Sedaris puts onto paper those thoughts that your twisted mind tries to eliminate when you sleep. You know those nasty little things you sometimes think, and you immediately say to yourself how could I think that?
I enjoyed reading this book so much that I have to put it up for mooching so others can enjoy reading it. That joy has already been shared by my fellow commuters, who would invariably look amused or alarmed when I would attempt to stop myself from laughing out loud while reading this book. ( )

Like many reviewers I found the inclusion of short fiction somewhat jarring. I bought this book after reading Me Talk Pretty Someday, and I guess I was expecting more of the same. Enjoyable enough, just not what I was expecting ( )

Collection of short stories (I didn't read them all, but thoroughly enjoyed "Glen's Homophobia Newsletter") and essays. Includes "Santaland Diaries," in which he recounts the Christmas he worked as an elf at Macy's Department store in New York. VERY entertaining! ( )

Pleasant series of stories about exaggerated characters and others from David's life and family including his time in France and working as an elf at Maceys ( )

I didn't like it as much as his memoir books but most of it was still entirely entertaining. As with many other Sedaris books, I generally prefer the audio book version, as his delivery fits so well. ( )

As always with Sedaris I either love or hate a particular story in a collection. That will never stop me from listening to them again and again. ( )

It was a bit of a shift for me to read Sedaris' older short fiction in contrast to his laugh-out-loud autobiographical works. I feel the same as the other reviewers here. ( )

The fictional stories that comprise most of this book are just odd. I didn't find myself enjoying them much at all, especially the ones that are about imagined relationships with celebrities. ( )

Wicked funny in a dark and twisted way. Loved it! ( )

This book contains a number of Sedaris' fictional stories and a handful of his non-fiction essays. I find this juxtaposition somewhat jarring, especially considering how both sections feature stories using first-person narration. Also, I was taken aback by the very blatant similarities between the characters' life events and Sedaris' own life events (either mentioned in this book or in subsequent ones). For instance, in "My Manuscript," a fictional account, Sedaris has a character recall how his ill-fated guitar lessons were taught by a midget. Having read Me Talk Pretty One Day prior to this book, I remembered Sedaris retelling this story as an actual life event. I found it thus difficult to get into the short stories. Although some of them still made me chuckle, his humor here is sometimes too dark and/or too subtle. I enjoyed the memoirs section, but wish there was more of these essays rather than the fictional stories. Also, three of the stories are featured in Holidays on Ice, another book I had previously read. Overall, not as funny as some as Sedaris' later work, but still good for some relatively light reading. ( )

Not one of his best. I chuckled here and there, though. ( )

I've read all of the other David Sedaris collections at this point, and I have to say this one is my least favorite. I read the essays in the back first, and I liked all of them, though not as well as some of the others I've read by him. Most of the book is composed of his short stories, which I wound up not liking much at all. Some are really good ideas, and I appreciate them, but I just did not like reading most of them. There were one or two really good ones mixed in though, and of course they made me laugh, but I much prefer his later essays. ( )

The Christmas story "Seasons Greetings to our Friends and Family!!!", written in the style of a Christmas newsletter, is the most hilariously dark comic piece Sedaris has ever written. ( )

Some of the stories in this collection went a little too far into weird/gross for me. However, some of the stories and essays are excellent--darkly funny and well-written. Occasionally a sentence or two really struck me as particularly well-phrased. Two of the essays are also in Holidays on Ice. ( )

this old book is way more shocking than the newer ones, which is enjoyable in its own way. I continue to enjoy reading these Sedaris books for some reason. ( )

Once you read one of Sedaris's essays, you are compelled to read them all. ( )

This book is the funniest book I have ever read, I was reading it on my lunch break and could not stop laughing. David Sedaris does a good job of describing dysfunctional American family life. If you enjoy a twisted sense of humor you should check out essays by David Sedaris. My favorite in essay in this book is called Santa Dairies, he describes his part time work experience at a large department store. ( )

Not my favorite of his books; Me Talk Pretty One Day and Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim were much better. ( )

I had to suffer through some lousy stories to get to the essays. They were worth it.
July 2007 ( )

Though Naked is his most popular book, I think that Barrel Fever is his best, and funniest. It includes "The Santaland Diaries" -- the best he's ever written. If you read this and don't laugh out loud, I'll give you a buck.
--Michael

There's a meanness in this early short story work of Sedaris' that doesn't appeal to me. I like his newer books better.

Sedaris' view on life is wonderfully human and fallible. A great humorist. ( )

This was one of my least favorite books by Dave Sedaris, however, I still enjoyed it immensely. There's something special about his autobiographical stuff, and knowing that this collection was pure fiction made it a little less enjoyable for me. ( )

Not one of Sedaris' best, however, does contain the Santaland Diaries which is worth the book. ( )

Unsteady - the stories are solidly crafted, told with wit, but I really laughed only little. ( )