that made it feel like there was a point to reading each, and I was entertained throughout. Further, as these essays were written during the last few years of his father’s life, Sedaris writes often here about their uncomfortable relationship, and where the author seems to have come to a place of peace about that relationship, I was touched. Proving himself, once again, to be a humorously caustic observer of modern life, Sedaris serves up everything here that I came hoping for. (Note: I read an ARC through NetGalley and passages quoted may not be in their final forms.)
As in Snackery, Sedaris likes to remind us here that he’s “made it” (mentioning in a couple of places that he has recently bought an original Picasso sketch, casually writing about all of the homes he owns [including recently buying the apartment upstairs from his in Manhattan’s Upper East Side so his boyfriend of thirty years, Hugh, can have privacy while practising the piano], referencing his obsessions with shopping, and high-end fashion, and first class hotels), but while the “diary” form of Snackery made Sedaris feel out of touch to me, the essays in this collection give him the room to show the human behind the outward appearances; the naked face behind the clown paint. Sedaris acknowledges that the pandemic was harder, in a lot of ways, for other people, but it was also devastating for someone like himself who craves travel and the attention of a live audience. It may be hard to feel sorry for a rich couple who lost their holiday home to a hurricane, but while Sedaris admits that there were others worse off — those who had no other home to go to — it was still a devastating loss to Hugh, whose diplomat father was forever moving his family one step ahead of the anarchy of failing states. And while living well might be the best revenge against a father who assured him his entire life that he was worthless and untalented, it’s hard to know how much (money, fame, stuff) would be enough to prove that point to one’s self. And so, along these themes (although Sedaris writes about much more than these themes in Happy-Go-Lucky), we find the ironic humour:
The terrible shame about the pandemic in the United States is that more than eight hundred thousand people have died to date, and I didn’t get to choose a one of them. How unfair that we lost Terrence McNally but not the guy on the electric scooter who almost hit me while he was going the wrong way on Seventh Avenue one sweltering afternoon in the summer of 2021. Just as I turned to curse him, he ran into a woman on a bicycle who had sped through a red light while looking down at her phone. Both of them tumbled onto the street, the sound of screeching brakes all around them, and I remembered, the way you might recall a joyful dream you’d once had, that things aren’t as bad as they sometimes seem, and life can actually be beautiful.
And the touching:
Through other people’s eyes, the two of us might not make sense, but that works in reverse as well. I have a number of friends who are in long-term relationships I can’t begin to figure out. But what do I know? What does Gretchen or Lisa or Amy? They see me getting scolded from time to time, getting locked out of my own house, but where are they in the darkening rooms when a close friend dies or rebels storm the embassy? When the wind picks up and the floodwaters rise? When you realize you’d give anything to make that other person stop hurting, if only so he can tear your head off again? And you can forgive and forget again. On and on, hopefully. Then on and on and on.
And the relationship with his father:
My father’s last words to me, spoken in the too-hot, too-bright dining room at his assisted living facility three days before his ninety-eighth birthday, are “Don’t go yet. Don’t leave.”
My last words to him — and I think they are as telling as his, given all we’ve been through — are “We need to get to the beach before the grocery stores close.” They look cold on paper, and when he dies a few weeks later and I realize they are the last words I said to him, I will think, Maybe I can warm them up onstage when I read this part out loud. For, rather than thinking of his death, I will be thinking of the story of his death, so much so that after his funeral Amy will ask, “Did I see you taking notes during the service?”
The title phrase “happy-go-lucky” doesn’t appear in this collection (although there is an essay of that name along with “Lucky-Go-Happy”), and in conjunction with the creepy clown cover picture (laugh, clown, laugh!) and the often cataclysmic material (the pandemic, the hurricane, social and political unrest, abuse and death and gun violence), I can only conclude that it’s meant ironically: Sedaris acknowledges that he is lucky to not have been materially affected during our recent financially challenging times, but despite being a comic writer expected to find the funny in the chaos, that doesn’t mean he’s always been happy. And that’s fair and totally relatable. There’s a lot of humanity on display in this collection and I’m pleased to have been an early reader.
July 6, 2022
This book, like all of Sedaris’s books, has laugh-out-loud moments that caused me to make a spectacle of myself when I was on the Light Rail. Beneath the humor are elements of sadness. It’s been a while since I’ve a book by Sedaris, so I’d forgotten just how cruel his father could be. In this memoir, his 98-year-old father dies, and it’s preceded by details of the last visits David and some of his sisters had with their father, who is now frail and not the verbally abusive monster he once was.
This also has funny recollections of his experience going through the pandemic. Even though he’s a writer, he’s such a successful one that in normal times, he spends a great deal of his year traveling around the world reading to audiences (unlike most writers who rarely peep out of their offices lest they have to encounter, gasp!, people). So, the pandemic hit him in different ways than those of us who were used to working from home, although we all experienced the I’m-not-wearing-a-mask-because-screw-other-people folks and the ghost towns and the shortages. David describes going to high-end places like the Four Seasons and a Ritz Carlton, but one was in a blue state and the other was in a red state. In the red state, "Out of habit I wore a mask into the lobby of my hotel and received the sort of looks I might get had I sported a HILLARY CLINTON t-shirt at a Klan rally."
In challenging times, you just need to laugh at the often-mundane lunacy of everyday life.
This also has funny recollections of his experience going through the pandemic. Even though he’s a writer, he’s such a successful one that in normal times, he spends a great deal of his year traveling around the world reading to audiences (unlike most writers who rarely peep out of their offices lest they have to encounter, gasp!, people). So, the pandemic hit him in different ways than those of us who were used to working from home, although we all experienced the I’m-not-wearing-a-mask-because-screw-other-people folks and the ghost towns and the shortages. David describes going to high-end places like the Four Seasons and a Ritz Carlton, but one was in a blue state and the other was in a red state. In the red state, "Out of habit I wore a mask into the lobby of my hotel and received the sort of looks I might get had I sported a HILLARY CLINTON t-shirt at a Klan rally."
In challenging times, you just need to laugh at the often-mundane lunacy of everyday life.
January 19, 2023
As noted in the comments below, I would not recommend Happy-Go-Lucky as the jumping off point to David Sedaris. There was definitely a darker tone to this release than any of his previous stuff. Mind you, it has been a darker time in general the past several years. He touches on all things COVID in a deliciously David sort of way . . . .
“The terrible shame about the pandemic in the United States is that more than eight hundred thousand people have died to date, and I didn’t get to choose a one of them.”
To an outlier, he might come off as someone with nothing but first world problems, or a privileged white male, or a one percenter. To established fans, you are well aware that HE is well aware he is all of those things.
The death of his father is also covered in this book – and there definitely seems to be a sort of “talk” (written) therapy where he spits truths that he was perhaps not brave enough to mention while his father was still alive. When he wrote of his mother’s passing, I felt like I grieved with the family and cried the ugly cry – with Lou I felt like a stranger who walked in on a private conversation that was not meant for me to overhear. Perhaps those entries should have been saved for a future “Diaries” submission, or maybe left on the cutting room floor completely, but obviously it is David’s call with regard to what parts of his life he shares with the public.
That being said, along with some of the dark, there is most assuredly plenty of light. Stories featuring Amy are always my favorite and they abound here. David (and Hugh) also hopped back across the pond purchasing not only an apartment on the Upper East Side, but the neighbor to the Sea Section on Emerald Isle as well. While stories of “The Rooster” were certainly missed, Amy, Gretchen, Lisa and Hugh more than brought the hardy-hars.
I read this back in March and wasn’t sure what to say. My rating is obviously weighted, as I am a Sedaris superfan. I gave it a re-read to see if the uncomfortable entries were as uncomfortable as I originally thought, and YEP – sure were! Buuuuuuuut, no Sedaris experience is complete without a listen too, and his delivery on audio helped lighten the vibe considerably on some of the eyebrow-raisers.
For all the #tldr people out there all you need to know is I will most assuredly continue to put my bra back on whenever my Darling David beckons.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
Read as part of the library’s Winter Reading Challenge – “Humor Me”
“The terrible shame about the pandemic in the United States is that more than eight hundred thousand people have died to date, and I didn’t get to choose a one of them.”
To an outlier, he might come off as someone with nothing but first world problems, or a privileged white male, or a one percenter. To established fans, you are well aware that HE is well aware he is all of those things.
The death of his father is also covered in this book – and there definitely seems to be a sort of “talk” (written) therapy where he spits truths that he was perhaps not brave enough to mention while his father was still alive. When he wrote of his mother’s passing, I felt like I grieved with the family and cried the ugly cry – with Lou I felt like a stranger who walked in on a private conversation that was not meant for me to overhear. Perhaps those entries should have been saved for a future “Diaries” submission, or maybe left on the cutting room floor completely, but obviously it is David’s call with regard to what parts of his life he shares with the public.
That being said, along with some of the dark, there is most assuredly plenty of light. Stories featuring Amy are always my favorite and they abound here. David (and Hugh) also hopped back across the pond purchasing not only an apartment on the Upper East Side, but the neighbor to the Sea Section on Emerald Isle as well. While stories of “The Rooster” were certainly missed, Amy, Gretchen, Lisa and Hugh more than brought the hardy-hars.
I read this back in March and wasn’t sure what to say. My rating is obviously weighted, as I am a Sedaris superfan. I gave it a re-read to see if the uncomfortable entries were as uncomfortable as I originally thought, and YEP – sure were! Buuuuuuuut, no Sedaris experience is complete without a listen too, and his delivery on audio helped lighten the vibe considerably on some of the eyebrow-raisers.
For all the #tldr people out there all you need to know is I will most assuredly continue to put my bra back on whenever my Darling David beckons.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!
Read as part of the library’s Winter Reading Challenge – “Humor Me”
June 14, 2022
I have read all of Sedaris' books, this being the latest one. and all my reviews say the same thing......funny, off the wall, zany. This one fits that description one more time except that it is a bit poignant as David and his sisters lose their 97 year old father who was a continuing presence in all his books. Sedaris does a bit of excellent self-examination of the family, their attitudes, and interactions surrounding their father's death and it is somewhat revealing. But he doesn't dwell on it and, as is his style, adds humor to the situation which is not offensive.
The author is not for all tastes but his fan base sits around waiting for his next book. I am one of them. He is a gem!
The author is not for all tastes but his fan base sits around waiting for his next book. I am one of them. He is a gem!
June 25, 2022
This may be my favorite David Sedaris book. It's not the funniest, thought it IS funny, but it's his most sincere. He takes some deep dives into his family dysfunction and gets pretty serious about his feelings for his very difficult father, and Tiffany, the sister who committed suicide. His love for his other sisters and his partner of 30 years is loud and strong, as is his appreciation of his fans. His Covid stories are hilarious and probably not that different from most of us. David Sedaris at his best.
If you are new to him and wondering where to start with his books, it's not this one. This is for fans who have followed him and his crazy family, so pick an earlier book and build up to this one. For those of you who are not fans, I get that too. He can be crude, is certainly irreverent, and is honest about his thoughts, no matter how it sounds. But he suits me, makes me laugh, and I'll continue to read his books as long as he writes them.
If you are new to him and wondering where to start with his books, it's not this one. This is for fans who have followed him and his crazy family, so pick an earlier book and build up to this one. For those of you who are not fans, I get that too. He can be crude, is certainly irreverent, and is honest about his thoughts, no matter how it sounds. But he suits me, makes me laugh, and I'll continue to read his books as long as he writes them.
July 18, 2022
reading this book is like chatting to a beloved grandparent and realising with dawning horror that they've started accumulating wildly intolerant and anti-woke views, so that while you're nodding and smiling one minute, the next you have a real yikes moment which makes you question everything you knew about them. 'a carnival of snackery' was heading in that direction, and this book is the final ick in the coffin for me.
i miss david being 44 and making wholesome little jokes about the french language, before he wished his father was dead and held superspreader events in his two new york apartments!
i miss david being 44 and making wholesome little jokes about the french language, before he wished his father was dead and held superspreader events in his two new york apartments!
March 25, 2022
I’m done reading Sedaris’ books. His pandemic stories were so tone deaf. I’m tired of listening to his “new” books and thinking with every other story: haven’t I already heard this?! Sure he’s got his funny moments, but his overall esthetic: “look at me, I’m a horrible person!” … I just can’t anymore.
August 16, 2022
I'm going to add some words to this review shortly. But for now, I'll let the gifs explain. I haven't done any reviews, much less reviews with gifs in a long time. David Tennant has been brought out of seclusion and well....
August 21, 2022
David Sedaris is back with his latest collection of essays, Happy-Go-Lucky, which are, of course, about his life yet again but a number are focused on two topics: the last days and death of his elderly father Lou and, inevitably, COVID.
When I first discovered Sedaris, I expected to laugh through most of his essays because a lot of those early collections turned out to be genuinely funny - Santaland Diaries, Me Talk Pretty One Day and Dress Your Family… all have comedy gems in them. Those books contained stories from Sedaris’ early life and, more recently, having exhausted his bank of funny stories about his childhood and early adulthood, his stories have been about his more-or-less present day life.
Which isn’t to say his latter books are bad - I don’t think he can write a bad book - but that they’re much less funny. They also have this unexpected appeal to them. Because I’ve read so many books featuring Sedaris’ family, picking up his latest book where we check in with them all once again is (as corny as it sounds) like catching up with old friends.
A bit like a literary version of Keeping Up With The Kardashians (maybe not the best comparison given I’ve never seen the show), you’re interested in the people, so, even if they’re not doing anything especially riveting or witty, it’s still sorta compelling to read about them because you feel you know so much about them already.
Which is the case with Happy-Go-Lucky: there’s nothing here that’s hilarious or even standout, but Sedaris’ easy charm, relaxed storytelling, and amiable observations produces an undeniably magnetic pull on me. The COVID essays - The Vacuum, Fresh-Caught Haddock and Lucky-Go-Happy - were the most fun if only to see the pandemic through Sedaris’ eyes (he’s terrible at food-hoarding).
The essays on his dad Lou - Father Time, Unbuttoned, Happy-Go-Lucky, A Better Place, Pussytoes, and Lady Marmalade - were also mildly entertaining, if not for bringing together Sedaris’ many siblings. They’re not particularly sentimental pieces either as Sedaris and his dad had a fractious relationship for decades, though he’s also not bitter about things either.
Lady Marmalade is the best essay on the subject, about how creepy Lou was when they were kids, which led to Sedaris’ youngest sister Tiffany accusing him in later life of molesting her (he didn’t - she was just nuts and a drug addict; readers of previous books might remember that she ended up committing suicide).
There were only two essays I really didn’t like: A Speech to the Graduates is a boring commencement speech at a university, and To Serbia with Love, about a trip Sedaris took (pre-COVID) with his friend Patsy to Serbia where they shopped and took cabs around the place.
There are various subjects covered in the other essays: Themes and Variations is about touring stories (also pre-COVID); Active Shooter is Sedaris’ thoughts on guns when he and his sister Lisa go to a shooting range for a lark; Bruised recounts a story from years ago when he was living in France and a young boy, just discovering his sexuality, repeatedly throws himself at Sedaris; Hurricane Season and Pearls are both love letters (of sorts) to his longtime partner Hugh; Highfalutin is similarly about his beloved sister Amy; and Smile, Beautiful is about the resolution of his longtime saga on his crooked teeth (“Play-Doh gums” is a great line).
None of the above are especially bad, nor are they especially good - they’re a mix of both, though ultimately their common feature is their un-memorability.
Do you like David Sedaris and have been reading him for years like I have? You’ll probably get something out of Happy-Go-Lucky. It’s not great but it’s also nice to see what he’s been up to recently too. If you’ve not read him before, I wouldn’t start here as it’s unlikely that you’ll see quite why he has such a large fanbase - start with Santaland Diaries, Me Talk Pretty One Day or Dress Your Family… instead.
Grandmother!
When I first discovered Sedaris, I expected to laugh through most of his essays because a lot of those early collections turned out to be genuinely funny - Santaland Diaries, Me Talk Pretty One Day and Dress Your Family… all have comedy gems in them. Those books contained stories from Sedaris’ early life and, more recently, having exhausted his bank of funny stories about his childhood and early adulthood, his stories have been about his more-or-less present day life.
Which isn’t to say his latter books are bad - I don’t think he can write a bad book - but that they’re much less funny. They also have this unexpected appeal to them. Because I’ve read so many books featuring Sedaris’ family, picking up his latest book where we check in with them all once again is (as corny as it sounds) like catching up with old friends.
A bit like a literary version of Keeping Up With The Kardashians (maybe not the best comparison given I’ve never seen the show), you’re interested in the people, so, even if they’re not doing anything especially riveting or witty, it’s still sorta compelling to read about them because you feel you know so much about them already.
Which is the case with Happy-Go-Lucky: there’s nothing here that’s hilarious or even standout, but Sedaris’ easy charm, relaxed storytelling, and amiable observations produces an undeniably magnetic pull on me. The COVID essays - The Vacuum, Fresh-Caught Haddock and Lucky-Go-Happy - were the most fun if only to see the pandemic through Sedaris’ eyes (he’s terrible at food-hoarding).
The essays on his dad Lou - Father Time, Unbuttoned, Happy-Go-Lucky, A Better Place, Pussytoes, and Lady Marmalade - were also mildly entertaining, if not for bringing together Sedaris’ many siblings. They’re not particularly sentimental pieces either as Sedaris and his dad had a fractious relationship for decades, though he’s also not bitter about things either.
Lady Marmalade is the best essay on the subject, about how creepy Lou was when they were kids, which led to Sedaris’ youngest sister Tiffany accusing him in later life of molesting her (he didn’t - she was just nuts and a drug addict; readers of previous books might remember that she ended up committing suicide).
There were only two essays I really didn’t like: A Speech to the Graduates is a boring commencement speech at a university, and To Serbia with Love, about a trip Sedaris took (pre-COVID) with his friend Patsy to Serbia where they shopped and took cabs around the place.
There are various subjects covered in the other essays: Themes and Variations is about touring stories (also pre-COVID); Active Shooter is Sedaris’ thoughts on guns when he and his sister Lisa go to a shooting range for a lark; Bruised recounts a story from years ago when he was living in France and a young boy, just discovering his sexuality, repeatedly throws himself at Sedaris; Hurricane Season and Pearls are both love letters (of sorts) to his longtime partner Hugh; Highfalutin is similarly about his beloved sister Amy; and Smile, Beautiful is about the resolution of his longtime saga on his crooked teeth (“Play-Doh gums” is a great line).
None of the above are especially bad, nor are they especially good - they’re a mix of both, though ultimately their common feature is their un-memorability.
Do you like David Sedaris and have been reading him for years like I have? You’ll probably get something out of Happy-Go-Lucky. It’s not great but it’s also nice to see what he’s been up to recently too. If you’ve not read him before, I wouldn’t start here as it’s unlikely that you’ll see quite why he has such a large fanbase - start with Santaland Diaries, Me Talk Pretty One Day or Dress Your Family… instead.
Grandmother!
July 13, 2022
Simon and I listened to this together. It was perfect for the garden walk we went on where we were traveling between gardens and enjoyed the short stories in-transit. David Sedaris is on top form once again with his unique wit and macabre humor.
This excerpt is from one of our favorites, To Serbia with love:
"Western privilege, it means when you are in Dakar or Minsk your embassy is open and staffed and you don't need to hand out bribes in order to get what you need. That spark you feel when an idea comes to you, this can work I can actually make this happen, is Western privilege as well. It may not be certainty but it's hope and if you think that's worthless try living in a place where nobody has it. Worse still, try getting a decent hotel room there."
This excerpt is from one of our favorites, To Serbia with love:
"Western privilege, it means when you are in Dakar or Minsk your embassy is open and staffed and you don't need to hand out bribes in order to get what you need. That spark you feel when an idea comes to you, this can work I can actually make this happen, is Western privilege as well. It may not be certainty but it's hope and if you think that's worthless try living in a place where nobody has it. Worse still, try getting a decent hotel room there."
July 22, 2022
There’s a lot to cringe at here — he has never seemed more of a boomer lacking in self awareness as he does in this collection, imo — but also a lot to smile at. (Someone needs to tell him YES, all those things do mean his dad was legit creepy and abusive, yes he should have believed his sister about it, and no those Covid dinner parties don’t hold up in stories as cutely as he probably assumed/hoped.) AND YET so many warm stories reeking of love and honesty, including/especially around his dad’s death, and pandemic spouse dynamics. Overall I liked this and like him, even though this wasn’t my favorite of his collections.
June 22, 2022
Sadder and sweeter than what came before, but still very funny. In this book Sedaris addresses the physical decline and eventual death of his father Lou who was not a good parent or a good person. No one talks about mourning a parent who one loves but does not like, and I was so moved and amused by this material. Sedaris also talks about his sister Tiffany, her sexual abuse allegations, addictions, and death by suicide. This is some heavy stuff and there is humor in there, but often not much. For me this was not a problem, but obviously different from most of his books. Add to that Trump, pandemic, natural disasters, school shootings, etc, and you will know you should expect a more introspective and solemn book than is his usual. The funniest parts of the book are those where he is with his sister Amy. They are hilarious together and I laughed along with these stories, even those stories where many not funny things happen. It was also fun to read more about Hugh, who is a presence in earlier books, but who is painted more vividly here than I have seen.
I am a fan of this one. I wavered between a 4 and a 5 here. There are a couple essays where Sedaris was really nasty and ungenerous in talking about the people he meets along the way, and where there was no punchline. Occasionally this was uncomfortable, and not illuminating or entertaining. I was also appalled by his joking about holding dinner parties in NYC during the lockdown. Of course he is selfish, always, that is part of the schtick, but there is selfish and there is fiddling while Rome burns. It is hard to like a man who believes his desire to dine with friends is more important than the health and safety of medical professionals at the hospital across the street from his apartment, Still these stories were the exception to the rule but it was enough to take a star.
I am a fan of this one. I wavered between a 4 and a 5 here. There are a couple essays where Sedaris was really nasty and ungenerous in talking about the people he meets along the way, and where there was no punchline. Occasionally this was uncomfortable, and not illuminating or entertaining. I was also appalled by his joking about holding dinner parties in NYC during the lockdown. Of course he is selfish, always, that is part of the schtick, but there is selfish and there is fiddling while Rome burns. It is hard to like a man who believes his desire to dine with friends is more important than the health and safety of medical professionals at the hospital across the street from his apartment, Still these stories were the exception to the rule but it was enough to take a star.
June 1, 2022
Personal nonfiction is plagued by an evil irony: The most dysfunctional people are those who survive well enough to write about how dysfunctional their victims are. Perhaps no living author has profited so well from it, nor sustained a “career” from it longer than David Sedaris. And, in this book, he’s pretty much impaled himself, his “comedy”, and his “family” on his “success”. His status as a veteran comic and publishing industry cash-cow have enabled him to “write” a sort of belligerent-yet-exculpatory confessional that would still be rotting on a hard drive somewhere, had it come from any other author. Among Sedaris’ “insights” are:
The closure of his favorite high-end stores was the real tragedy of George Floyd’s murder and the protests it sparked.
Tiffany’s allegations of sexual abuse from her and David’s father - a “man” David himself has described as emotionally toxic and obsessed with wealth - are delusional excuses for her “mess” of a life. Oh, and MeToo coddles psycho losers like Tiffany.
He reveled in his disobedience of COVID restrictions because he loves doing things other (poorer and sicker) people can’t do and he loves to watch vulnerable people scramble around the “strength” afforded to him by his privilege, fame, and wealth.
There’s obviously more, which you’re likely to find in other reviews. I summarized what I viewed as Sedaris’ absolute worst “writing” - not just in this book, but EVER. When he mocked Tiffany’s suicide years ago, I had assumed that was Sedaris at his worst. But, his race to the bottom apparently knows no limit. What is he chasing? If I had to guess, I’d say complete invisibility, if you can believe it. Sedaris is triggered to primal levels of violence by the mere presence of anyone who is or ever was exploited. No matter who they are or were, what they need or no longer need, he’s committed to perpetuating their exploitation unto death and beyond, until their humanity is stamped out by his monstrous punchlines and bad-faith rumination on human virtue. His behavior is not that of a raunchy comedian, but of a “man” too depraved for a world inhabited by people who will see him and, possibly, discredit what he stands for. Unwilling to improve himself for life in the world, and grimly aware of the world’s unwillingness to normalize him, Sedaris must erase as many of his “enemies” as he can.
The closure of his favorite high-end stores was the real tragedy of George Floyd’s murder and the protests it sparked.
Tiffany’s allegations of sexual abuse from her and David’s father - a “man” David himself has described as emotionally toxic and obsessed with wealth - are delusional excuses for her “mess” of a life. Oh, and MeToo coddles psycho losers like Tiffany.
He reveled in his disobedience of COVID restrictions because he loves doing things other (poorer and sicker) people can’t do and he loves to watch vulnerable people scramble around the “strength” afforded to him by his privilege, fame, and wealth.
There’s obviously more, which you’re likely to find in other reviews. I summarized what I viewed as Sedaris’ absolute worst “writing” - not just in this book, but EVER. When he mocked Tiffany’s suicide years ago, I had assumed that was Sedaris at his worst. But, his race to the bottom apparently knows no limit. What is he chasing? If I had to guess, I’d say complete invisibility, if you can believe it. Sedaris is triggered to primal levels of violence by the mere presence of anyone who is or ever was exploited. No matter who they are or were, what they need or no longer need, he’s committed to perpetuating their exploitation unto death and beyond, until their humanity is stamped out by his monstrous punchlines and bad-faith rumination on human virtue. His behavior is not that of a raunchy comedian, but of a “man” too depraved for a world inhabited by people who will see him and, possibly, discredit what he stands for. Unwilling to improve himself for life in the world, and grimly aware of the world’s unwillingness to normalize him, Sedaris must erase as many of his “enemies” as he can.
June 6, 2022
I’ve been reading David Sedaris books for twenty-five years, and it almost feels like we’ve grown old together. His snarky humor and acerbic wit are still strong, but over his last few books there has been a definite whiff of grumpy old man mixed in. And you know what? That’s okay. Dude has earned it, and it feels like a natural progression from the scathing humor of his youth.
In this volume we are treated to his take on Covid, the Lockdown, and the BLM protests in NYC. But the essays dealing with his problematic father’s death are the beating heart of this book. Sedaris has always written about his complicated relationship with his dad, but these essays about his last days and death are exceptionally raw. He lets the accumulated pain of decades pour onto his pages. This makes Happy-Go-Lucky one of his darker books, but Sedaris has been priming us towards this for a while.
In this volume we are treated to his take on Covid, the Lockdown, and the BLM protests in NYC. But the essays dealing with his problematic father’s death are the beating heart of this book. Sedaris has always written about his complicated relationship with his dad, but these essays about his last days and death are exceptionally raw. He lets the accumulated pain of decades pour onto his pages. This makes Happy-Go-Lucky one of his darker books, but Sedaris has been priming us towards this for a while.
June 6, 2024
trauma-dumping disguised as comedy (Sedaris makes light of his father’s abusive behaviour and tries to disprove his deceased-sister's assault???) in lieu of going to therapy.
November 23, 2023
Even a bitter Sedaris is still funny
Review of the Little, Brown & Company audiobook edition (May 31, 2022) narrated by the author, released simultaneously with the Little, Brown & Company hardcover original.
Happy-Go-Lucky consists of 18 recent David Sedaris monologues/mini-memoir-essays, some of them recorded in live performances. Themes and Variations (2020) appeared earlier as an Amazon Original Story which I reviewed as Funny as Ever.
Several of the essays relate to the COVID lockdown era and overall there seemed to be a more bitter and curmudgeonly tone to many of them. Topics included COVID, American gun culture, mortality and death esp. the passing of Sedaris' own father etc. So there were some rather grim areas where the humour is darker than usual.
In any case, I've been a long-term Sedaris fan and am ready to keep following him down the darker roads as well.
Bonus Track
A recent David Sedaris essay appeared in the New Yorker, November 20, 2023 which you can read at The Violence of the Rams.
Soundtrack
You Want it Darker by Leonard Cohen.
Review of the Little, Brown & Company audiobook edition (May 31, 2022) narrated by the author, released simultaneously with the Little, Brown & Company hardcover original.
The terrible shame about the pandemic in the United States is that more than 800,000 people have died to date, and I didn’t get to choose a one of them.
Happy-Go-Lucky consists of 18 recent David Sedaris monologues/mini-memoir-essays, some of them recorded in live performances. Themes and Variations (2020) appeared earlier as an Amazon Original Story which I reviewed as Funny as Ever.
Several of the essays relate to the COVID lockdown era and overall there seemed to be a more bitter and curmudgeonly tone to many of them. Topics included COVID, American gun culture, mortality and death esp. the passing of Sedaris' own father etc. So there were some rather grim areas where the humour is darker than usual.
Where I live now, in the UK, it’s hard to get a rifle and next to impossible to secure a handgun. Yet somehow, against all odds, British people feel free. Is it that they don’t know what they’re missing? Or is the freedom they feel the freedom of not being shot to death in a classroom or shopping mall or movie theater?
In any case, I've been a long-term Sedaris fan and am ready to keep following him down the darker roads as well.
Bonus Track
A recent David Sedaris essay appeared in the New Yorker, November 20, 2023 which you can read at The Violence of the Rams.
Soundtrack
You Want it Darker by Leonard Cohen.
November 14, 2022
4,5 (I guess it would have been 4 stars if it weren't for the great audiobook, spoken by Sedaris himself, partly in front of an audience)
I discovered (at least for myself) what makes Sedaris stand out as a comical storyteller: where others tend to add ten attempts to make us laugh with 1 actually funny and nine falling dead in ridicule or silliness, David remains serious, heartfelt and even philosophical with fewer attemps at LOL, but a far higher ratio of succeeding. In basketball terms: his shot selection is way better.
Mijn recensie voor Humo:
David Sedaris verkoopt wereldwijd miljoenen boeken, maar zijn naam prijkt zelden op de lijstjes van critici. Sinds zijn debuut blijft hij in het hokje van het lichte entertainment zitten, maar misschien kan ‘Happy-go-lucky’ daar verandering in brengen, want in dat boek legt hij meer dan ooit zijn persoonlijke perikelen bloot.
De Amerikaanse ‘koning der komische verhalen’ zweert niet plots zijn handelsmerk af: met meer verbazing dan oordeel serveert hij in ‘Happy-go-lucky’ hij achttien alledaagse anekdotes op een ondergrond van geestigheid. De thema’s zijn uiteenlopend: van #MeToo, het desastreuze succes van online shoppen, over de coronapandemie, objecten die vast komen te zitten in de anus, tot zijn man Hugh, de rage om selfies te maken bij de doodskist van een dierbare...
Sedaris is op zijn best wanneer hij taferelen beschrijft die ver van hem af staan: waar wrijving is, ontstaan vonken. Zo gaat hij als pacifist naar een schietstand en kan hij zich heerlijk naïef verwonderen over het enthousiasme van Amerikaanse wapenfanaten. Wie ooit ‘6 tot 8 zwarte mannen’ heeft gelezen, over de volgens Sedaris absurde traditie van een witte Sinterklaas met zwarte knechten, herkent het recept: door het contrast schetst hij verbijstering.
In veel observaties blijft Sedaris dicht bij zichzelf. In de microkosmos van zijn dagelijkse leven zitten tenslotte genoeg lijntjes naar de wijde wereld. Met het schaamrood op de wangen en vol zelfspot herinnert hij zich bijvoorbeeld hoe hij tijdens een etentje de zwarte vrouw van een bekende filmacteur verkeerdelijk voor de keukenmeid hield. De strenge introspectie die volgt, is goud waard.
Naast zulke zelfrelativerende bedenkingen doen vooral de passages over Sedaris’ pas overleden vader ‘Happy-go-lucky’ boven de lolligheid uitstijgen. Na 64 jaar van kleinering, fysieke agressie en twijfelachtig seksueel gedrag zit David met zijn broer en zussen aan het sterfbed. Is er alsnog ruimte voor verzoening met een man die in McDonald’s ooit een zwaarlijvige serveerster aansprak met: ‘Hé, hallo, Porky’? De verklaring van de vader: ‘Ze ziet er niet uit, en iemand moet haar dat vertellen.’ De zoon beschrijft knap de worsteling om mildheid te vinden bij het afscheid van zijn keiharde vader. Het is één van die fragmenten waarin het boek in de buurt komt van een gedegen memoir.
Verwacht van David Sedaris evenwel geen essayistische hoogstandjes en zoek in hem geen woordkunstenaar, dieptepsycholoog of maatschappijcriticus. Wel opnieuw present is de licht misantropische satiricus en chroniqueur van onze knotsgekke tijden, waarin deugden als zelfkritiek en zelfspot voortdurend vermorzeld worden onder de meningenpletwals.
Sommige komische passages zijn wellicht beter geschikt voor het podium en verder laat humor-allicht naast poëzie- zich het lastigst vertalen: vooral waar pointes en jargon van tel zijn, mistast het Nederlands weleens. Toch verdient Sedaris de naam van grappigste schrijver ter wereld vooral omdat hij níét voortdurend grappig probeert over te komen. Zoals in zijn toespraak voor een zaal vol studenten: ‘Je realiseert het je misschien niet, maar over dertig jaar zul je foto’s van jezelf tevoorschijn halen die op deze dag zijn gemaakt en denken: waarom heeft niemand me verteld dat ik zo ontzettend aantrekkelijk was? Je kunt het nu misschien niet zien, omdat je jezelf vergelijkt met de persoon naast je, of twee rijen verderop. Maar je bent een kanjer.’ Met ‘Happy-go-lucky’ dient Sedaris zijn toehoorders en zijn lezers een flinke boosterprik tegen cynisme toe.
https://www.humo.be/achter-het-nieuws...
I discovered (at least for myself) what makes Sedaris stand out as a comical storyteller: where others tend to add ten attempts to make us laugh with 1 actually funny and nine falling dead in ridicule or silliness, David remains serious, heartfelt and even philosophical with fewer attemps at LOL, but a far higher ratio of succeeding. In basketball terms: his shot selection is way better.
Mijn recensie voor Humo:
David Sedaris verkoopt wereldwijd miljoenen boeken, maar zijn naam prijkt zelden op de lijstjes van critici. Sinds zijn debuut blijft hij in het hokje van het lichte entertainment zitten, maar misschien kan ‘Happy-go-lucky’ daar verandering in brengen, want in dat boek legt hij meer dan ooit zijn persoonlijke perikelen bloot.
De Amerikaanse ‘koning der komische verhalen’ zweert niet plots zijn handelsmerk af: met meer verbazing dan oordeel serveert hij in ‘Happy-go-lucky’ hij achttien alledaagse anekdotes op een ondergrond van geestigheid. De thema’s zijn uiteenlopend: van #MeToo, het desastreuze succes van online shoppen, over de coronapandemie, objecten die vast komen te zitten in de anus, tot zijn man Hugh, de rage om selfies te maken bij de doodskist van een dierbare...
Sedaris is op zijn best wanneer hij taferelen beschrijft die ver van hem af staan: waar wrijving is, ontstaan vonken. Zo gaat hij als pacifist naar een schietstand en kan hij zich heerlijk naïef verwonderen over het enthousiasme van Amerikaanse wapenfanaten. Wie ooit ‘6 tot 8 zwarte mannen’ heeft gelezen, over de volgens Sedaris absurde traditie van een witte Sinterklaas met zwarte knechten, herkent het recept: door het contrast schetst hij verbijstering.
In veel observaties blijft Sedaris dicht bij zichzelf. In de microkosmos van zijn dagelijkse leven zitten tenslotte genoeg lijntjes naar de wijde wereld. Met het schaamrood op de wangen en vol zelfspot herinnert hij zich bijvoorbeeld hoe hij tijdens een etentje de zwarte vrouw van een bekende filmacteur verkeerdelijk voor de keukenmeid hield. De strenge introspectie die volgt, is goud waard.
Naast zulke zelfrelativerende bedenkingen doen vooral de passages over Sedaris’ pas overleden vader ‘Happy-go-lucky’ boven de lolligheid uitstijgen. Na 64 jaar van kleinering, fysieke agressie en twijfelachtig seksueel gedrag zit David met zijn broer en zussen aan het sterfbed. Is er alsnog ruimte voor verzoening met een man die in McDonald’s ooit een zwaarlijvige serveerster aansprak met: ‘Hé, hallo, Porky’? De verklaring van de vader: ‘Ze ziet er niet uit, en iemand moet haar dat vertellen.’ De zoon beschrijft knap de worsteling om mildheid te vinden bij het afscheid van zijn keiharde vader. Het is één van die fragmenten waarin het boek in de buurt komt van een gedegen memoir.
Verwacht van David Sedaris evenwel geen essayistische hoogstandjes en zoek in hem geen woordkunstenaar, dieptepsycholoog of maatschappijcriticus. Wel opnieuw present is de licht misantropische satiricus en chroniqueur van onze knotsgekke tijden, waarin deugden als zelfkritiek en zelfspot voortdurend vermorzeld worden onder de meningenpletwals.
Sommige komische passages zijn wellicht beter geschikt voor het podium en verder laat humor-allicht naast poëzie- zich het lastigst vertalen: vooral waar pointes en jargon van tel zijn, mistast het Nederlands weleens. Toch verdient Sedaris de naam van grappigste schrijver ter wereld vooral omdat hij níét voortdurend grappig probeert over te komen. Zoals in zijn toespraak voor een zaal vol studenten: ‘Je realiseert het je misschien niet, maar over dertig jaar zul je foto’s van jezelf tevoorschijn halen die op deze dag zijn gemaakt en denken: waarom heeft niemand me verteld dat ik zo ontzettend aantrekkelijk was? Je kunt het nu misschien niet zien, omdat je jezelf vergelijkt met de persoon naast je, of twee rijen verderop. Maar je bent een kanjer.’ Met ‘Happy-go-lucky’ dient Sedaris zijn toehoorders en zijn lezers een flinke boosterprik tegen cynisme toe.
https://www.humo.be/achter-het-nieuws...
June 23, 2022
One of his best. Happy-Go-Lucky hits the nail on the head when it comes to showing how things aren't always black or white — that they can lie within the confusing rainbow in between.
September 28, 2022
“At twenty-two, you are built for poverty and rejection. And you know why?
Because you're good-looking. You might not realize it this morning, but thirty years from now, you will pull out pictures of yourself taken on this day and think, Why did nobody tell me I was so fucking attractive?
You maybe can't see it now because you're comparing yourself to the person next to you, or two rows up.
But you are stunning.”
Insightful, dry and funny at times, Happy-Go-Lucky was enjoyable to listen too!
I’m glad I checked this out from the library and will be listening to other audiobooks by David Sedaris in the future.
Because you're good-looking. You might not realize it this morning, but thirty years from now, you will pull out pictures of yourself taken on this day and think, Why did nobody tell me I was so fucking attractive?
You maybe can't see it now because you're comparing yourself to the person next to you, or two rows up.
But you are stunning.”
Insightful, dry and funny at times, Happy-Go-Lucky was enjoyable to listen too!
I’m glad I checked this out from the library and will be listening to other audiobooks by David Sedaris in the future.
Read
October 20, 2023I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this one. I normally really like David Sedaris and have enjoyed many of his books in the past. There were definitely some essays in this latest collection that had me laughing out loud at times. But there was a lot in here that I found off-putting as well. His essays on Black Lives Matter and the Covid pandemic seemed particularly tone deaf. I also felt really uncomfortable with the essay on his sister's mental illness/allegations of sexual abuse and later suicide. His portrayal of her lacked compassion and did not do anything to shed light on mental illness, suicide or anything else. It felt like he was just airing his family's dirty laundry for the purpose of entertainment.
If you have enjoyed David Sedaris in the past, then you may enjoy this book. If you've never read him before, I wouldn't suggest starting here.
If you have enjoyed David Sedaris in the past, then you may enjoy this book. If you've never read him before, I wouldn't suggest starting here.
July 25, 2022
For my wife and I, the release of a new David Sedaris book is a capital-E event. We'll load it up on audible and begin to look for opportunities to take to the road and give it a listen. Sedaris' writing coupled with his wry narration and knack for impersonation make for an endearing listen each time. I preferred this collection to Calypso and especially dug Sedaris wrestling with the pandemic and the death of his father.
This may not be the best place to start (see When You Are Engulfed in Flames), but it's certainly another feather in Sedaris' cap.
This may not be the best place to start (see When You Are Engulfed in Flames), but it's certainly another feather in Sedaris' cap.
July 4, 2022
{4.5} Thank you David Sedaris with providing me with so much laughter (and a few tears) over the past couple days! Probably not his best and maybe at another time I would have given it just 4 stars, but it was the right book at the right time. I wished it could have been twice as long.
December 18, 2024
4.25 ⭐️ (rnd 🆙 for continued excellence) — Sedaris is such a uniquely gifted writer, whose brand of humour can only be experienced in order to fully appreciate its depth, nuance & subtly. He’s in great form here and I found this an excellent, fun ride. David writes about o my what he experiences, and here the highlights are undoubtedly his slow, deliberate unwrapping of his family dynamics, most notably his own & his siblings relationship with their patriarch, at the age of 96. A funny bloke, who writes with an understated strength that’s often overlooked, given it laden with such gut-juggling laughs. This time round it is his Covid-19 pandemic topic matter that brings the most rib-tickling pain as Sedaris takes us from pre-pandemic to supermarket-panic right thru to isolation & back again.
David Sedaris once again wields his acerbic wit & incisive observations to construct a narrative that is both intimate & is assuredly plus universally, resonant. Happy-Go-Lucky straddles the absurd & the poignant with an almost disarming ease & frankness, reminding readers why Sedaris remains one of contemporary literature’s most distinctive voices.
At its core, the collection wrestles with the complexity of familial relationships, particularly Sedaris’s evolving—and often unresolved—feelings toward his father during his decline and eventual death. Sedaris lays bare the profound ambivalence of watching a once-formidable parent deteriorate. He captures this emotional turbulence with characteristic candor, blending moments of aching vulnerability with sharp-edged humor. The result is an unflinching exploration of grief, guilt, and the enduring, maddening enigma of parent-child dynamics.
What elevates Happy-Go-Lucky is Sedaris’s unparalleled gift for self-deprecation. Even as he recounts moments of tension or absurdity, he (almost) never places himself above the fray. Instead, he skewers his own shortcomings with such hilarity & precision that means one cannot help but literally laugh-out-loud, even when his barbs are aimed inward or at a target you may find dear.
However, one must note a slight misstep: Sedaris’s decision to weave his political leanings—albeit subtly—into a few essays feels unnecessary. While these asides are far from heavy-handed, they risk alienating some readers and detract, however briefly, from the otherwise universal appeal of his reflections.
Ultimately, Happy-Go-Lucky is a testament to Sedaris’s mastery of blending levity with gravitas. With his signature blend of humor and pathos, he transforms the deeply personal into something profoundly relatable. If you’ve ever wrestled with your own ambivalent feelings toward family—or simply want to laugh at the absurdity of it all—this book will leave you with both a smile and a lump in your throat. A richly rewarding read, that’s a must to pair with Audible as Sedaris reads his words as only he can, inc a nice smattering of live event readings as well.
David Sedaris once again wields his acerbic wit & incisive observations to construct a narrative that is both intimate & is assuredly plus universally, resonant. Happy-Go-Lucky straddles the absurd & the poignant with an almost disarming ease & frankness, reminding readers why Sedaris remains one of contemporary literature’s most distinctive voices.
At its core, the collection wrestles with the complexity of familial relationships, particularly Sedaris’s evolving—and often unresolved—feelings toward his father during his decline and eventual death. Sedaris lays bare the profound ambivalence of watching a once-formidable parent deteriorate. He captures this emotional turbulence with characteristic candor, blending moments of aching vulnerability with sharp-edged humor. The result is an unflinching exploration of grief, guilt, and the enduring, maddening enigma of parent-child dynamics.
What elevates Happy-Go-Lucky is Sedaris’s unparalleled gift for self-deprecation. Even as he recounts moments of tension or absurdity, he (almost) never places himself above the fray. Instead, he skewers his own shortcomings with such hilarity & precision that means one cannot help but literally laugh-out-loud, even when his barbs are aimed inward or at a target you may find dear.
However, one must note a slight misstep: Sedaris’s decision to weave his political leanings—albeit subtly—into a few essays feels unnecessary. While these asides are far from heavy-handed, they risk alienating some readers and detract, however briefly, from the otherwise universal appeal of his reflections.
Ultimately, Happy-Go-Lucky is a testament to Sedaris’s mastery of blending levity with gravitas. With his signature blend of humor and pathos, he transforms the deeply personal into something profoundly relatable. If you’ve ever wrestled with your own ambivalent feelings toward family—or simply want to laugh at the absurdity of it all—this book will leave you with both a smile and a lump in your throat. A richly rewarding read, that’s a must to pair with Audible as Sedaris reads his words as only he can, inc a nice smattering of live event readings as well.
July 9, 2022
"humor" essays that mostly were just the entitled whining of an old rich white man. this was so incredibly disappointing. there were a few instances where i chuckled, but this was just not what I've come to expect from him - throughout the whole book i kept finding myself thinking "holy shit, has he always been like this and i somehow didn't notice?" i don't think that's the case though? a lot of the stories made me feel kind of gross.. there was a ton of complaining about how he personally was put out by not being able to go shopping when his high end shops closed at the beginning of the pandemic, a very off-putting chapter where he spoke about traveling to poor countries as some kind of poverty tourist, a chapter where he basically outs a queer teenager.. etc. the worst bit by far for me - MAJOR cw for detailed mention of sexual abuse via parent and suicide - was a chapter about how, before she killed herself, his younger sister had been telling their family for years that their father had sexually abused her when she was a child; david then recounts his own memories of extremely inappropriate and troubling behavior their father exhibited (many sexual comments regarding his attraction to his daughters, unbuttoning his daughter's shirt during dinner to show everyone at the table her new bra, making david himself remove his pants and underwear and bend over with his legs spread for minutes at a time while his father just... stared at his ass?!) and then, somehow, despite all of these horrifying anecdotes, he concludes the chapter by saying that unfortunately his sister was crazy and their dad never molested her? it was so fucking upsetting to read, i almost quit the book entirely at that point. aside from the general horror of it all, why he would even write about this shit in a book of "humor essays" is so fucking far beyond me. what a betrayal to his sister to not believe her to begin with, but to publish a story about how crazy she was to claim she was abused is so, so fucked up. i do not understand what the goal was there or why none of the editors etc who read the book pre-publication stepped in. jesus. 1/5.
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