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Cover of Barrel Fever by David Sedaris

Barrel Fever

  • 256 pages · about 4 hours
  • First published 1994
  • 15 editions

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1 About this book

In David Sedaris’ world, no one is safe and no cow is sacred. A manic cross between Mark Leyner, Fran Lebowitz, and the National Enquirer, Sedaris’ collection of essays is a rollicking tour through the national Zeitgeist: a do-it-yourself suburban dad saves money by performing home surgery; a man who is loved too much flees the heavyweight champion of the world; a teenage suicide tries to incite a lynch mob at her funeral; a bitter Santa abuses the elves.

David Sedaris made his debut on NPR’s Morning Edition with “SantaLand Diaries”, recounting his strange-but-true experiences as an elf at Macy’s, and soon became one of the show’s most popular commentators. With a perfect eye and a voice infused with as much empathy as wit, Sedaris writes stories and essays that target the soulful ridiculousness of our behavior. Barrel Fever is like a blind date with modern life, and anything can happen.

Good for readers who want: humor and essays.

  • Humor
  • American wit and humor
  • Essays
  • Humor, essays
  • Short stories
  • Social life and customs
  • Ausgabe

2 About David Sedaris

Born 1956

David Raymond Sedaris ( sih-DAIR-iss; born December 26, 1956) is an American humorist, comedian, author, and radio contributor. He was publicly recognized in 1992 when National Public Radio broadcast his essay "Santaland Diaries". He published his first collection of essays and short stories, Barrel Fever, in 1994.

Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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