Review: Calypso by David Sedaris

I admit that this is the first Sedaris book that I've read. When searching for online reviews of this book to get ideas of what reviews sound like, there were a number of long comparative essays to his previous work (which apparently there are 9 other equally compelling books). The people at the top of my Google search were so impressed with the triumph of Calypso being more in almost every characteristic "Sedaris thing": a sense of 'dark humor' and exposing something deeply personal. Like Tiffany's death. Not going to touch on it here as everyone else seems to have a lot of words to say about it. I feel that I may have done Sedaris either a great dishonor or my own characteristic Sedaris thing because I started reading this book immediately after Pimp: The Story of My Life: Iceberg Slim which frankly left me desensitized to a lot of the more shocking descriptions. But, you know, back to Tiffany: people do die... and everyone deals with it in their own way. Who am I to comment about how that's revealed in the book - you can go read it for yourself and find out. I certainly have no place to discuss it here.  

That's not to say I didn't enjoy the book - I loved it. It's filled with these punchlines. That moment when whatever he was saying just kind of ties together in a curiously funny way. Time and time again I found myself reading out loud lines to any unsuspecting person around me (usually my boyfriend tbh but more strangers than I care to admit) to share with them how funny it really is. Of course, they didn't read the rest of the book before it so I'm often met with a kind smile which implies, "Glad you're having a good time, but I have no idea why you think this is funny." That's fine. It just goes to show that if I learned one thing from Calypso, it's not about you, it's about me. And I feel like sharing with you just to spawn some sort of gut reaction that I can play with. At one point someone asked me out on a date - well, that's not entirely true, but they gave me their phone number on the bus as I was reading the book and asked me to talk to them more. I consider that asking you out. Especially in these modern days where things are so undefined. 

Sedaris talks to you in the way that your eccentric friend goes about his business and you get to sit in the passenger seat along for the ride. For a little bit, your world is quietly disrupted by whatever they want to do and you're not really sure what's coming next, but oooh it's exciting.  Like walking around Tokyo with his sister Gretchen buying ungodly expensive fashion that looks like it was probably the last remaining artifact from a plane crash filled with a football team. Who finds these things? Your eccentric friends. Of course, on your own, you wouldn't have even considered actually seeking out these things but talking about "buying shit" for a whole chapter makes you feel enabled. 

Or Carol. I can't believe that no one else's review really dove into the joys of reading about Carol! The pages detailing the anthropomorphization of his fox extend beyond a mere 'emotional investment' in an animal. It's more of discovering that person is actually capable of being alone and finding ways to entertain themselves. Building wild-animal relationships, even if it stays in your own mind, takes time - and to what real benefit? No 'normal' person seriously lends a second thought about the daily whereabouts of a local fox, let alone their health, diet or environmental stability. It's work left to fictional characters.  He notes how when he shows Carol to friends and visitors that they are jealous, questioning why they don't have a Carol. Rightly so. For the most part I don't think people are half as entertaining unless they have other people around to prod them to be interesting. Usually people like Sedaris. And that's the joy of being in the passenger seat with David Sedaris: we bare witness to a lively inner monologue for a person perfectly happy doing as he pleases.  It's his world and we're just living in it. 

Anyways, read the book. Have fun and let me know what you think. As always, if you are the first person to ask me for the book, I'll give you my copy for free. Current status: still open!