David Sedaris is a best-selling American humorist but did he tickle the ribs of club members?
Tyneside Book Club took in the lighter side of life in February as members read Me Talk Pretty One Day, a collection of humorous essays by American writer and raconteur David Sedaris.
There wasn't a lot of love on show for the book though, even if members did see qualities on show as well as deficiencies.
For many, the book just wasn't funny enough, even if most did find moments that amused them. Even those who had read and enjoyed Sedaris in the past, found themselves a little underwhelmed.
There was general agreement that Sedaris was a good writer, and it certainly wasn't a slog to go through the essays, but some found their interest waning as they waded through the collection.
The acid nature of Sedaris' humour left a little bit of a bad taste for some, with the sense that it was more at the expense of others than of himself. But there was also an acknowledgement that much comedy involves a degree of cruelty.
There were some parts that members felt had not dated well, and could have been seen as offensive, and some were surprised the book seemed closer to the knuckle than they had expected.
For some, it was a case of Sedaris overload. While they may have enjoyed reading the essays in instalments over a longer period, reading them in quick succession reduced their appeal.
Some members who were familiar with his work felt that Sedaris was better heard than read, whether on stage, or through his radio programmes. Much of what they had appreciated about his work was in his delivery, and that clearly wasn't as easy on the page.
There were though individual essays that appealed to members, and some did say the collection did deliver laugh-out-loud moments. There was a sense though that essays lacked any strong connective tissue and were unlikely to linger long in the memory.
There wasn't a lot of love on show for the book though, even if members did see qualities on show as well as deficiencies.
For many, the book just wasn't funny enough, even if most did find moments that amused them. Even those who had read and enjoyed Sedaris in the past, found themselves a little underwhelmed.
There was general agreement that Sedaris was a good writer, and it certainly wasn't a slog to go through the essays, but some found their interest waning as they waded through the collection.
The acid nature of Sedaris' humour left a little bit of a bad taste for some, with the sense that it was more at the expense of others than of himself. But there was also an acknowledgement that much comedy involves a degree of cruelty.
There were some parts that members felt had not dated well, and could have been seen as offensive, and some were surprised the book seemed closer to the knuckle than they had expected.
For some, it was a case of Sedaris overload. While they may have enjoyed reading the essays in instalments over a longer period, reading them in quick succession reduced their appeal.
Some members who were familiar with his work felt that Sedaris was better heard than read, whether on stage, or through his radio programmes. Much of what they had appreciated about his work was in his delivery, and that clearly wasn't as easy on the page.
There were though individual essays that appealed to members, and some did say the collection did deliver laugh-out-loud moments. There was a sense though that essays lacked any strong connective tissue and were unlikely to linger long in the memory.
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