On 'Me Talk Pretty One Day'

Me Talk Pretty One Day is an unexpected treasure. 

I only decided to read it when my sister Joy told me that it's a compilation of autobiographical stories and that the title of the book is also the title of one of the stories about the author's attempts of learning French. Always been a fan of the language, I read the book hoping that it can give me tips. Well, I got none. If anything, I got scared of French teachers. But what I am happy to gain are the fun afternoons I spent smiling, occasionally laughing, by myself while taking a glimpse at David Sedaris' life and the inner workings of his mind. It's either he is just fortunate to be at the right place at the right time--for he finds himself caught in between really interesting situations worth sharing--or he simply has the gift to make a spectacle out of the mundane. Probably both.

I was barely finished with the first half of the stories when I came up with the idea of reading the section where acclaims for the author are written. I thought to myself, "who is this funny guy and how come I have never heard of him before?" The answer struck me even before I'm through with the construction of my question: my ignorance is due to the fact that I am relatively new to the wonderful world of books. But I guess I am knowledgeable enough to identify Woody Allen, Mark Twain and Oscar Wilde as remarkable writers. And it so happened that the author David Sedaris is dubbed as our generation's version of these three and many others. To think that my sister bought Me Talk Pretty One Day from Booksale at 127 pesos!!! Oh, a fortunate find, indeed!

Anyway, I got to keep my emotions in check. Must get down to the business of really talking about the book.

The stories in the first half of the book were set in America while the rest, in France. What I got from reading snippets of Sedaris' life is that he has a crazy--and I mean the good kind of crazy--family; that he has experienced different kinds of occupation--from being an assistant to a Colombian miser to being a mover for an Irish communist, from being an undercompensated writing workshop teacher to an artist commissioned to perform by a museum; and that he has a knack of safely avoiding things which makes him uncomfortable, just like the lisp he had in his childhood and the fact that he can't seem to get the gender assignation of French vegetables (to fully understand how he did so, just read the book). But aside from the entertainment derived from his witty storytelling, it can't be denied that there are underlying messages he wants to get across to his readers. General truths that are too common that they are normally taken for granted. His social commentaries are cloaked in such good writing that you won't notice he is already ranting. He's just got a way to get to you.

Read the book because you deserve some hearty laughter.

Rating: 4.5/5

What, for you, is a good book?

Now  that I have sort of gotten the hang of reading books--I have just finished writing a review for my eighth book this year!--I am wondering what to answer people when they ask if the book was good or if it's worth reading. What really is there to look for in a book?

One. The content, of course. Was it worth knowing? Was it value-adding? Did you feel like a smarter person after you've read that particular book? If yes to all three, then that's one star!

Two. The writing style. The technical aspects. For a new member of the bibliophile club (oh how I love this word!), I think it does matter if I get to know new vocabulary, and be exposed to a good writing style. In one way or another, it affects how I will be writing in the days after.

Three. The reading experience. Reading, based from other more experienced readers, is a journey. It's supposed to kidnap you from reality and take you to places--your imagination is the limit! So if a book is capable of bringing you to such places you'd thought you'll never be and evoke feelings as if you are actually part of the story, then that is one effective book.

Four. The appreciation. To the point of having difficulty of only confining it to yourself that you just have to share it to other people. To the point of getting so giddy when you talk about it or hear other people talking about it. To the point of answering "yes" to the question: "will you read it again?"

Five. The catharsis. Not all books may be relatable to our life, but all books may be considered part of us after we have read it. I guess this is the aspect wherein one book touches us in a deeper level that it's already hard to get it out of our system. The line that sets apart the forgettable from the unforgettable.

This is not your critic's guide to rate a book. But it's definitely one way to evaluate. So now, let’s test my theory.

Twisted 8	1	1	1	0.5	0.5	4.0
To Kill A Mockingbird:	1	1	1	1	1	5.0
Good Omens:	1	1	1	1	0.5	4.5
Charlotte's Web:	1	1	1	1	1	5.0
Favorite Sherlock Holmes Detective Stories	1	1	1	0.5	0.5	4.0
The Mysterious Case of Benedict Society:	1	1	1	1	0	4.0
The Devil Wears Prada	1	1	0.5	0.5	0	3.0
Perks of Being A Wallflower	1	1	0.5	0.5	0.5	3.5

On 'Perks of Being A Wallflower'

A coming-of-age story of a boy which tackles issues like sex, love, family, and friendship, Perks of Being A Wallflower is a book to which one can relate to in more ways than one. That feeling of being aware of other people around, wondering how and what they are feeling at the moment. That feeling of being recognized which marks the beginning of being conscious of how you want to act in contrary to what you think others want you to act. That feeling of wanting to be with friends, how their company makes each second precious, and how their absence makes life somewhat dull. That feeling of first love and how it doesn't easily go away. That feeling of always wanting to be reminded that you are loved--especially by the first people you came to know: your family.

Perks of Being A Wallflower is the story of a year's happenings in a fifteen-year old boy's life. It is written in a way that he talks to "a friend" through letters, giving the reader the sense that they are delving into someone else's diary. Since Charlie, the protagonist, narrates his story as it happens, the things he talks about can get too random sometimes. He also deviates from the topic so often which I find amusing because that's how I am too most of the time. But what is more fascinating is that those random digressions from the main topic are actually kind of interesting. Think of the rat experiment.