Something funny is always welcome, and Sedaris is known for his comic writing. I looked forward to reading this book because I thought it would short, funny and very hip. (I hadn't read much Sedaris before this; I'd read part of Dress Your Family in Coruroy and Denim.) But if you think you'd like to read Sedaris, I strongly recommend "Santaland," the story of Sedaris' stint as an elf in Macy's "Santa" department.
It's a collection of short stories that might be described as up-to-date fables. While Sedaris said that he did not think most of the stories had "morals," like Aesop's Fables, my take is different -- I thought that all the stories were really written with a very strong point of view about modern life.
This is book is described as a "modern bestiary," so it might be worthwhile to explain what a medieval bestiary, of "book of animals" was (part entertainment, part moral instruction).
The Canadian website "bestiary.ca" offers the following explanation:
I think Sedaris presents these stories for our edification in only a tongue-in-cheek, thoroughly post-modern sort of way. His gaze is unflinching and unsentimental; his satire of human nature and human conduct is strong.
My favorite story in the collection was the one titled, "Squirrel Meets Chipmunk." The squirrel and chipmunk have a wonderful romance until they run out of things to talk about and the chipmunk's family insists that she break off the relationship. Years later, she associates her vague memory of their courtship with the regrets she has about any beauty she failed to appreciate. It's one of the gentler stories.
"The Grieving Owl," also interested me greatly. The title character is an owl who grieves for his lost mate; he explains that he's given up telling folks about his loss because, as one seagull pointed out, that story of loss "is a real buzzkill." The owl captures prey (a rat, for instance) and insists that they answer his questions because the owl has real curiosity and a real thirst for knowledge. Because the owl has been associated with wisdom ("wise old owl, a symbol for the Greek goddess Athena), that makes sense in a traditional way. But there's plenty to offend, disturb, gross out and amuse in this story.
It's a collection of short stories that might be described as up-to-date fables. While Sedaris said that he did not think most of the stories had "morals," like Aesop's Fables, my take is different -- I thought that all the stories were really written with a very strong point of view about modern life.
This is book is described as a "modern bestiary," so it might be worthwhile to explain what a medieval bestiary, of "book of animals" was (part entertainment, part moral instruction).
The Canadian website "bestiary.ca" offers the following explanation:
In the Christian west, it was commonly believed that the natural world, the so-called "book of nature", had been arranged as it was by God to provide a source of instruction to humanity. This idea was based, at least in part, on biblical verses ..Animals were said to have the characteristics they do not merely by accident; God created them with those characteristics to serve as examples for proper conduct and to reinforce the teachings of the Bible. As the pelican revives her dead young after three days with her own blood, so Christ "revived" humanity with his blood after three days in the grave. .. ..All of Creation was said to reflect the Creator, and to learn about the Creator one could study the Creation.
I think Sedaris presents these stories for our edification in only a tongue-in-cheek, thoroughly post-modern sort of way. His gaze is unflinching and unsentimental; his satire of human nature and human conduct is strong.
My favorite story in the collection was the one titled, "Squirrel Meets Chipmunk." The squirrel and chipmunk have a wonderful romance until they run out of things to talk about and the chipmunk's family insists that she break off the relationship. Years later, she associates her vague memory of their courtship with the regrets she has about any beauty she failed to appreciate. It's one of the gentler stories.
"The Grieving Owl," also interested me greatly. The title character is an owl who grieves for his lost mate; he explains that he's given up telling folks about his loss because, as one seagull pointed out, that story of loss "is a real buzzkill." The owl captures prey (a rat, for instance) and insists that they answer his questions because the owl has real curiosity and a real thirst for knowledge. Because the owl has been associated with wisdom ("wise old owl, a symbol for the Greek goddess Athena), that makes sense in a traditional way. But there's plenty to offend, disturb, gross out and amuse in this story.
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