Barrel Fever: Stories and Essays by David…

Barrel Fever: Stories and Essays (original 1994; edition 1995)

by David Sedaris

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
5,428	65	1,919	(3.66)	65
In David Sedaris' world, no one is safe and no cow is sacred. A manic cross between Mark Leyner, Fran Lebowitz, and the National Enquirer, Sedaris' collection of essays is a rollicking tour through the national Zeitgeist: a do-it-yourself suburban dad saves money by performing home surgery; a man who is loved too much flees the heavyweight champion of the world; a teenage suicide tries to incite a lynch mob at her funeral; a bitter Santa abuses the elves. David Sedaris made his debut on NPR's Morning Edition with "SantaLand Diaries", recounting his strange-but-true experiences as an elf at Macy's, and soon became one of the show's most popular commentators. With a perfect eye and a voice infused with as much empathy as wit, Sedaris writes stories and essays that target the soulful ridiculousness of our behavior. Barrel Fever is like a blind date with modern life, and anything can happen.… (more)

▾Book information

Member:	ylime74
Title:	Barrel Fever: Stories and Essays
Authors:	David Sedaris
Info:	Back Bay Books (1995), Paperback, 208 pages
Collections:	Your library
Rating:
Tags:	None

Work Information

Barrel Fever: Stories and Essays by David Sedaris (1994)

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When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris (LibraryRCDallas)

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Showing 1-5 of 64 (next | show all)

Once you’ve heard David Sedaris’ voice, you will always hear it when reading his works. That’s a plus for me—maybe not to everyone’s taste. Darkly funny, sharp and caustic, insights smothered in playful terrorism. Not the best of his works and the mixing of short stories and memoir can be a bit jarring but worth the time. (

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KurtWombat | Feb 3, 2024 |

Old Sedaris, and I think I like his last few books much better than this. But there certainly was some good stuff.

Listened to it on audiobook, voiced by Sedaris (including Amy in a few spots). (

)

steve02476 | Jan 3, 2023 |

I listen to it as a book on tape (yes book on tape it was a thrift store find. On tape is the best way to experience Sedaris' books. (

)

Thomas.Cannon | Dec 7, 2021 |

I believe this is David Sedaris's first book. It is more a book of gay humor, satirical and a bit cruel, than of personal experiences, enlightened by humor. It's a bit on the crazy side, like he has just let go of all his filters and lets whatever comes to him land on the page. No, I am sure not all filters. He takes a subject and just runs with it, wherever his wild imagination will go.

I wasn't excited by it. I suspect others like it or will like it a lot more than I did. (

)

slojudy | Sep 8, 2020 |

This was my first venture into Sedaris and I was thoroughly entertained. These stories and essays are very strong-willed none are alike, and they each reach so high and deliver that it is a great enjoyment to read them. This was great!

4.75 stars! (

)

DanielSTJ | Mar 7, 2020 |

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▾Series and work relationships

Belongs to Publisher Series

Diana Taschenbuch (250)

Heyne Allgemeine Reihe (81082)

Gli Oscar Mondadori - Piccola biblioteca Oscar (593)

Strade blu [Mondadori]

Is contained in

The David Sedaris Box Set by David Sedaris

Fuselfieber / Nackt. Doppelband by David Sedaris

Is abridged in

Barrel Fever and Other Stories (Abridged Audio) by David Sedaris

Cíclopes / Barrel Fever (Spanish Edition) by David Sedaris

▾Awards and Honors

Awards

Lambda Literary Award (Nominee – Humor – 1994)

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▾Common Knowledge

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Canonical title

Original title

Barrel Fever

Alternative titles

Original publication date

People/Characters

Important places

New York, New York, USA

New York, USA

Important events

Related movies

Epigraph

Dedication

To my mother, Sharon

First words

I was on "Oprah" a while ago, talking about how I used to love too much.

Quotations

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

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Original language

Information from the German Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.

Amerikanisch

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Canonical LCC

▾References

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Wikipedia in English (1)

Barrel Fever

▾Book descriptions

In David Sedaris' world, no one is safe and no cow is sacred. A manic cross between Mark Leyner, Fran Lebowitz, and the National Enquirer, Sedaris' collection of essays is a rollicking tour through the national Zeitgeist: a do-it-yourself suburban dad saves money by performing home surgery; a man who is loved too much flees the heavyweight champion of the world; a teenage suicide tries to incite a lynch mob at her funeral; a bitter Santa abuses the elves. David Sedaris made his debut on NPR's Morning Edition with "SantaLand Diaries", recounting his strange-but-true experiences as an elf at Macy's, and soon became one of the show's most popular commentators. With a perfect eye and a voice infused with as much empathy as wit, Sedaris writes stories and essays that target the soulful ridiculousness of our behavior. Barrel Fever is like a blind date with modern life, and anything can happen.

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Book description

5.00
5/2011

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