Barrel Fever by David Sedaris

I love David Sedaris. So far I've read all but two of his books, have listened to a great many episodes of This American Life on which he is featured, and frankly I can't get enough. He's sarcastic and he has a special way of taking a bad situation and pointing out its badness in a hilarious way. He looks on the dark side of things, he embraces fears, and I like this about him. Too much positivity just isn't realistic, right? Why add sugar and water to lemon juice when it can be so distinctly pure and tart on it's own?

Anyway, I had already heard or read some of the stories in Barrel Fever by the time I got to it, but I was happy to read them again. Some people I know dislike the way he tells a story and don't value the negativity that often comes through, but like I said-- I'm into that. As long as negativity has a purpose, I'm happy for it to be there. He tells stories as he experienced them, as he viewed them, and I think they're so genuine and funny as a result. I enjoyed all the different stories in Barrel Fever as I've enjoyed the different stories in his other works. I like that he's not afraid to be that person who complains when complaining feels right, and that he's not afraid to pick out the worst traits in people to describe them. But maybe I'm going a bit too far in highlighting his knack for blatant mockery and resentment; I definitely don't feel bogged down by Sedaris. Quite the contrary. I have a good laugh at his stories. I can picture clearly the things he describes because he's so good at pinpointing things, and I think that's one of the things that makes his humor so successful.

Anyway, I like it. I like the format of essays, I like its inhibitions, and I like its humor. Two thumbs up.

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris

I'm a huge Sedaris fan, so I was definitely curious about this new book since it's his first entire book of fiction. That said, it's not too far off from his previous works. The same wit is certainly there, the same dark humor. And the animals in these short stories interact much in the same way that the humans in his other books interact. None are perfect, some are certainly redeemable, and others are completely loathsome.

While the animals are given human-like personalities, they behave still in animal ways. They still eat what animals eat, do what animals do, but interact in a way that is humanish. It isn't the kind of fiction where they're dressed up in clothes, and it isn't the kind of fiction you'd be wanting to read to a kid before bed (or at all), but it's very entertaining.

Along with the short stories, there are illustrations by Ian Falconer, which are far from his Olivia illustrations. They match Sedaris' humor-- funny, yet dark, and often either morbid or repulsive.

Personally, I thought this book was a lot of dark fun and I enjoyed it very much. It's easy to read in just a day since it's large type, but I spread it out into a few because I didn't want to rush through and devour it quickly as is my normal habit. For anyone who likes Sedaris, they will not be disappointed.