Calypso

With Calypso, Sedaris sets his formidable powers of observation toward middle age and mortality. Make no mistake: these stories are very, very funny--it's a book that can make you laugh 'til you snort, the way only family can.

If you've ever laughed your way through David Sedaris's cheerfully misanthropic stories, you might think you know what you're getting with Calypso. You'd be wrong. When he buys a beach house on the Carolina coast, Sedaris envisions long, relaxing vacations spent playing board games and lounging in the sun with those he loves most. And life at the Sea Section, as he names the vacation home, is exactly as idyllic as he imagined, except for one tiny, vexing realization: it's impossible to take a vacation from yourself. Sedaris's powers of observation have never been sharper, and his ability to shock readers into laughter unparalleled. But much of the comedy here is born out of that vertiginous moment when your own body betrays you and you realize that the story of your life is made up of more past than future. This is beach reading for people who detest beaches, required reading for those who loathe small talk and love a good tumor joke. Calypso is simultaneously Sedaris's darkest and warmest book yet--and it just might be his very best. “The brilliance of David Sedaris’s writing is that his very essence, his aura, seeps through the pages of his books...mesmerizing us so that his logic becomes ours.” —New York Times Book Review “Sedaris is the best American humorist writing today.” — NPR “Unusually poignant... Sedaris is one of those writers who can’t help but be funny.” —Seattle Times “Sedaris’s most personal and open book yet... but it still finds plenty of room for laughs.” —Entertainment Weekly “Sedaris’s observations feel sharper and often darker than in previous collections...The wit and incisiveness that make him much adored remain.” —Harper’s Bazaar “Sedaris is our finest miniaturist... He delivers compassion, hilarity, and a sense—even in the most outlandish story—that you’re learning a larger truth.” —People “Honest, reflective, and even tender... Sedaris gets you laughing even as he gently turns you toward the darkness we all must face.” —San Francisco Chronicle