Sedaris' essay collection is one filled with biting, dry humor. Unafraid to poke fun at himself and others, Sedaris shows an incredible ability to find the humor in death, addiction, and existential crises. His ability to characterize the people in his life through specific details helps translate the reality of them while also showing how interests, habits, and quirks can lend to the humor of everyday life.
The first part of the collection focuses primarily on his life growing up, coming of age, and discovering who he may want to be. The second part of the collection, primarily explores his new life in France with his partner, giving examples of Americanness outside of the American context. Through his own difficulties in learning the language, viewing Americans on vacation in Paris, and the juxtaposition between his view of events as a guy raised in the South and his partners' views as a child of American diplomats, Sedaris is able to paint what it means to carry one's culture and upbringing into a new "world."
Not enough good things can be said about this book and the insights it offers through the most unorthodox methods.
