Calypso by David Sedaris


★★★★★

I'm a fan of David Sedaris. I've seen him twice in performance and have all of his books, all in audio as his deadpan delivery doubles the enjoyment. The only time I have been disappointed by one of his books was last year's Theft by Finding so I approached this book with some trepidation, hoping that one of my favorites had not gone permanently off the rails. Fear not, fellow fans. Sedaris is back with the fully developed, self-reflective essays many of us have come to love. There is, though, a difference between Calypso and his earlier works. 

Now in his sixties, unquestionably at the top of his genre and in a stable relationship (Don't call it marriage!), for over thirty years, Sedaris seems comfortable enough to examine his familial relationships, his childhood and his losses at a depth never seen before. The death of his sister Tiffany is visited multiple times throughout the book and he describes in unflinching detail his misjudgment of her condition, his regrets. It takes a skilled memoirist to handle this sort of material without descending into a well of sorrow. Sedaris is that skilled and left me smiling through a stray tear or two, identifying with dysfunction, savoring his memories. 

It should be noted that only a handful of the essays in this collection are poignant. In between them are the usual uproarious reflections on obsessive use of a Fitbit, bathroom humor and the lighter fare provided by a family known for its outrageous approach to life. 

As this was an audiobook, the score reflects both the performance and the material. In this case, both scored five stars for an average of five stars overall. Happy listening. 

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