So often Sedaris's phrasing is beautiful in its piquancy and minimalism...His life is extraordinary in so many ways - the drug addiction, the eccentric family, the crazy jobs, the fame, the globetrotting - but one of the more unlikely achievements here is in making it all seem quite ordinary. Ultimately, his masterstroke is in acting as a bystander in his ... Read moreown story
Guardian
He makes me laugh so much. In an era when US satire is outpacing our own he's a sharp, humane and hilarious voice that never fails to make you smile - and sometimes weep. Apparently effortless humour is difficult, and precious. He's the real thing
James Naughtie
Radio Times
A deadpan, darkly comical portrait of the American underbelly . . . Sedaris shares something of [Alan] Bennett's detached curiosity, and they both have a thirst for amusement
Craig Brown
Mail on Sunday
These are scenes of family life at its best, written with clarity but also with great affection, through which the character of the author emerges, watchful, self-mocking and full of understanding.
TLS
This is a man who could capture your heart and lift your spirits while reading out the ingredients of a rice cake. OBSERVER
'Mr Sedaris's humour is dry, witty and consistently successful.’
ECONOMIST
'Sedaris is like an updated Thurber: domestic, laconic, slightly warped but never bitter, and extremely funny.’
CULTURE, SUNDAY TIMES
'His best, funniest, most satisfying book.’
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