When You are Engulfed in Flames

When You Are Engulfed In Flames is the book that I read. The book is by David Sedaris. . David Sedaris is also the author of Barrel Fever, Holidays on Ice, as well as collections of personal essays, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, DressYour Family In Corduroy and Denim, and his most recent book, Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls, each became a bestseller immediately. I recently read his book: Dress Your Family In Corduroy and Denim. Personally I prefer Dress Your Family In Corduroy and Denim than When You Are Engulfed In Flames. I felt like When You Are Engulfed In Flames has more adult situations; I could connect with Dress Your Family In Corduroy and denim more. The stories in that book were more about his childhood, while his latest book was guided more towards his adult issues. The theme to When You Are Engulfed In Flames is figuring out who you are.

The book is a collection of stories that shifted Sedaris’s life and made it interesting. Most of the stories are about Sedaris going through stages of his life. He is the type of person that when they change they change dramatically. In one of the chapters Sedaris goes over his fashion choices. He described a pair of forest green, thick glasses with the playboy bunny on the sides. He states time is cruel to everything, and those glasses were an example of that. Back in the day those glasses were cool others envied the glasses.  David also had a pair of pants that was padded in the butt. I thought his chapter on these pants was particularly hilarious. Reading about some of David’s horrible fashion choices made me imagine what that time period was like. If someone had a pair of dark green playboy glasses they would not be considered “cool” in this time period.

I strongly recommend this book. I have read two books by David Sedaris. I love his writing style. Each story in the book comes alive through his descriptive words.  He is able to take every day life and turn it into a hilarious piece of art. The book looks at what its like to have a midlife crisis. It sounds bad but during the book you laugh at his misfortune. This book is a must read. I am excited to read and experience his other books! 

Book Review by Paige C.