Barrel Fever: Stories and Essays

What a tremendously disappointing read. If it weren't for the final story, Santaland Diaries, I would have only given this book one star, and only then because I couldn't give it less. I was not looking for a re-tread of "Me Talk Pretty One Day," but I was looking for something of comparable quality (which in "Pretty" was stellar), and this was NOT it. Meandering, pointless, humorless ramblings from someone who is capable of much better writing.
Only in Santaland Diaries do we get to see the Sedaris that crackles with dark humor and hilarious cynicism. I loved every word of this story and couldn't help but wish that the rest of the book had been this wonderful. My heartfelt advice is that you borrow Barrel Fever from the library, memorize Santaland Diaries, and ignore the rest.

I'd enjoyed David Sedaris's commentaries ("This American Life") on NPR from time to time, and friends kept telling me I'd like his writing, so I finally checked this slim book out. Belatedly I realized that the bulk (2/3) of it is taken up by 12 short stories and there are only 4 essays. Sad to say, the stories are pretty lacking, each is built around a single conceit which is well worn by the end. All are written from a first-person perspective which at times becomes indistinguishable from story to story. Persistent themes of homosexuality grow tired from repetition as well. Although there are a few bon mots scattered about, the stories' attempt at sardonic, satirical wit fall well short on the whole. For better results, check out Mark Jude Porier's "Naked Pueblo" or Ethan Coen's "Gates of Eden." The first three of Sedaris's essays are pretty basic riffs, entertaining, and well done, but nothing to write home about. However, the last, and longest--"Santaland Diaries"--is a classic, the kind of essay you'll take to the office photocopier to send to friends and family.

I must agree with many of the reviewers, after reading "Naked" and "Dress Your Family..." I expected this book to have me laughing out loud. I am now on page 79 and have smiled once - I don't remember at what.

In other books that Sedaris wrote, he turns ordinary real-life events into hilarious encounters. I read his other books and found myself rereading lines to friends as we both laughed out loud. Instead of writing about his life (and the lives of others around him), Barrel Fever is a collection of mostly fiction stories (12) with four essays at the end of the book. I found none of the fictional stories to be funny, nor any of the essays.

If you want to laugh out loud, read "Naked" and "Dress Your Family in..." If you must read "Barrel Fever," borrow a friends copy so you won't feel guilty about wasting your money.

As a general rule, I avoid audio books. The actual texts are cheaper, and I find that I get a fuller experience of the book when I read it myself.

David Sedaris is the exception to that rule.

Don't get me wrong; I love reading his work. I've read everything I can by him and enjoyed every mintue. The exception is that as much as I enjoy reading his work, listening to him read it is all that much better.

Sedaris' voice is perfect; soft and dry like his humor. And since most of these stories and essays are autobiographical in nature, his reading takes on a kind of life that you can't get by reading it, it becomes more like a friend telling an anecdote at a party, it becomes personal.

Anybody can be slapstick. Anyone can put on a goofy voice and make you laugh by being silly. David Sedaris gives you more to laugh about, and is all the better for it. When you find yourself laughing out loud at his soft spoken, earnest phrases, you'll laugh some more just because. It's a wonderful experience.

Barrel Fever

It's probably best to read Barrel Fever AFTER you have read all of Sedaris' other works. As other 3-star reviewers note, Sedaris' more recent collections are far funnier and better crafted and stylized. If you pick up Barrel Fever and have not read Me Talk Pretty One Day, you may get the false impression that Sedaris is a so-so writer whose is variably funny and witty. I prefer to look at Barrel Fever as an early photograph of what Sedaris would eventually fully develop and polish.

Many of the stories/essays in this collection are too short to give more than a cursory glance at their subjects. When you finally get to the last work, SantaLand Diaries, you feel like Sedaris has finally reached you as a reader, and you (hopefully) will forgive the previous missteps and awkward experiments in style. Barrel Fever has plenty of funny moments, but it is simply not nearly as mature as Sedaris' later books.

Like many other reviewers, I found the four essays that conclude this book much more engaging than the short stories at the beginning. This is not to say that the short stories are bad, just that they don't match up to the quality of perception in the essays. Sedaris probes into the dark humor of everyday life with a satirical wit and a pathos that is unmatched. Sedaris invites us to laugh at ourselves, and he does so in a way that leaves his audience gasping for breath. "Santaland Diaries" is a phenomenonal piece that alone makes the book worth reading.
As with most of Sedaris' work, the essays and short stories are written for the ear (i.e. read it aloud!).

My first introduction to David Sedaris in the late 90s was "Holidays on Ice," which I absolutely loved. I've read most of his books or listened to them as audiobooks, and the guy is hilarious and has been one of my favorite authors/essayists for years. Somehow I'd never picked up Barrel Fever, so I finally did.

The stories and essays were weird, raunchy, and sometimes pushed me out of my (relatively wide) comfort zone. There were laugh out loud moments to some stories, but others left me wondering how I benefited from reading them. I can see how David Sedaris has developed as a storyteller from these early character vignettes, but I doubt I'll want to read this particular collection again. (The main exception is "Santaland Diaries," which is also included in the "Holidays on Ice" collection.")

I agree with the other reviewers here... if you're new to Sedaris, pick up "Me Talk Pretty One Day" or "Naked" before reading this one.

Mr. Sedaris seems like a nice enough fellow...well, no, he's a curmudgeon and a bit snarky. Since this volume came out, he seems to rehabilitated himself and become the Literature Flavor of the Month, with notables like Me Talk Pretty One Day.

Still... most of the stories and essays in this volume are workman-like and quickly forgotten. They certainly don't suggest any really dramatic developments by this author. On the other hand, SantaLand Diaries is the one great thing in here and it's worth the price of admission (if barely). To get a wonderful human being like Sedaris dressed as an elf and relating his feelings in what has to be the worst job on earth: priceless.

Go, Crumpet.

While I have been a longtime fan of David Sedaris's, this book was clearly a first effort. There are some wonderful essays such as "Seasons Greetings to Our Friends and Family!", as well as his masterpiece, "The Santaland Diaries", but the rest were dead in the water. I understand them, they are to show us the hiden perversions in us all, but the above named essays would later reappear in his holiday collection for a reason: They were much funnier and more deserving of aclaim. Still, it was a good first effort, and I'm glad he became more polished and articulate.

I have to preface this review by telling you that I bought this book because the first Sedaris book I read (Me Talk Pretty One Day) had me laughing out loud. I couldn't wait to get more Sedaris, and had no doubt that I would love every word he has ever written. WRONG. Whoa, how wrong could I be? It's not that it is not a good book...but, although the stories (short, and crisply written) get and hold your attention, they are completely dark and depressing. Yes, I admit that Santaland Diaries was funny. But I guess I'd have to compare it to how you laugh when you hit your funny bone. You don't really want to laugh, because it really hurts, but you just can't help it...this book isn't for everyone--and I'll go with that assessment. I found this book to be far more tragic and depressing than I expected. Be prepared!

I brought Barrel Fever and Naked but decided to read Barrel Fever first. What a let-down. I had so many high expectations about Barrel Fever (most of the reviews on the store.com gave 4 or 5 stars) but it wasn't exactly the laugh-o-rama I expected. I agree with at least one of the reviewers - many of the stories were mean spirited. The Christmas letter was very disturbing - bordering on racist. Does David Sedaris actually hold these views or is he trying to parody those views? It's a fine line. The Santaland diaries were OK but not the laugh out loud experience I expected. Hopefully Naked will be better.

Having laughed out loud non-stop with "Naked", I was really looking forward to this book. What a let down! Can you say "disappointed"...? I knew you could.
Many of the essays seem to be the exact same basic idea that Sedaris develops so well in Naked, except that in Barrel Fever they are not developed, they lack the humorous punch, and they taste like warmed-up left overs that pale compared to the original meal.
For me, the fact that the essays were presented as an autobiographical theme was possibly what made Naked hysterically funny. In Barrel Fever, by contrast, autobiographical essays follow fictional essays, which makes the book somewhat disconnected and the reading less fluid. Perhaps it's inclusion of fictional essays that also leaves one with a bitter (almost hemetic) taste in one's mouth. It is one thing to laugh at someone's funny recounting of their amuzingly crazy family (and who cannot relate?) and quite another to laugh at the antics of a family (of which we know nothing and has no relationship wioth the narrator) which may include drowning a baby in a washing machine... Black humor is a fragile craft indeed, one that blows up if not handled carefully.

The phrase "laugh-out-loud funny" is thrown around a lot, but it's truly the best term to describe "Barrel Fever". This book is hilarious. David Sedaris' essays are full of ridiculous, delusional, and frighteningly normal characters who you both laugh (hysterically) at and at the same time can see parts of yourself in. David seems to understand that human beings are the funniest when they are the most self-unaware and plagued with delusions of grandeur. I'd also recommend "Naked" and "Me Talk Pretty One Day".

If you liked NAKED, you'll like BARREL FEVER. David Sedaris succeeds at fiction almost as well as he does at non-fiction. All the stories in this book prove that Sedaris is funny as hell and that he can write pretty darned good too. Just thinking about the story "The Last You'll Hear from Me" still makes me laugh just thinking about it. I want "The Bible says that it's all right to cast the first stone if someone dead is telling you to do it" engraved on my headstone.
If you haven't read NAKED, pick it up first. If you have read NAKED and liked it, you must buy this one too.

Some of the stories in this book are merely entertaining while some of them have you laughing out loud no matter where you may be. But all of them are darkly bizarre, with a twist of bitterness that doesn't wholly overshadow the optimistic resignation. These things might happen, you might know these characters, but no matter how bad it is, you can't fail to see the humor in it all. David Sedaris has a biting wit and shows that, even in the worst of all possible things, you can still make fun of others and yourself

Do not drink while reading "SantaLand Diaries," the final piece in Barrel Fever. Do not drink milk, water, soda, scotch, or anything liquid. It is is so milk-out-the-nose funny you should keep your reading area liquid free until you're done imbibing this story.
Buying this book just for SantaLand Diaries is well worth whatever you pay. It is witty and wild and Sedaris demonstrates an understanding of human nature like a seasoned sociologist or psychologist but with a wicked sense of humor. It's the kind of story you want to take to a neighbor, a friend, a complete stranger just so they can have a laugh this good.

I just finished reading the book "Barrel Fever" by David Sedaris. I found humor in many of the stories but beware: this book is no for everyone. Let me give an example: A man has a full time job working a Santa elf and describes how he hates every child and person who comes through the door. One notable passage from the story is "'I'm gonna have you fired.' I've had two people say that to me today. `I'm gonna have you fired.' Who do these people think they are? Go ahead be my guest. I work as a elf at a department store. I felt like leaning over and saying `I'm gonna have you killed.'" If you found that funny, then you will love this book. The book is composed of multiple stories and "essays", such as "The Diary of a Smoker" and "Santa Santa Land". The main theme of the book is humor and satire, which I found enjoyable. The characters range from a ditz who is dating Mike Tyson to a 35 year old man who is an elf at a department store, mentioned above. All the characters are humorous in their own twisted way. The main plot of these stories vary, but I can assure you that they almost always have adult themes in them. Some of the stories are not as humorous as others, but they won't make you quit reading. If you enjoy satire, I emphasis that you must read this. If you don't, I suggest you search elsewhere.

This collection of Sedaris stories is very uneven. Some of the pieces (Santaland Diaries and You Can't Kill the Rooster) are so funny I chuckled out loud. Others such as Parade, Glen's Homophobia Newsletter, and even Barrel Fever itself, simply aren't very entertaining and I struggled to understand what the author was reaching for.

I didn't find this collection nearly as polished as Naked, the only other Sedaris book I've read. I would recommend starting with that one.

David Sedaris' "Barrel Fever" is an odd hybrid of a book: stories together with essays? But a consistent tone and narrative style soon comes across in this slim volume of personal essays and fiction. Sedaris loves to blur the boundary between reality and delusion. His work displays a healthy dose of sarcasm, but the pieces are so slight they mostly fail to engage readers. After all, you can only sympathize so much with a man who rants from the grave and curses childhood friends for the smallest slight. As pure shock value, the stories work. His essays suffer from the same nasty tone. Only "SantaLand Diaries" creates a successful vision of the world. In this last essay, Sedaris relates his experiences working as an elf at Macy's Christmas display. Here, at last, Sedaris' wit combines with brilliant insights into human nature. You'll get the feeling the rest of the book was just an excuse to get to this concluding piece.

I liked it... Not my favorite David Sedaris but definitely an appropriate end to read the week of Christmas.. My favorite are always his true to his life stories. The rest are entertaining but I could do without

David Sedaris' wildly funny, in your face collection of short stories and essays pulls no punches and delivers on all cylinders the dark humor and absolute brilliance of comic power. Sedaris tells his stories of hidden perversion, inner demons, family termoil and much more with empathy and wit. Stories ranging from a crazy affair with the baddest man on the planet, a suicide letter read at the funeral of manic backlash, and a bitter, sad Bad Santa. Sedaris' later work is much better but this one is a great introduction.

Surely one of his lesser appreciated works, but with good reason. "Me Talk Pretty" and "Naked" are eons ahead in terms of style, wit, and humor. "Barrel Fever" is much darker and lacks the polish and playful tone that won him Time magazine's 2001 Humorist of the Year award and the Thurber Prize for American Humor. If you're an audio-book enthusiast Sedaris has no equal for delivery and punch. Highly recommended.

So I feel compelled to write a review. This book is absurd. It is strange. It sometimes is uncomfortable to read. I didn't love it the first time I read it and it has grown on me like a fungus. I certainly understand why lots and lots of people don't like it but I would like to impress on those who are reading the reviews that the book is not BAD, just a little unpolished. It seems that the speaker is a chain-smoking, neurotic, self-absorbed, outcast whose mind can never slow down. And these are those 3 am rants that pop up in his brain. Any they are funny, in a really dark way.

David Sedaris is an absolutely hysterical writer and this book does not disappoint. His stories are always quirky but yet truthful and make me laugh out loud. The only thing better than reading a story he has written is listening to the audio version of it b.c there is just something about his slightly annoying voice that makes the stories sing.

This predecessor to 'Naked' doesn't quite deliver the goods the way Sedaris' later book does. A mix of fiction and essays, Barrel Fever swings from weird and funny to just plain weird. The essays, highlighted by his priceless 'Santaland Diaries', far outstrip the fiction. In any case, inconsistent Sedaris is still worth a read.

Anyone who can actually sit down and read this book without laughing to the point of having tears streaming down their face and a sore stomach should really learn to lighten up and get off the prozac, because it ain't working. The opening story about his love affair with Charlton Heston, Mike Tyson, and going on Oprah is one of the funniest pieces of comedy I have ever come across. The letter read at the funeral and the disfunctional family newsletter at Christmas are two other gems from an overall jewelry case. Like the richest of desserts, the book concludes with the laugh out loud Santaland Diaries. I'm telling you--it's a perfect introduction to an amazing comedic genius. Don't pass up "Naked," "Me Talk Pretty One Day," or "Dress Your Family..." either!

David Sedaris' skill as a humorist is very well developed, but may be a bit dark and twisted for some. Once I got through the first few stories, I really began to enjoy the characters. Sedaris seems to alternate between two narrative characters. One voice so unaware of others that their utter lack of social skill is hilarious. The other is comically dry and witty, and at the time is keenly observant of emotion. His personal essays are very funny. His irreverence for just about everything makes for a great read.

David Sedaris has a caustic painful witty sense of humor. His book is a quickie, a comic book in its attention span. This is good because to linger in the world of these bitter, self-absorbed people would be degrading if prolonged. Sedaris can evoke the paranoia and mania of teenagehood in a convincing way.

Another collection of essays from a brilliant wit who you know you love to read. It's like I've said in my reviews before. There's no need to review each book when I can just give the author a blanket endorsement and guarantee you'll love whatever you find by the guy. I love it when that happens. I may have annoyed Jan by laughing out loud too often. Sedaris is like that.

There is much love in his writing. Even when his characters are disdaining others, there is love. It's refreshing that a writer who has such a sharp merciless eye could also be so loving towards his subjects. It's quite a feat. Most people do one or the other but not both at the same time.

If you aren't afraid of Santa Claus, Mothers, Smoking, or Apartment Decorating, you will be after reading this book. David Sedris Exposes us all to the underbelly of even the most innocent things, and, trust me, you will be the better person for viewing this soiled, desperate seam of life.

He never ceases to amaze me with his "warped" humor and distinct outlook on life. He can find someting funny in any subject and when teamed up with Amy, his sister, you just wonder how the family made it this far. Talk about disfunctional!!! But in a "good" way....

This collection of stories and essays by David Sedaris definitely contains a lot of variety. Overall, I found the way the stories were dripping with sarcasm delightful. Some stories were a bit dry, but others such as "SantaLand Diaries" and "Diary of a Smoker" had me laughing out load. However, the best stories I found were the ones such "Season's Greetings to our Friends and Family!!!" which I had to think about before fully understanding and laughing at their humor. I would definitely like to read more of Sedaris' works, especially those based on his real-life experiences as, overall, I found the collection of essays in this book more entertaining than the stories.

Boy, David Sedaris can write! But don't expect an uproarious read. What you'll find here is warped, stinging satire of life's underbelly, sometimes sad, sometimes shocking, sometimes funny. Always true to life though. Sedaris kicks us through life's meanness with his tongue in his cheek.

I stumbled onto "Naked," thoroughly enjoyed it and was looking forward to this one. But...ick! The first 2/3 - the stories - were too mean-spirited, and only the last third - the essays - reminded me of why I'd sought this out. He definitely does real life better than fiction.

I was extremely excited to receive my copy of Barrel Fever. After having read "Naked" and "Me Talk Pretty One Day" I was thoroughly looking forward to another laugh out loud event. I was severely disappointed however when I finally got to read "Barrel Fever" strikingly not funny and dark to a fault, I had to force myself to read the whole collection. The stories that were the first and main part of the book were depressing and twisted. It was easy to tell that it was attempting to be humor but was falling drastically short. Three of the four essays that concluded the book were flat and boring and made me regret buying the book at all. The final essay however, "Santaland Diaries" was the diamond among all of the coal. Wonderfully funny, this last essay reminded me that, yes, I was still reading David Sedaris. If you are thinking about buying the book, borrow it from a friend and read "Santaland Diaries", but skip the rest.

David Sedaris' work as a writer is top notch. This book, however is not up there with the rest. The essays at the end of the book are the typical Sedaris gems (The "SantaLand Diaries" are almost worth the price alone), but I think the short stories are for a rather limited readership. In the same way that I am not all pumped up about "Def Comedy Jam" or The Latin Grammy's, the short stories did not strike me as entertaining. The writing is superb, but with the very gay-specific subject matter it is best to save this book for last in your quest to conquer David Sedaris.

Wow, what a great book! David Sedaris' characters and stories are bizzare yet very familiar. I coulndn't stop laughing. I've been telling all of my friends to read this book. I look forward to reading his other books.

I bought all his books thinking they are the same. Barrel Fever was only essays written in first person fantasy. Not based on reality. The ones based on his reality are the ones I find hilarious.

I LIKED:
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Me Talk Pretty One Day
Naked
When You Are Engulfed in Flames

DIDN'T LIKE:
Children Playing at the Feet of Hercules
Barrel Fever
Holidays On Ice
The Book of Liz

I read so many reviews that mentioned the SANTA LAND DIARIES that I absolutely had to read this book...the SLD while entertaining and fun was a bit of a disapointment. Most likely because the way some people talked about it I was expecting it to be the best thing DS had ever written...it isn't. I loved NAKED and Running with Scissors (ha just kidding I know that isn't DS) and ME TALK PRETTY ONE DAY and I think if you haven't read anything of his definetly go to one of these tried and trues instead. David is at his best when he writes non-fiction (or at least some sort of version of non-fiction) stay away from his fiction for the most part it disapoints when compared with his other stuff.

I stumbled onto Sedaris' "Naked," thoroughly enjoyed it and was looking forward to "Barrel Fever." But the first 2/3 - the stories - were too mean-spirited, and only the last third - the essays - reminded me of why I'd sought this out. He definitely does real life better than fiction.

Another bestseller from the humorist; I bought this in blind faith because it was a Sedaris. However, I admit I was a tad disappointed. In some of the essays, it felt like he was trying too hard to be funny; the stories seemed to lack the polish found in "Naked," "Me Talk Pretty One Day," or "Holidays on Ice."
If you must read this, borrow it from a library or buy it used.

I enjoyed his other titles, and picked this out based on a story I randomly read at the store. I thought it would be a great gift for a relative. Wrong! I will be returning the because there are so many other Sedaris books out there that I feel are more entertaining and lighthearted. Honestly I might have enjoyed it more if there were an introduction or forward from the author, explaining his frame of mind while writing some of these stories. They are macabre, bizarre, and at some points shocking, which on the whole are not bad things. But, having read Naked, and Me Talk Pretty One Day, the 'voice' in Barrel Fever just doesn't match up.

I first bought NAKED, and because I loved his writing style and dark humor I was compelled to buy BARREL FEVER. I even recommended BARREL FEVER to my friends and co-workers BEFORE I read it because I was SO sure it would be as wonderful if not more so than NAKED. But I was shocked, dismayed, taken aback by the book. It was not quite what I expected. I still love Sedaris' essays--VERY much! The struggling writing in me is terrifically jealous of his keen ability with the language and his twisted wit. But I was disappointed and a little disgusted with his fiction pieces. They are not for the timid of heart, so take heed, fellow booksmiths and bookworms.