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What are readers saying about Naked?
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-08-12 02:30:03.
(Language: English)
   
David Sedaris is comic, interesting, flamboyant & independent. In his books, he recounts from personal experiences that reflect all these unique qualities he possesses without a care of having his vulnerability or sensitivity exposed. A funny yet strange memoir that just clicks with you.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-08-06 09:00:52.
(Language: English)
i just love Sedaris!SO fun, so smooth to read, and just ...so human!
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-10-07 11:15:13.
(Language: English)
This book was given to me and I was warned that I would laugh until it hurt. I did. This guy is a gift. His humor is so real and honest. The way he relates his life is so infused with humor you can't not laugh. Its a touch colorful. Suck up the prude inside you and take it for a spin. These stories are laugh out loud funny. (in fact, you may want to make sure you are totally alone when you read this to avoid strange looks when you burst out)
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-07-15 03:45:51.
(Language: English)
I picked up the book “Naked” by David Sedaris at a thrift store and it’s been collecting dust on my computer cabinet at home ever since. Not because I didn’t want to read it but because my floor-to-ceiling bookcases are crammed full and I just hadn’t gotten around to it yet. The reason for my sudden interest is due, in full, to a Facebook note that circulated yesterday instructing the reader to grab the first book nearest you and post the fifth sentence from page 56 as your Facebook status. “Pimps and circus clowns have been dressing that way for years." jumped off the page at me and after going through several pages on my train commute to work this morning, I was hooked. Perhaps because I can (painfully) relate, the section entitled "A Plague of Tics" where the author recounts his earliest memories of OCD, was hysterically funny to me. I tried to read it during my lunch break but was seriously afraid I was going to choke, I was laughing so hard – I had to put my fork down. I imagine even non-sufferers of this wretched and embarrassing absurdity of a disorder will find the humour in his comical narrative. I owe it to my Facebook friends for inspiring me to finally dust the cover and crack this one open. I haven’t laughed this much in one setting since watching Kevin James perform his onstage act “Sweat the Small Stuff”. I’ve barely gotten through the first few chapters, but I am completely enamored. More later . . .
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-01-20 09:13:51.
(Language: English)
Amusing and pleasurable read but not as funny as I expected. Many of his books are highly praised so one day I will try another.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-02-19 08:08:39.
(Language: English)
Road movies like "Rain Man" and "Midnight Run," meet your literary equivalent, David Sedaris's "Naked." Unfortunately, "Naked" is neither as touching as the former nor as funny as the latter (a movie I didn't find all that funny in the first place, but I digress).I had two big problems with this book, the first being Sedaris's incessant sarcasm. This may sound like a trivial gripe, but stay with me on this one. From page one, Sedaris doesn't hesitate in laying it on pretty thick when describing his family. Of course, without knowing anything about the author or his family, what is the expectation of the reader? It's difficult to find humor in the author's sarcasm when the reader has little context or information to determine that the author is actually being sarcastic!My other qualm is that in searching for the humor in his misadventures, Sedaris attempts to force a punchline into every paragraph of his anecdotes, sacrificing more genuine observations for cheap laughs.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-08-15 11:40:50.
(Language: English)
Honestly, this wasn't a bad book at all, however, I was disappointed. I have not read Sedaris before, and he does have some funny moments throughout the book. I think I just fall in the minority that wasn't overly impressed by "Naked". Unfortunately, it began to feel that the book was dragging, but that's because it didn't seem too funny to me. The only thing I can say about David Sedaris though is that he has probably led a much more adventurous life that most us ever will.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-08-23 09:47:34.
(Language: English)
Hilarious...great leisure reading.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-11-11 11:09:54.
(Language: English)
I really want to like this guy, but I just don't.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-06-19 11:39:25.
(Language: English)
If I had to describe “Naked†in two words it would be ridiculously funny. The novel is basically a collection of true stories from Sedaris’s life, described in a clever and witty manner. Although some of his stories are absolutely hilarious (i.e. When he went through a drama phase and started speaking in old English or when his dad keeps telling him stories of all the horrible things that can happen to him in life that are completely ridiculous), there are moments where you can feel he uses humor as a way of hiding all his insecurities, sadness (i.e. dealing with his mother having cancer), and hardship (i.e. accepting his homosexuality). It is basically a novel about him finding himself through all the experiences and the outrageous people he meets in his life. Although there are some stories that seem to drag a bit, I totally recommend this book because it will defiantly entertain you.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-05-16 12:26:25.
(Language: English)
I thought this story was a little too over the top. Kept me reading but I think Me Talk Pretty One Day was much more believable. I know he is a humorist but still.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-10-06 01:53:39.
(Language: English)
Ahhh, this is the Sedaris I've heard so much about! I read Barrel Fever and was a little confused as to what the fuss was all about. Now I understand! Sedaris is hilarious in his "my life has been nuts and you just have to laugh at it" way. There are some deep moments in the book though, to be fair. The story about his mother dying of cancer really cut through all the humor, straight to the core. Definitely an enjoyable, recommended book.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-05-25 01:57:12.
(Language: English)
This book, like all of Sedaris's books, is awesome. I couldn't put it down! I would have read it in two days if I had not limited myself to one or two essays a day, which I did because I wanted it to last as long as possible. This book is mostly about David's strange hitchhiking days and the strange people he met along the way. If you ever wondered if you live among freaks then you'll no longer be wondering after you read this book. What is crazy is that more than once, MORE THAN ONCE, David ends up living with the people who give him a ride. It's for a short period of time, but still...but still...!!! You also get to learn about his days as an apple picker in an orchard and a very strange holiday...my favorite essay, DINAH THE CHRISTMAS WHORE. In this book, David comes to terms with his sexuality, escapes a dildo collecting redneck, learns how to cut jade into salable objects, and sleeps under his own paid seat on a Greyhound...now why would he do that? Read it and find out:) David Sedaris hits another home run. Most of these essays are about his hitchhiking adventures...and they are adventures. A few are about his strange and interesting home life. One of my favorite essays in the book is "Dinah the Christmas Whore". I could have read this book in two days but a wanted to savor it so a limited myself to one essay a day until I got near the end and I finally devoured it. This book is funny and sad and strange. It made me wonder who the hell are the people that I see every day? What are they all like? Are ANY of them normal behind closed doors? I know I have mentioned this before, but I only have 3 more books in the Sedaris collection to read before I run out, so I hope he's writing a new one. Especially since I know HOLIDAYS ON ICE is only about 100 pages long:( Naked is a great book and worth every penny that you'll spend on it. This book, like all of Sedaris's books, is awesome. I couldn't put it down! I would have read it in two days if I had not limited myself to one or two essays a day, which I did because I wanted it to last as long as possible. This book is mostly about David's strange hitchhiking days and the strange people he met along the way. If you ever wondered if you live among freaks then you'll no longer be wondering after you read this book. What is crazy is that more than once, MORE THAN ONCE, David ends up living with the people who give him a ride. It's for a short period of time, but still...but still...!!! You also get to learn about his days as an apple picker in an orchard and a very strange holiday...my favorite essay, DINAH THE CHRISTMAS WHORE. In this book, David comes to terms with his sexuality, escapes a dildo collecting redneck, learns how to cut jade into salable objects, and sleeps under his own paid seat on a Greyhound...now why would he do that? Read it and find out:)
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-11-06 09:14:47.
(Language: English)
When I read the terms 'sidesplitting', 'laugh-out-loud' and 'funny' on the back of a book, one usually expects said tome to be that way. I was sorely led astray by the spin doctors on this one. David Sedaris' memoir of his family, friends and travels have funny moments, it's true, but not near the level I was led to believe. If I am to believe he and his family actually acted the way they did, I would not be comfortable in that neighborhood. This is not the author's fault. I blame the people who were told to sell this tome as a comic piece when there's so much more than that. There's honest humor and then there's forced jokes. It's hard to tell, but it has the scent of a lot of forced jokes and not all of them hit the mark. It's no wonder he is on the receiving end of much of the abuse he details on his travels. Having passed through the phase where one believes the world is a personal oyster ripe for the shucking, the disappointment of reality seems strangely justified in his case. I can clearly see myself in role of the elder Mr. Sedaris, wondering what the hell this kid is wanting out of life and why he hasn't found it yet. If there is anything good to recommend here, 'Naked' should stand as a watermark for future prospective memoir authors to guage their own lives against his and judge whether they would hold up to the same standards. I can hear many saying aloud 'It could have been worse'.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-08-10 07:10:26.
(Language: English)
I read Naked on the recommendation of a great many people, and it may be because it was so highly recommended that I was somewhat let down. After being told time and again how clever and funny David Sedaris' writing was, I found it amusing at best, but never particularly enlightening or knee-slappingly funny. Naked is, simply, a collection of autobiographical essays relating to various events in Sedaris' life -- the years he lived with his grandmother, a youthful trip to Greece, adventures in hitchhiking and, as the capper, a visit to a nudist resort. Some of the stories are quite funny, others less so. A few are downright maudlin. There's nothing wrong with any of them, but I was never particularly engaged either -- chalk it up to personal taste. I don't really get into nonfiction unless I find the author or the subject matter particularly engaging. In the case of Naked, the author and subject matter are the same thing, and it's just not something I got excited about.
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T.J. posted a review at 2010-09-27 06:56:36.
(Language: English)
Short and sweet. Very funny little set of short stories from Sedaris. This is my first time reading him and I will be picking him up again soon. Laughed out loud many times.
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L. Elaine posted a review at 2011-01-14 02:19:09.
(Language: English)
The usual laugh-out-loud silliness from Sedaris, with occasional adroit touches of poignancy.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-05-01 02:16:45.
(Language: English)
I opened it without expecting much and was very pleasantly surprised. His humour is much more than just a collection of quips and jokes. It is a lens from which to examine life, a lens that is cruel at times but, more often than not, humanizing.
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maven posted a review at 2011-01-25 06:47:16.
(Language: English)
This book, a collection of short, biographical stories, was recommended to me by several people, after I'd asked about positive, uplifting books. While it didn't produce the full "laugh outloud" effect I'd been told it might, it was still an enjoyable book. The stories are apparently mostly true, exaggerated for humorous effect, though I was a bit unsure at first. Some points were a bit bothersome to me, but it was a good read.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-08-14 07:34:57.
(Language: English)
Easy read. With a great deal of internal dialogue revealed to the reader, I felt disarmed. The book, or rather the narrative voice gives readers permission to reflect upon the place where human spirit is hinged to ego followed by twists and turns that render ego mostly useless. Disarming in my reflection, allows for lettin it all hang out.
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A Reader posted a review at 2011-05-04 12:52:47.
(Language: English)
HALF WAY THROUGH...HILARIOUS!
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-09-20 11:45:00.
(Language: English)
I love all David Sedaris.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-01-10 06:13:02.
(Language: English)
i've read "me talk pretty one day" and "dress your family in corduroy and denim" and loved them. this one, i didn't love. maybe he was still honing his style since this is an earlier work. i found it meandering and redundant at times. it was sporadically funny. however, the story with him on the bus is stellar.
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Robin posted a review at 2011-06-08 05:10:11.
(Language: English)
This was my first David Sedaris book. It was lying around my backpackers in Queenstown. I read it and loved it. I am now going to read all his stuff even if it is only half as good. Brilliant Kerouac style stuff....
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-09-08 09:14:40.
(Language: English)
funny & interesting stories from the author's childhood. Although I probably don't need to tell you about it, I don't know who's left who haven't heard of David Sedaris by now. I was though confused by the fact that each chapter was an individual story that didn't link to any other story in the book. Don't get me wrong, the stories are still entertaining and make a full circle in themselves. I'm just used to a "book" having something that ties all of it together, outside of the characters in it. witty...funny... read it. :)
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