In order to understand why I am recommending David Sedaris’ When You Are Engulfed in Flames with such great emphasis, you must understand why I read in the first place.
I read to escape. In order to escape, I read fiction almost exclusively. Why would I read nonfiction when I’ve got plenty of that in my boring, nonfiction life already?
Now here’s the kicker – this review is of a nonfiction book, and I loved it. David Sedaris doesn’t give a fuck about your squeamishness and he certainly doesn’t adhere to normal social standards. He is completely unrestrained and unstoppable in this book about his life, which measures up to a collection of short stories about things you never thought you’d need to know (lancing a boil, for example). If he’s not making you sick, then Sedaris is making you pee with laughter. It’s a risk to pick up this book, but one I think worth taking.
Here are just a few topics that Sedaris covers: greasy babysitters, crazy neighbors, bitchy airplane passengers, and spider rearing. And the best part, for once, is that it’s real! This book is proof that the truth can really be crazier than fiction.
~Rebecca Leviton
JERK 