Most of us would be lucky to be able to express ourselves in writing half as well as David Sedaris does in
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. But on top of his skills with the written word, the author also has substantial gifts as a performer, as he proves on the audio version of the book. But while the CD or cassette version of this collection is possibly the best bet for furthering your appreciation of the material, the book itself still showcases Sedaris's ability to capture the essence of his characters. Whether he's relating a tale involving his high-voiced brother Paul, or recalling times when he and his sisters tried to win good karma by speaking and acting like well-behaved, fairytale children, Sedaris's prose hits the right note in both the opening, comedic stories, and in the more poignant essays that tend to come later in the book.
In Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, Sedaris describes fights with his boyfriend, and of his sister-in-law's difficult pregnancy. When sister Lisa complains about the stories involving the family, he writes about that, too. Sedaris's latest book provides more evidence that he is a great humorist, memoirist and raconteur, and readers are lucky to have the opportunity to know him so well. Perhaps they are luckier still not to know him personally. --Leah Weathersby, Amazon.com
These are scenes of family life at its best, written with clarity but also with great affection, through which the character of the author emerges, watchful, self-mocking and full of understanding. (TLS)
This is a man who could capture your heart and lift your spirits while reading out the ingredients of a rice cake. OBSERVER ('Mr Sedaris's humour is dry, witty and consistently successful.')
ECONOMIST ('Sedaris is like an updated Thurber: domestic, laconic, slightly warped but never bitter, and extremely funny.')
CULTURE, SUNDAY TIMES ('His best, funniest, most satisfying book.')