I'm being told that this is funny... but so far all I want to do is gather David Sedaris into my arms and rock him back and forth and tell him everything is okay.

Okay, finished. Is it really supposed to be funny? I found myself pretty saddened by most of the stories. He's got a great writing style and I definitely felt pulled into each of the stories, but I think I felt more empathetic than anything.

Especially in "C.O.G":

I didn't want to quit my job. Quitting involved a certain degree of responsibility I didn't want to assume. Rather, I hoped that Jon might remove that burden and dismiss me as soon as possible. I had felt contempt for him, even occasional hatred, and now I was fighting the urge to feel sorry for him. He must have known it, and clearing his throat he proceeded to cut me off at the pass.
"Let me tell you a little something," he said finally. "I don't appreciate being used. I'm not talking here about all the free coffee and rides I've given you. I mean used in here." He meant to point at his heart but, swerving to pass another car, wound up gesturing toward his lap instead. "You're a user, kid. You used my tools and my patience and now you want me to pat you on the head and tell you what a good little boy you are. But you know what? You're not a good boy. You're not even a good girl."
More, I thought. More, more

There's definitely similar themes in each story. He has low self esteem, he sees himself as weak and effeminate and hardly useful. He has strong ties to his family, although he isn't exactly sure why. Sure, they are told with a whimsical air, but I couldn't help but pick up on the self hatred and run with it. Maybe it's where I feel in my own life, but at the end of each story I reflected on his assessments and had to stop myself from breaking down.

In 'Naked' someone asks him the question 'What if everybody in the world were allowed one wish, but in order to get it, it meant they'd bave to crawl around on their hands and knees for the rest of their life?'

His observation:

If I could have the face and body of my dreams, what good would it do me if I had to walk around like an animal? Mabe if I were to wish for happiness, I wouldn't mind crawling -- but what kind of a person would I be if I were naturally happy? I've seen people like that on inspirational television shows and they scare me. Why did I have to think about this in the first place?

I enjoyed his stories and I will most likely read more but I'll have to up my anti-depressant dosage first.

لیترالی قهقهه زدم موقع خوندن بعضی از قسمت‌های کتاب. عالی بود. و ترجمه‌ی فوق العاده.

I love the word "zany" because it sounds like what it means. And David Sedaris is zany and writes zany books. I must admit however, that this is not my favorite. It may be due to the fact that it is only his second book and he had not quite hit his stride. That certainly isn't to say that it is not funny because it is but not the "laugh-out-loud" quality of his later works. Some of his essays are about three pages too long but are still quite amusing. Sedaris is one of a kind and I highly recommend his books to those who have a sense of humor that is slightly askew......like me!!!