Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Review: Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris


Holidays On Ice collects six of David Sedaris' most profound Christmas stories into one slender volume perfect for use as a last-minute coaster or ice scraper. This drinking man's companion can be enjoyed by the warmth of a raging fire, the glow of a brilliantly decorated tree, or even the backseat of a van or police car. It should be read with your eyes, felt with your heart, and heard only when spoken to. It should, in short, behave much like a book. And, oh, what a book it is!

I read Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim a while ago and thought it was just so-so, but I figured this holiday collection would be fun to read this time of year. I have seen many positive reviews of this book, but I was disappointed.

The first story about Sedaris' time as a mall Santa Claus, made me chuckle in spots but I didn't find much humor in the rest of the stories. I found myself skimming until I reached the story about the ultra competitive neighbors. It wasn't ha ha funny, but did make me kind of laugh and roll my eyes.

The version I read was the original instead of the recently re-released one with extra stories. Maybe some of the new stories were better, but I think that Sedaris just isn't for me.

1 comment:

Sandy Nawrot said...

I've not read any Sedaris, although I know of a few diehard addicts. The reviews have been all over the board...I guess you either get his humor or you don't. I'm pretty sure I would be in your camp...