Jimellow

I read Me Talk Pretty One Day and thoroughly enjoyed it. When I did a search for other works by David Sedaris, it seems most are compilations of stories and essays, but as one that isn't familiar with him beyond that, I'm curious if he has written any other full length novels?

And if not, of the works he has written, are there any you recommend more than the others?

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ratbastid

As far as I know, he hasn't written any novels.

His other books include Naked, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim and the just-released When You are Engulfed in Flames.

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Jimellow

Thanks for the reply. I had already checked Amazon and they all seemed like essays and short story compilations; which is all well and good, but I'd like to read something more substantial and lasting next.

Sedaris reminds me a bit of Chuck Palahniuk, in that both seem to write very well, but also delve into essays and short stories instead of longer works; though Palahniuk has written more novels and covers a much more grim/harsh reality.

I really enjoyed Me Talk Pretty One Day, but really want to read a novel next.. Perhaps I'll check out one of his other works regardless.. It would also be neat to see his dramatic piece about the mall elf working his way to the role of Santa; as I really like topics and thought processes that are on a different level than the more common stuff.

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mystmarimatt

Sedaris doesn't write novels. He did write a play with his sister Amy (of Strangers With Candy fame,) but he pretty much squarely sticks to the nonfiction genre. If you go to thislife.org, he's read his stuff on This American Life numerous times, it's always a riot.

I'd also encourage you to perhaps question the idea that a novel is more substantial and lasting: one of the little realizations that come with reading a lot is that novels are often just clunky and overwritten and over-thought short stories and essays. That the shorter, the quicker is sometimes the better, and I find that it's especially true of Sedaris, if he wrote a novel, maybe his prose would wear out, or worse yet, the people in his stories.

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