Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

By: David Sedaris

Narrated by: David Sedaris

Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

In his newest collection of essays, David Sedaris lifts the corner of ordinary life, revealing the absurdity teeming below its surface. His world is alive with obscure desires and hidden motives, a world where forgiveness is automatic and an argument can be the highest form of love. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim is another unforgettable collection from one of the wittiest and most original writers at work today.

©2004 David Sedaris (P)2004 Time Warner AudioBooks

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Winner, Humor and Short Stories/Collections, 2005

"In his latest collection, Sedaris has found his heart. This is not to suggest that the author of Me Talk Pretty One Day and other best-selling books has lost his edge. The 27 essays here include his best and funniest writing yet....What emerges is the deepest kind of humor, the human comedy." (Publishers Weekly)
"Sedaris is a careful writer, with a no-muss, no-fuss style that rarely misfires." (The New York Times Book Review)
"Sedaris' piquant essays are as meticulously honed and precisely timed as the best stand-up comic routines, which is, of course, what they are....Sedaris, openly gay, nervy as a tightrope walker, sharply hilarious, teasingly misanthropic yet genuinely compassionate, has a unique ability to supply exactly the right details to bring every funny, awkward, ludicrous, painful, horrible real-life moment into harrowingly crisp focus....He is mesmerizing." (Booklist)
"Sedaris has a satirical brazenness that holds up next to Mark Twain and Nathanael West." (The New Yorker)

This semi-newcomer to Sedaris is sold

I have seen what may be the funniest one act play in history, "The Santaland Diaries" by David Sedaris, many times, so my expectations for this book was pretty high. What I found were moments that reached similar humorous peaks in the play, but what pleased me most was the humanistic side that was revealed.

It is key that he reads it himself-- his nasal, unpolished voice makes the revelations he offers about himself and those in his life engaging and endearing. Couple that with his masterful ability to spin a tale and you should have an entertaining as well as a moving experience.

One final bonus: each short story is a great length for audio format. One problem I have with unabridged books is that I can't review what I read last to resume where I left off. With a book of shorts, that isn't necessary.

Very Funny

This book is so funny, I laughed out loud. David Sedaris reads stories about his family and his boyfriend. The stories are unrelated and I listened to this over a few weeks. Very funny.

Dysfunctional family on parade.

Would you listen to Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim again? Why?

Yes. This book was so heartwarming and funny at the same time, two of my favorite feelings.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Paul, David's brother. He is so different from the rest of the family. He is simple, and country, and I think secretly David was more like him. Keep it Stupid Simple.

Which character – as performed by David Sedaris – was your favorite?

Paul, David's Brother. David has such a high pitched, feminine voice, and when he switched into full fledged North Carolina country bumpkin accent, I burst out laughing every time.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes. The story about the beach house, and how the family got so excited about it and finally had stopped fighting and had even grown closer in the process of looking for one...but then at the end of the day, David's parents were alcoholics and unreliable, and he had to sit with the fact that they were going to be that way for the rest of his childhood. I suppose it moved me cause I could relate.

Great Diversion

When you are finished searching for meaning in your audiobooks; when your commute demands some humor; when your mood is down-right foul... listen to David Sedaris - any title. I love his knack for monotone dry wit. His short stories make you believe they are all real and from actual experience (I believe them to be) however you just can't believe how hilarious the dysfunctional family can be. I still prefer Naked but this is fun; dark humor as it should be.

Excellent

David Sedaris is very funny, and his voice is the best way to listen to his writing.

hilarious!

This book had moments of humor whether morbid or not. The narrator's style of teaching the text made it all the more funny because it was like listening to a comedian who only uses vocal inflections at specific poignant times in the story. This matter the humorous parts of the stories all the more entertaining.

No one writes or READS a book like David Sedaris!

This is one of MANY amazing books by David Sedaris. Don't hesitate- get ALL of his audiobooks!!!

Good time pass

Good time pass, honest hilarious observation of mundane life. Felt sorry for tiffany, but David's detachment is understandable.

One of his best

This is a laugh out loud sort of book, which I think is rare. I would recommend it to anyone, especially if they are new to the work of David Sedaris.

Laugh out loud funny

A wonderful observation of the absurd in human behavior, but with poignacy and compassion. This is my first David Sedaris book but definitely not my last.