| PRODUCT DETAILS | | The David Sedaris Box Set |  | |
The David Sedaris Box Set
Star radio storyteller David Sedaris presents his collected works in one audio box set. The longest (at five hours) is his latest, Me Talk Pretty One Day, which contains two live performances from San Francisco. Welcome to a world where dogs outrank children, guitars have breasts, and Sedaris's fellow language-class students try to convey the concept of Easter to a Moroccan Muslim in their fledgling French (translated into English): "It is a party for the little boy of God," says one. "Then he be die one day on two ... morsels of ... lumber," says another. Sedaris is hilarious, and his Billie Holiday impression is amazing. The three-hour, Christmas-themed Holidays on Ice is the gem of the collection. It has his greatest hit, "SantaLand Diaries," a chronicle of his stint as an elf at Macy's, covering everything from the preliminary group lectures ("You are not a dancer. If you were a real dancer you wouldn't be here. You're an elf and you're going to wear panties like an elf.") to the perils of inter-elf flirtation. Other hits feature the crazed newsletter "Season's Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!!" and the prostitute coworker his sister brought home one Yuletide, giving "the phrase 'ho, ho, ho' whole different meaning." Barrel Fever contains the fulminatingly funny "Glen's Homophobia Newsletter, Vol. 3, No. 2" and "Parade," discussing the narrator's perhaps not fully plausible gay relationships with Bruce Springsteen, Mike Tyson, and Peter Jennings. Naked describes his adventures in a nudist colony, but his family tales are, as ever, nonpareil.
Manufacturer: Time Warner Audio Books
Price Range: $29.92 - $79.98
 The David Sedaris Box Set
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| User Reviews |  | Thus far, absolutely brilliant
rating: 5
I adore David's writing and can't imagine anyone more suited to reading it. His impressions are simply wonderful!
One tiny complaint/question: where's his Billie Holiday doing the Oscar Meyer Weiner song? Getting ahold of that was one of the main reasons I bought this collection. Who's taken it out and why?
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Could use more "live" tracks
rating: 3
David Sedaris is truly one of my favorite authors and I love to read his work. However, if you have never HEARD Mr. Sedaris' voice before, it takes some getting used to. At first it is almost painful to listen to because his voice is so... so... um... he sounds like Woody Allen doing a Woody Allen imitation.
Nevertheless, his live tracks are hilarious - a little less "in the microphone," if you will. If I could read and drive at the same time on my long business trips, that would be my preferred method of receiving David Sedaris' material.
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Hilarious
rating: 4
I would've given it 5 stars but it should get about 4.8 stars.
This is a brilliant idea. For people like me who get too easily distracted to read for entertainment, hearing it being read for you is so much better.
And the material David has is great. I first learned about David by way of his sister's work on Strangers with Candy, and got a book after I saw David on Letterman. And then I remembered I get too distracted when reading for fun, which has been a life long deal. So I got this on audio and it is a blast.
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Lost in Translation...
rating: 3
While it's great hearing David Sedaris' voice, it ultimately takes away from the experience. Sedaris' books are amazingly funny and dark; very witty stuff. They are best enjoyed in print form though, when the reader can inject their own tone and inflection into the words of the printed page. Hearing David Sedaris' interpretation somewhat lessens this experience.
However, if you're the kind of person who wants to enjoy a good book without the "hassle" of actually mustering the discipline to sit down and read (you people know who you are) then go ahead. But for all those half way intelligent humans who recognize the value of taking the time to sit down and turn the pages, just go buy his books and skip the audio versions. It's cheaper anyways.
In the end, while good, it's not worth it. Just buy the books.
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How Can You Beat This Price?
rating: 5
As a big fan of David Sedaris, I have loved listening to him read his stories on NPR even more than I have enjoyed reading his books. While I had wanted to purchase some of the audiobooks, they always seemed so pricy.
When I saw this box set on Amazon, I immediately added it to my wishlist. The quantity of stories and books in the set is amazing! I received it for Christmas and have been listening to it ever since.
My only qualm is that all of the packaging is cardboard, as opposed to traditional plastic jewel cases, so the box holding all the CD's has suffered some wear and tear over the months, but nothing too significant.
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The David Sedaris Box Set
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