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Happy-Go-Lucky
David Sedaris, the "champion storyteller," (Los Angeles Times) returns with his first new collection of personal essays since the bestselling Calypso.
Back when restaurant menus were still printed on paper, and wearing a mask-or not-was a decision made mostly on Halloween, David Sedaris spent his time doing normal things. As Happy-Go-Lucky opens, he is learning to shoot guns with his sister, visiting muddy flea markets in Serbia, buying gummy worms to feed to ants, and telling his nonagenarian father wheelchair jokes.
But then the pandemic hits, and like so many others, he's stuck in lockdown, unable to tour and read for audiences, the part of his work he loves most. To cope, he walks for miles through a nearly deserted city, smelling only his own breath. He vacuums his apartment twice a day, fails to hoard anything, and contemplates how sex workers and acupuncturists might be getting by during quarantine.
As the world gradually settles into a new reality, Sedaris too finds himself changed. His offer to fix a stranger's teeth rebuffed, he straightens his own, and ventures into the world with new confidence. Newly orphaned, he considers what it means, in his seventh decade, no longer to be someone's son. And back on the road, he discovers a battle-scarred America: people weary, storefronts empty or festooned with Help Wanted signs, walls painted with graffiti reflecting the contradictory messages of our time: Eat the Rich. Trump 2024. Black Lives Matter.
In Happy-Go-Lucky, David Sedaris once again captures what is most unexpected, hilarious, and poignant about these recent upheavals, personal and public, and expresses in precise language both the misanthropy and desire for connection that drive us all. If we must live in interesting times, there is no one better to chronicle them than the incomparable David Sedaris.
Back when restaurant menus were still printed on paper, and wearing a mask-or not-was a decision made mostly on Halloween, David Sedaris spent his time doing normal things. As Happy-Go-Lucky opens, he is learning to shoot guns with his sister, visiting muddy flea markets in Serbia, buying gummy worms to feed to ants, and telling his nonagenarian father wheelchair jokes.
But then the pandemic hits, and like so many others, he's stuck in lockdown, unable to tour and read for audiences, the part of his work he loves most. To cope, he walks for miles through a nearly deserted city, smelling only his own breath. He vacuums his apartment twice a day, fails to hoard anything, and contemplates how sex workers and acupuncturists might be getting by during quarantine.
As the world gradually settles into a new reality, Sedaris too finds himself changed. His offer to fix a stranger's teeth rebuffed, he straightens his own, and ventures into the world with new confidence. Newly orphaned, he considers what it means, in his seventh decade, no longer to be someone's son. And back on the road, he discovers a battle-scarred America: people weary, storefronts empty or festooned with Help Wanted signs, walls painted with graffiti reflecting the contradictory messages of our time: Eat the Rich. Trump 2024. Black Lives Matter.
In Happy-Go-Lucky, David Sedaris once again captures what is most unexpected, hilarious, and poignant about these recent upheavals, personal and public, and expresses in precise language both the misanthropy and desire for connection that drive us all. If we must live in interesting times, there is no one better to chronicle them than the incomparable David Sedaris.
Editorial Reviews
"Sublimely funny… Sedaris is back, doing the thing his readers have come to adore: offering up wry, moving, punchy stories about his oddball family… The pieces range widely, following the path of Sedaris's travels and his eccentric mind, but a through line involves his nonagenarian father… This is one of the more complicated relationships of Sedaris's life, and he is unflinching as he tries to understand who his enigmatic father was, and how living with him altered the shape of his own existence."―Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic
"Sedaris' signature wit has always thrived on the macabre, so perhaps it should come as no surprise that Happy-Go-Lucky is some of his darkest-and most astute-writing yet… No topic is out of bounds for Sedaris' acerbic humor and sharp observations."―Time
"Sedaris is funny-invariably. That's his gift… Even amid the overwhelming gloom of the pandemic, a summer of unrest and the death of a father toward whom he still has complicated feelings, Sedaris never loses his wit or his crack timing."―Tyler Malone, Los Angeles Times
"Consistently funny… when you're dealing with a talent as outsize as Sedaris's, even the missteps are fairly negligible… Rather, the lasting impression of "Happy-Go-Lucky" is similar to that of Sedaris's other books: It's a neat trick that one writer's preoccupation with the odd and the inappropriate can have such widespread appeal."―Henry Alford, New York Times Book Review
"A new collection of poignant, honest and funny essays… Sedaris is simultaneously amusing and brutal while unflinchingly exposing the ironies of his family and life in general."―Anita Snow, Associated Press
"Sedaris, a perennial contrarian, has entered into a comfortable late-middle age that could sink a less determined writer… Happily for Sedaris's fans, it will take more than prosperity to mellow him out: His trademark black humor and puckish misanthropy remain."―James Tarmy, Bloomberg
"The older Sedaris gets, the funnier he gets-if you don't mind your laugh out loud humor tempered with self-knowledge and compassion."―Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times
"Sedaris has long been frank about his lifelong disconnect with his father, but he has reflected more openly - and movingly - about it since his father reached his nineties… Happy-Go-...
"Sedaris' signature wit has always thrived on the macabre, so perhaps it should come as no surprise that Happy-Go-Lucky is some of his darkest-and most astute-writing yet… No topic is out of bounds for Sedaris' acerbic humor and sharp observations."―Time
"Sedaris is funny-invariably. That's his gift… Even amid the overwhelming gloom of the pandemic, a summer of unrest and the death of a father toward whom he still has complicated feelings, Sedaris never loses his wit or his crack timing."―Tyler Malone, Los Angeles Times
"Consistently funny… when you're dealing with a talent as outsize as Sedaris's, even the missteps are fairly negligible… Rather, the lasting impression of "Happy-Go-Lucky" is similar to that of Sedaris's other books: It's a neat trick that one writer's preoccupation with the odd and the inappropriate can have such widespread appeal."―Henry Alford, New York Times Book Review
"A new collection of poignant, honest and funny essays… Sedaris is simultaneously amusing and brutal while unflinchingly exposing the ironies of his family and life in general."―Anita Snow, Associated Press
"Sedaris, a perennial contrarian, has entered into a comfortable late-middle age that could sink a less determined writer… Happily for Sedaris's fans, it will take more than prosperity to mellow him out: His trademark black humor and puckish misanthropy remain."―James Tarmy, Bloomberg
"The older Sedaris gets, the funnier he gets-if you don't mind your laugh out loud humor tempered with self-knowledge and compassion."―Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times
"Sedaris has long been frank about his lifelong disconnect with his father, but he has reflected more openly - and movingly - about it since his father reached his nineties… Happy-Go-...
Readers Top Reviews
CjustjotterCerro
This book collects 18 different essays written by David Sedaris over the past few years. Note that MOST of these essays (at least 13 of 18) have already appeared in various magazines like The New Yorker, and are just collected here in one volume. There are about 258 pages in total. Sedaris has a pretty distinct writing style; which I would describe as some combination of conversational, matter-of-fact, and witty. It is easier to recognize than to describe, but if you like his style then I would imagine you'll enjoy reading this book. These essays are windows into his thoughts as he lives his life; often dealing with issues that many people will be familiar with, but likely from a different perspective than most people have. Sedaris covers a variety of topics in this book; from gun safety lessons, to interactions with family members, learning French, telling jokes, and dealing with his father's passing. He describes adventures with his comedian sister Amy, whom people might be familiar with from her own successful acting/writing career. Some of the essays recall events that happened many years ago, while others focus on more recent pandemic times. There isn't generally much connection between essays, and really it seems like they could be read in any order. Overall I liked the book; although for some reason I feel like I enjoy Sedaris' writing style in smaller doses. Perhaps that makes sense, as these were almost all essays that were stand-alone and individually published. Also the lack of general cohesion between essays makes this more of “read a couple chapters and come back to it later” kind of book, rather than something I would enjoy reading all of in one sitting. Just my personal opinion of course, you may feel differently. I suspect that anyone familiar with Sedaris and his writing style will not be disappointed, (unless you have already read most of these and were expecting new content).
Hayley414Cjustjot
David Sedaris never disappoints. He beautifully combines the hilarious and the heartfelt. Every chapter I find myself laughing out loud which is a real joy.
hmKindle Hayley4
Feels like David Sedaris just wants us to get off his lawn. But after he tells us how much he spent on imported specialty seeds harvested by a monk in a far away land. And to get off the lawn next door, because he owns it as well. Not very funny or relatable or charming, which i have come to expect from sedaris Updated to a generous 1 star. And yeah I think he abused Tiffany . Also really can't respect people who come out with their honest opinion about someone after they die. 3 for 3 on that.
BabycakeshmKindle
There is no way you could understand how in credibly great and funny this book is unless you take the chance and read it. I've giggled and roared throughout the read! Marvelous!
R. Patrick BaughB
Classic writing from one of America’s best humorists. And in bite-sized chapters, so perfect for the beach or poolside.
