When You Are Engulfed in Flames - David Sedaris

So, I don't know about you, anonymous reader, but I have seen the cover of this book before. The striking skull painting, the nearly invisible title, and the intriguing lower-case author name. Yes. This strikes me as a book of substance.

Honestly, I wasn't really sure what to expect from When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris. As it turns out, When You Are Engulfed in Flames is a series of essays. Thusfar, I can see no common theme. Nothing ties these essays together, in my opinion, except quality. Also, just to clarify, when I say "essay," I don't mean that five-paragraph nonsense (foolishness, tomfoolery, claptrap, absurdity). It's more like a chapter's worth of description and reflection over a brief period of time.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames examines Sedaris's childhood, his close friends and family, his sexuality, his innate quirkiness, and other things in his life. It is humorous and engaging. Thusfar, I have read eight of his twenty-two essays in When You Are Engulfed in Flames (I wish there was a way to shorten this title, but it appreciates being completely said/read). My favorites of these essays have to be "The Understudy," "Roadtrips," and "That's Amore."

In "The Understudy," Sedaris describes a time in which he and his siblings are babysat (that just sounds morbid) by the cantankerous, unhygienic Mrs. Peacock, a woman so heinous that she forces the children to scratch her back, can only make sloppy joes, and punishes by using the children to pick up dog poo (which sounds more dignified than "turds," as Sedaris says). Sedaris's description of Mrs. Peacock and the ensuing antics that follow when he and his siblings are under her care are hilarious and, at times, reflective. Between complaining about the woman with both the imagination of a child and the sophistication of a writer, there are some genuinely reflective moments where Sedaris considers the possibility that Mrs. Peacock has some redeeming qualities. However, these moments are quickly eclipsed by Sedaris's admission that he'd rather think of the old woman as a total hag.

"Roadtrips" is a little bit more mature than "The Understudy," focusing on how Sedaris realized he was gay. Though he'd always had an inkling, it wasn't until he was picked up off the road by a couple in a Cadillac that he voices this. For those with more sensitive sensibilities, I'll spare you the gritty details, but Sedaris is confronting with a situation in which only the words "I'm a homosexual" can suffice. The essay then veers off into another story, this one about a male trucker that comes onto a rather shaken Sedaris. He declines the trucker's advances and chooses to walk instead.

"That's Amore" describes a spunky (by which I mean offensive) old lady named Helen who lives next to Dave and his partner Hugh. She is absolutely shameless. She hates minorities and the privileged. She attacks a deaf-mute at some point. Just a whole lot of old lady fun. Helen teeters on the line of crude and lovable, embodying the spirit of some disenchanted, streetwise hooker in the compact body that Sedaris says is as small as a ten-year-old girl's.

I really enjoyed When You Are Engulfed in Flames, or, at least, I've enjoyed it thusfar. There are some parts that are a little PG-13 or R, so if you're easily offended by some sexuality and crude language, then you might fare better reading something else. But if you're not, then this is a fantastic read. Sedaris is straightforward and clever. He speaks with what I think is the true voice of a writer. His writing tells a story. It's not an author showing off his writing skills; it's not a comedian telling a series of one-liners. But that doesn't mean there aren't any well-written, funny parts. Sedaris knows his book's identity and wastes no time beating around the bush, and his audience benefits from his expertise.