Thursday, 20 April 2006 04:38 pm
Dress THIS
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deckardcaninePrevious book reviews in my LJ have been sci-fis, with my religious reads relegated to an LJ community. This time I opted for a more mainstream, nonfiction selection. I had seen an excerpt of it, but that chapter was not very representative of the rest. It's Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim.
Before I launch into a review, let me tell you something. Some people have indicated that I have had a tendency towards negativity, and I never deny it. My mom used to call me Curmie, short for Curmudgeon. In more recent times, I've edged toward the positive side; nevertheless, there are few pieces of entertainment for which I can resist noting some room for improvement. Small wonder I've become a proofreader/editor.
But if I were to describe my family and other close acquaintances, I would say few if any unflattering things. They rarely annoy me, and even when they do, it's hard to fault them per se.
In the realm of David Sedaris, there are very few admirable character traits. It's not Running with Scissors, but the best of his relatives would take minutes to get on my nerves while others would be totally unbearable. He himself isn't much better for company, partly for his OCD but also for behaviors within his power to control. Even his boyfriend leaves me wondering what exactly they see in each other. Quirkiness is one thing -- I could deal with a family who had no concept of fixed bedtimes or mealtimes -- but when you go that far from various social customs, it's called rude if not uncivilized.
This brings me to the question of whether it's really that bad or these people have virtues major enough to redeem them. Offhand, it's hard to imagine the latter. Yet Sedaris freely admits that his family has gotten wary of him, both for judging them and for writing embarrassing stuff about them even when they seriously demand that he keep it off the record. (I realize there is a certain irony in calling someone judgmental, but hey, he said it before me.)
Then I started wondering what he would write if he knew me. It wouldn't be hard to capitalize on my idiosyncrasies. In his quest for interesting material, he would pick the same kind of interesting that's meant in "May you live in interesting times." If he provided enough information that people knew he was talking about me, visitors would come to my LJ only out of train-wreck curiosity if at all. He might even paint my excellent sister to look like a space slug. Figuratively speaking.
...That said, I enjoyed the book pretty well. Sedaris makes some noteworthy observations on humanity. Some parts are funny enough to make me grin. I especially like the last chapter, in which the unexpected arrival of a stranger causes him to look at his home as if for the first time -- and realize how much evidence unwittingly suggests that he's a violent psychopath.
I might read another David Sedaris book someday. But if he comes to speak at my local bookstore, I will steer clear of it until he's gone.
Before I launch into a review, let me tell you something. Some people have indicated that I have had a tendency towards negativity, and I never deny it. My mom used to call me Curmie, short for Curmudgeon. In more recent times, I've edged toward the positive side; nevertheless, there are few pieces of entertainment for which I can resist noting some room for improvement. Small wonder I've become a proofreader/editor.
But if I were to describe my family and other close acquaintances, I would say few if any unflattering things. They rarely annoy me, and even when they do, it's hard to fault them per se.
In the realm of David Sedaris, there are very few admirable character traits. It's not Running with Scissors, but the best of his relatives would take minutes to get on my nerves while others would be totally unbearable. He himself isn't much better for company, partly for his OCD but also for behaviors within his power to control. Even his boyfriend leaves me wondering what exactly they see in each other. Quirkiness is one thing -- I could deal with a family who had no concept of fixed bedtimes or mealtimes -- but when you go that far from various social customs, it's called rude if not uncivilized.
This brings me to the question of whether it's really that bad or these people have virtues major enough to redeem them. Offhand, it's hard to imagine the latter. Yet Sedaris freely admits that his family has gotten wary of him, both for judging them and for writing embarrassing stuff about them even when they seriously demand that he keep it off the record. (I realize there is a certain irony in calling someone judgmental, but hey, he said it before me.)
Then I started wondering what he would write if he knew me. It wouldn't be hard to capitalize on my idiosyncrasies. In his quest for interesting material, he would pick the same kind of interesting that's meant in "May you live in interesting times." If he provided enough information that people knew he was talking about me, visitors would come to my LJ only out of train-wreck curiosity if at all. He might even paint my excellent sister to look like a space slug. Figuratively speaking.
...That said, I enjoyed the book pretty well. Sedaris makes some noteworthy observations on humanity. Some parts are funny enough to make me grin. I especially like the last chapter, in which the unexpected arrival of a stranger causes him to look at his home as if for the first time -- and realize how much evidence unwittingly suggests that he's a violent psychopath.
I might read another David Sedaris book someday. But if he comes to speak at my local bookstore, I will steer clear of it until he's gone.
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