For David Sedaris, life is too strange and comical to make up. In this book, he recalls episodes of his life ranging from
the quirky, nostalgic memories of his childhood through the awkwardness of growing up to the still awkward and often ridiculous events of being an adult. With a sharp wit and intriguing voice, Sedaris challenges readers to remember their own warped recollections of life and how screwed up we all are.
‘Me Talk Pretty One Day’ traverses first through the innocence of youth—though anyone who has been a child knows the absurdity of that phrase. Beset with a lisp, David feels the burning sensation of embarrassment as he is forced to leave class every Thursday to meet with a speech therapist, Miss Samson, and begins his lifelong battle with the letter ‘s.’ The stories continue as David grows up, getting equally stranger and entertaining as he nearly simultaneously discovers drugs and art and the connection that is lost between them when one gets clean, the obsession of pets and muddled hierarchy of family members, the ability to teach and the lack of knowledge you need to do it, as well as various other jobs that are not worth the trouble and a few that are. All are engaging and enlightening, while a few may be disheartening but reflective.
The
second half of the book is a collection of David’s more adult (though not necessarily more mature) instances of life. He tackles the mystifying saga of relationships, living in a foreign
country, learning to speak in a foreign country and being able to understand what one is saying, the things one thinks of when you cannot sleep, and how the 5 Second Rule is an understatement for those who will eat anything. Sedaris attacks himself and anyone within reach with his insightful sarcasm, cutting to the core of human life and reactions to it.