When You are Engulfed in Flames was my book club’s choice for September, and i only recently got around to finishing it. It was in high demand at the library.
I read Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim before i read this latest book, and i liked the earlier book much better. I liked reading about his youth in NC and about his family. Flames is primarily about Sedaris’ adult life living in France. It was still good, and the stories were still interesting; they just did not capture me the way Dress Your Family did.
I did get a very large kick out of the chapter where he was mistaken for an exotic house cleaner, and also the chapter about April the spider.
I may pick up another of Sedaris’ books one day, but i’m going to take a break from him for awhile.
November 6th, 2008 5:56 pm
The next one I recommend, when you are ready, is Me Talk Pretty One Day. That one and Dress Your Family… are my very favorites.