Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

Written by:
David Sedaris
Narrated by:
David Sedaris

Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
327
Narrator
12
Release Date
April 2005
Duration
6 hours 19 minutes
Summary
David Sedaris plays in the snow with his sisters. He goes on vacation with his family. He gets a job selling drinks. He attends his brother's wedding. He mops his sister's floor. He gives directions to a lost traveler. He eats a hamburger. He has his blood sugar tested. It all sounds so normal, doesn't it? In his newest collection of essays, David Sedaris lifts the corner of ordinary life, revealing the absurdity teeming below its surface. His world is alive with obscure desires and hidden motives -- a world where forgiveness is automatic and an argument can be the highest form of love. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim is another unforgettable collection from one of the wittiest and most original writers at work today.
Reviews
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Halie N.

Top 3! David Sedaris is my favorite author if you can’t tell yet. I have his books IRL, and audio. I will definitely keep them for my daughter, can’t imagine her not wanting them when she’s an adult.

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Debbie B.

Wearing AirPods and listening DS tell his stories is one of my greatest joys these days! I literally laugh out as I listen to his books while out on walks in my neighborhood.

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Teri D.

Always entertaining!

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Anonymous

I found myself laughing hysterically in traffic at certain points. People were wondering what was wrong with me! Loved it and will be ordering for Sedaris books.

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Anonymous

One of his better books. It took me a bit to adjust to the very deadpan way he reads his own book, I was disappointed at first until I realized that the way in which he read them made the stories funnier than the way I had read previous ones in my head. Very funny!

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Donny

What's so funny about a depressing, disfunctional family. His stories made me feel sorry for him and then for me for listening to them.

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Karen

I can't believe I'd never heard of this guy! Very funny and I'm wanting more!

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ML

I'm not sure what to say beyond this is classic Sedaris. Dry wit, off the wall humor and strange stories that you find yourself laughing at, then wonder if it was ok to laugh at it. Cross Steven Wright, Bob Newhart and Denis Leary and you have something approximating David Sedaris.

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Nell Molloy

Hilariously written and read. A perfect tonic for curing the doldrums !

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PAM

Gotta love him. As always, his first cut is his best. As Pema Chodrin says, you have to 'stay soft' when listening to him, but his books 'listen' far better than 'read'. I enjoyed the book and enjoy his mind.

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Anonymous

I must have been in a closet somewhere because this as my first Sedaris book. So refreshing! 5 stars for sure.

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Anonymous

Mildly entertaining....enough so that I am going to see if there are more selections by this author to rent.

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Vanessa

After thoroughly enjoying reading "Me Talk Pretty One Day," I was eager to get this audiobook and listen to the author for the first time. So I was initially surprised at how deadpan David Sedaris sounded. He seemed to read without feeling or attachment. Then, as I got used to it, I realized that it probably sounded just the way he had meant to write it. Things that seemed unbelievable, shocking, hilarious, and tragic to me were just facts of life for him. There was no need to insert my voice, or how I would have read it, into the narrative the same way I would have had I read the book. After that, I appreciated his dryness as a part of the experience and actually enjoyed having to listen a bit more carefully for the humor.

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David Donaldson

I rented this audiobook after really enjoying David Sedaris: Live at Carnegie Hall. In fact some of the Carnegie Hall performance is included on these CDs. In front of a live audience, with the laughter included, Mr. Sedaris reads with more humor and enough inflection in his voice to emphasize the wit and ridiculousness of the topic. I laughed out loud. However, much of this audiobook is read in a studio with no audience. The author sounds quite bitter, mean and sarcastic. What a letdown. Listen to the live performance and pass this one by.

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Yv

comical in the beginning, a few chuckles here, a few there, but put it away after I realized how absolutely right the author was when he says "why would they make a movie about us." In the same way, why did he write about his family, just another family in the suburbia with nothing new to add. Pass on this one as it is neither interesting as it doesn't carry interest through out

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Anonymous

His reading made it funnier, since he was the author! Great family descriptions and the story about living next door to the little girl was very believable, along with his mother's advice.

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Anonymous

The third disc is scratched and can't be listened to. I did not like the content and was glad when it was over. It was funny at times but not what I expected from the description.

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Anonymous

Davis Sedaris does it again with stories that kept me laughing. While I don't share many of his direct experiences as a youth, his ability to describe the discomfort and awkwardness of his childhood and adolescence is easy to relate to. If you are afraid of gay people find another book.

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KB

A little too gay for my taste. Didn't get past the first chapter.

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Anonymous

While I found that the author could be very funny I was not expecting to hear about his sexual awakenings. I think that this should have been revealed in the blurb as I am not interested in hearing about any authors sex life, gay or straight.

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Victorine Merriman

Hysterical and poignant, David's narration of this book is a must read (or listen to). It puts one's own family into perspective.

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Michael Herb

While listening to this book there were several times when I should have felt pity for David Sedaris and some of the things he's been through but he was making me laugh too hard. I loved this and would recommend it to anyone. In addition to being funny he is also incredibly articulate. The writing style and language are really enjoyable.

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Susan Kitchen

This book is the reason why you are not allowed to eat or drink on the subway. When listening to this, I was udyingly grateful each time I laughed and nothing came flying out of my nose. David Sedaris is a natural commedian with a great talent for writing.

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Alison Kaplan

I would have given this 5 stars, because I really enjoy hearing Sedaris recount his life-he is one of a just a handful of living, IMHO, great american storytellers. But I did find a few of the stories that were recorded with a live audience distracting, it made me think that the producers had taken a shortcut to get the book onto audio by deadline or something to that extent. Otherwise, this is classic Sedaris. After hearing him on NPR many times and enjoying his Holidays on Ice, I loved having a chance to listen to his distinctive voice and marvelous perspective on his life and family on my own timetable.

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Russ

This was my first experience with David Sedaris and I have to admit when I first started listening to the audio I didn't care for him much. But, as I listened on, and started to get to know his family, the guy grew on me more and more. I was totally unable to stop listening by the 2nd half of the book. I would agree with the other poster in that the live segment in the audio was extremly distracting and not nearly as enjoyable. I don't think Sedaris is for everyone. He's got a different type of style. I do think everyone ought to give him a shot. As for me I'm anxiously awaiting delivery of his next book.

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Mandi Chestler

It is hard to believe one person's childhood and family members really offer up this much true fodder for funniness. In the hands of a less skilled writer and humourist, some of the stories might seem merely pathetic rather than entirely hilarious. However, David Sedaris is a master at pseudo-wicked wit , so laugh you must.

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Anna Shirey

I was surprised by this book. I thought it would be mostly stand-up, but there was also some real poignancy attached to some of the stories. Once I got past my expectations I was able to enjoy it. Not the best book in the world (particularly if you're looking for straight-on comedy), but interesting.

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Anonymous

I realize that many people really like David Sedaris - he's just not very funny to me. His childhood stories are sad, fairly repetitive, and I guess just not that funny. After awhile, I kept having to rewind and relisten because I had tuned out. I returned it after listening to just 2 of the CDs.

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DF

The "s" in dysfunctional must stand for Sedaris. Once again, David Sedaris narrates in vivid and quirky detail the personal and family stories most people would repress. Whether talking about his sister who gathers her livelihood from dumpsters, his brother who trains his large dog to eat the excrement of his smaller dog, or his own obsessive compulsive behaviors, in this book Sedaris takes you right there. The result had me laughing out loud. Sedaris' voice is now familiar to listeners of THIS AMERICAN LIFE; it is reedy and nasal, and just right for the stories he tells. So too is his sense of timing, and his ability to imitate the voices of others as different from himself as his own cracker brother. I've already found myself retelling some of these stories to others.

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David Gardner

It's too bad there isn't an abridged version. For me, Sedaris doesn't work as a stand-up comic. The live sessions recorded at Carnagie Hall are just not as funny as the essays. I enjoy Sedaris's personality though. He seems to have embraced negativity and pessimism as a way of life. I wouldn't want to live that way - but the way he describes his circumstances are dark and wickedly humorous. Rent it if you love satire.

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ronswife

I found myself laughing out loud a number of times. The narrator (and author) was very good. A lot of jumping around regarding the storyline, but I enjoyed it.

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Jaymie DeWitt

I found his voice to be a bit annoying at times, but laughed out loud several times regardless. Enjoyable, though a bit disfunctional (and not in a good way).

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Anonymous

Loved this book! Sedaris paints a wonderfully vivid picture of his wacky world.

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Anonymous

David Sedaris does it again, revisiting experiences with family members in a humerous and touching way. Since he is reading the book himself, his tones and inflections add to the hilarity.

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Anonymous

Sedaris has found a new fan. I did not know what to expect from this book when rented. Some of the stories were sober, but some got the biggest laughts I've had in years. Could all these be true? This guy needs a weekly sit-com.

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Cameon Orel

loved it! he is hysterical! I enjoy all his books! I can relate to his disfunctional family and comments on life in general.

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Jill Witty

Sedaris is witty and self-deprecating, and I've thoroughly enjoyed every book of his that I've read. This is the first of his books that I've listened to, and his deadpan delivery and perfect timing help to enhance the personal stories and vignettes that he tells. "Dress Your Family" feels less purely comedic than his earlier books, and I think I prefer his comedy, although the stories he tells in this book feel more sincere. Some of his stories are heartbreaking; their honesty and intimacy engages the reader as much as (if not more than) his more humorous tales.

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JEN1752

While listening to this in my car there were definite times when I laughed out loud. David Sedaris is a good listen to the normal drone of radio etc. Take a listen I think you will enjoy.

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Melanie R

I am astounded that anyone could think this book was funny. I have a hard time laughing at people who are OCD and gay. In fact I take offense at people who do. I continued to listen until there was an absolutely disgusting scene that I choose not to describe in this review.

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Anonymous

I enjoyed this mixture of autobiography and comedy performance read by the author. David Sedaris is terribly witty and I love his humorous view of himself, his family and the world at large. I listened to the chapter titled "Six to Eight Black Men" twice and then made my husband listen to it and actually laughed out loud every time I heard it. I know it sounds questionable, but it was great!

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Anonymous

I first saw this book in the stores but was not excited enough to pick it up until I heard David read an passage from his book on NPR. David is a truly gifted story teller.

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Anonymous

So funny to listen to in the Author's voice. Loaned it to a friend who read the book and she said it was twice as funny to listen to it. His humor is not for everyone but he makes you laugh at everything and everyone in your life.

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Sarah Ritzenthaler

I love David Sedaris' writing, but hearing him read his own stories adds another dimension of humor. If you're already a fan (and even if you're new to Sedaris), this book doesn't disappoint. I was literally laughing out loud listening to this book--and that was while stuck in a massive traffic jam! Highly recommended.

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Anonymous

I can understand how some people might not appreciate David Sedaris, but there were times I was laughing so much I practically needed to pull the car over! My husband listened after I did and we would both crack up just reliving some of the stories in the evening. I had always loved Sedaris on NPR and as a brand new Audiobooks user, was so glad I had thought about ordering this to start. The length of his little vignettes work out perfectly for even short dirves as well as my commute.

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Leslie Hauser

Another hit from Sedaris. Definitely darker in humor than his past story collections, but I still found myself laughing out loud in the car every time I listened. There seems to be more personal insight into his family relations in this book than in others. For those familiar with his work, to hear the author read is wonderful, unless (like many people I know) you find his voice so grating it's like fingernails on a chalkboard. I still find him to be brilliant and look forward to hearing him on NPR's "This American Life" and reading his latest in "The New Yorker."

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Mark Clark

David Sedaris' latest- and one of his best-collection of autobiographical essays is made all the more enjoyable because, unlike many authors, he is a consummate reader as well. A fine introduction to Sedaris' work.

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Rachel Fitzpatrick

This book was not at all what I expected. The book description used the term melancholy, but that doesn't describe the half of it. Very much a dark comedy, light on the comedy. Mostly just dark and pointless.

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