This summer I went on a David Sedaris binge. I read all of his books includingSantaLand Diaries, where Sedaris recounts his job as a 30 year-old elf in Santa Land at Macy's, New York. The book's cover featured Santa at the men's urinal. I wonder if Santa sued Sedaris for this unflattering image? The original 1997 Holidays on Ice book featured a frosted highball glass. The newest version from 2008, repackages the same stories from the previous decade, as well as a few new stories. The cover shows an elf-like figurine who has fallen through the ice. While one could make a case for irreverence, it doesn't send the same message as the high ball glass. I personally like the urinal image the best.
Since I believe in spreading Christmas cheer, I have purchased this book for some family members who need a good laugh. Not everyone can appreciate Sedaris' dark humor. Dinah, the Christmas Whore sends a strong Christian Good Samaritan message if one can read between the lines. Season's Greetings is the most outrageous satire of Christmas family newsletters that I've ever read. My ribs hurt for days from excessive laughing.
One of my favorite stories is not included in this book. Sedaris describes his struggle with finding the perfect Christmas gift for his partner Hugh (who he lives with in Paris). The perfect gift turns out to be a skeleton! Hugh, who is thrilled with this gift, decides that it should be hung in the bedroom. Sedaris laments about having to see the skeleton every morning upon wakening. I wish someone would give me a skeleton for Christmas.
In the new edition of Holidays on Ice are a few stories that I haven't read like Jesus Shaves and Six to Eight Black Men. Is it really tacky to give the relatives a slightly USED book?
Sedaris is brilliant :-) So glad to see you enjoy his stories as much as I do. Also glad you listed some I haven't read yet; time to find some more Sedaris.
ReplyDelete-w