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Calypso Paperback – June 4, 2019

by David Sedaris (Author)

4.4 16,323 ratings

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''Sedaris is the premier observer of our world and its weirdnesses''
ADAM KAY

''Funnier and more heartbreaking than pretty much anything out there''
HADLEY FREEMAN, GUARDIAN

''The brilliance of David Sedaris'' writing is that his very essence, his aura, seeps through the pages of his books like an intoxication cloud''
ALAN CUMMING, NEW YORK TIMES

''The funniest writer alive today''
JONATHAN ROSS

''An incredibly funny and sometimes moving meditation on love, death and family life''
SUNDAY TIMES

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 realisation: it''s impossible to take a vacation from yourself.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Abacus (June 4, 2019)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0349141894
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0349141893
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.72 x 0.71 x 7.64 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #49,464 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,733 in Humor & Entertainment (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.4 16,323 ratings

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David Sedaris

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David Sedaris lives in Paris. Raised in North Carolina, he has worked as a housecleaner and most famously, as a part-time elf for Macy's. Several of his plays have been produced, and he is a regular contributor to ESQUIRE and Public Radio International's 'This American Life'.

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Customers find the book's humor entertaining and thought-provoking. They praise the wit, language, and writing style as well-written and easy to read. The pacing is described as enjoyable and Sedaris' musings on deeper subjects are enjoyed. Readers describe the author as honest, real, and touching. However, opinions differ on the sadness level - some find it tragic and funny, while others find it melancholy or depressing.

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Humor Thought provoking Writing quality Pacing Authenticity Touch level Sadness Story length

537 customers mention "Humor"470 positive67 negative

Customers enjoy the humor in the book. They find it hilarious, witty, and entertaining. Readers praise the author's good English and phrasing.

"...David Sedaris makes his book easy to read with the use of self-deprecating humor and relatable stories that anyone with a family could..." Read more

"...In Calypso there are some great moments with his father and some hilarious stories about shopping with his sisters...." Read more

"Calypso is David Sedaris’s most intimate book, a tender, funny, and challenging memoir from an author renowned for writing humor that lays bare his..." Read more

"David Sedaris is a master at writing humor, this book was both touching and hilarious at the same time. I recommend all his books." Read more

230 customers mention "Thought provoking"220 positive10 negative

Customers find the book engaging and poignant. They appreciate the author's honest autobiographical take and interesting insights. The memoir is described as tender, funny, and challenging. Readers appreciate the author's gift as a storyteller.

"...He has a way of making these moments in the book very moving, causing you to feel sorry for his family. Sedaris even brings in stories of gay..." Read more

"Calypso is David Sedaris’s most intimate book, a tender, funny, and challenging memoir from an author renowned for writing humor that lays bare his..." Read more

"...It's a heartwarming tale. "Only in America" I like to say...." Read more

"...and humor, well, maybe a bit more of the latter, and wonderful generous sharing moments with his family mostly at Sea Section, a house he bought in..." Read more

137 customers mention "Writing quality"122 positive15 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality. They find the book well-written, entertaining, and easy to read. The phrasing and language are clear and understandable, making the stories relatable. Readers praise the author's ability to describe life in an honest way.

"...Despite such themes, David Sedaris makes his book easy to read with the use of self-deprecating humor and relatable stories that anyone with a..." Read more

"...He writes with great clarity of the mental health challenges that she faced, the fights she inflicted on her family, and his own sanity-preserving..." Read more

"Liked his humor. Easy to read. Too much bodily function. No plot, just a series of personal experiences. Don't recommend" Read more

"...The man writes so well, I could retype the whole book here, but I'll content myself with one stinger that makes me love David even more, were that..." Read more

87 customers mention "Pacing"77 positive10 negative

Customers enjoy the book's pacing. They appreciate Sedaris' observational style and his ability to make insightful observations about personal life. Readers find the book more introspective and thought-provoking, yet still humorous. They look forward to Sedaris' next book and appreciate his witty journey of self-reflection.

"...You will enjoy Sedaris’ take on his personal life and bask in his impressive ability to make nothing into something." Read more

"Another fabulous piece from David Sedaris. I loved his classic style and humorous tone driving this collection of essays and look forward to his..." Read more

"...pages: you’ll chuckle, cry, empathize, laugh really loud, reflect on your own life, and then cry again. Calypso is his best work...." Read more

"I do so love to read Sedaris’ books. He makes me think, keeps me interested, and often, I laugh aloud. I didn’t laugh aloud as much with this book...." Read more

15 customers mention "Authenticity"15 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the author's honesty and openness about personal stories. They find the book humorous and realistic, providing a glimpse into family life.

"...His pieces are so remarkable, so individual, because they are honest, generous, and unsentimental no matter the subject matter, even the death of a..." Read more

"...aging parents, a kind of detente with difficult family al struck me as true and deeply deeply hilarious...." Read more

"...I love his honest and humorous depiction of his family with all of their faults and virtues...." Read more

"...With Calypso, he is back on track. Open and honest and as hilarious as ever." Read more

14 customers mention "Touch level"14 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's touch. They find it touching and humorous.

"David Sedaris is a master at writing humor, this book was both touching and hilarious at the same time. I recommend all his books." Read more

"...Tender and touching at times only to break the somber mood with hilarity." Read more

"Hilarious, touching, snarky, tender, keen, sarcastic, poignant....it's David Sedaris, you can't go wrong...." Read more

"...Warm, funny and touching." Read more

59 customers mention "Sadness"41 positive18 negative

Customers find the book humorous and poignant, with a dark tone that makes them feel sad at times. Some readers find it tragic and funny, while others describe it as melancholy or depressing.

"...It was funny, sad, poignant and deeply and honestly insightful. Not to be missed." Read more

"...Both are bittersweet. As with his other books, family is at the heart of most of his writing...." Read more

"...Very very personal and poignant. The end left me sad." Read more

"...newest book of stories entitled CALYPSO will make you laugh, perhaps cry a tiny bit, and love him even more (which I didn’t know was possible), and..." Read more

23 customers mention "Story length"11 positive12 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the story length. Some enjoyed the choice of stories and how the author worked them into chapters to make it flow. They felt the plot was good and not repetitive. However, others felt there was no direct storyline, the ending was abrupt and humorless, and the book got boring quickly.

"...Easy to read. Too much bodily function. No plot, just a series of personal experiences. Don't recommend" Read more

"...Very quick to arrive as well. Wonderful stories overall, very witty and humbling." Read more

"Well, that ending felt abrupt, but beyond that, I truly enjoyed it...." Read more

"Brief essays that are like short stories, humorous, touching reminders of the experiences of ordinary life that lift us out of ourselves and..." Read more

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Lela Best
Will You Laugh Or Cry?
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2019
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Calypso is a collection of stories that focuses on heavy themes, including death, family and aging. Despite such themes, David Sedaris makes his book easy to read with the use of self-deprecating humor and relatable stories that anyone with a family could understand.
The book almost acts as Sedaris’ way of grieving loss in his life. A pivotal character in Calypso is Sedaris’ sister, Tiffany, who Sedaris introduces to readers early in the book through the heart-wrenching story “Now We Are Five.” He speaks on the death of his sister and how her suicide affected him. Although Sedaris does not focus hard on his emotions in this book, you can still sense the feeling of regret and guilt as he talks about his sister. He has a way of making these moments in the book very moving, causing you to feel sorry for his family.
Sedaris even brings in stories of gay marriage, politics, and other hot-button issues that some would be fearful to bring up in writing. Sedaris is not a sugar-coater; he takes the honest approach with these topics and provides a clear stance on his positions. “A Number of Reasons I’ve Been Depressed Lately” is one of the few stories in Calypso where Sedaris showcases his dislike of President Donald Trump, and even talks about how he became nervous at the time of the election when thinking about a Donald Trump presidency.
This sounds rather intense, right? Don’t worry. Sedaris has his way of making these serious topics still laughable. His own awareness of himself is one way that Sedaris is able to be so successful with his humor. He knows that he is an older man who is dying, and he is very mindful of where he comes from. Therefore, it is easy for Sedaris to make fun of himself and allow readers to laugh at him. He also has an impressive way of taking the most mundane instances and turning them into something hilarious. A trip to the airport or picking up trash from the side of the road seem pretty lackluster, but Sedaris makes these moments come to life with his humor.
He also does not drag out a topic for too long. He will not sit on a deep topic for an uncomfortable amount of time. As soon as you think you are walking into a depressing topic, you come upon a paragraph that offers a random, silly comment that makes you laugh. Some of the stories are made up of small tangents, keeping you on your toes and making you fit these things together. This puzzle-like aspect of Sedaris’ writing makes you focus more on what he is trying to say, which makes the reading that more interesting.
The books personal touch and Sedaris’ impressiveness to turn the ordinary into the most entertaining is captivating. The reading truly is an experience and a whirlwind of emotions, making you fight back tears or fight back laughter. Give this book a try if you are looking for something different than a sappy romance novel. You will enjoy Sedaris’ take on his personal life and bask in his impressive ability to make nothing into something.

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21 people found this helpful

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Timothy Haugh
Hits & Misses
Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2018
Verified Purchase
I can never really criticize Mr. Sedaris too much. I can always count on some laugh-out-loud moments when reading one of his books, and that is something that I rarely find in my reading. I will never dismiss that easily. Still, in this book there were some misses for me as well as hits.

I generally prefer it when Mr. Sedaris focuses on writing about his family relationships as well as his relationship with Hugh and their peripatetic lifestyle. In Calypso there are some great moments with his father and some hilarious stories about shopping with his sisters. On the other hand, I found his references to his sister who committed suicide to fit rather disjointedly with other aspects of his stories. I was also a tad disturbed by his off-the-grid tumor removal though, I have to say, I enjoyed his quest to feed said tumor to an old turtle.

So, in the end, I wouldn’t pass this one up even if I feel he has been more consistently funny and thought-provoking in some of his other books.

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4 people found this helpful

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ELAINE BUCKLEY
A Quirky Journey towards Healing
Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2019
Verified Purchase
Calypso is David Sedaris’s most intimate book, a tender, funny, and challenging memoir from an author renowned for writing humor that lays bare his own and his family’s soul. In Calypso, he spares no one, especially himself.

The central theme of the book is his sister Tiffany’s suicide and the emotional turmoil that follows. He writes with great clarity of the mental health challenges that she faced, the fights she inflicted on her family, and his own sanity-preserving estrangement from her. In the aftermath of the suicide, all the Sedaris family has left left are strange clues—like a phone number written on her apartment wall—to try to comprehend why Tiffany would take an overdose of prescription medication and then tie a plastic bag over head.

Against the suicide’s backdrop, he is forced to face issues around caring for his elderly father, who lives alone and in increasingly-eccentric fashion, determined not to use electricity in order to leave a larger inheritance to the surviving children. More than two decades after his mother’s death, David grapples with residual sadness that she died before he achieved literary success, without their ever confronting her about the alcoholism that left her a mess each night. He expresses his poignant longing to have had the chance to spoil her.

Still, Calypso is about a family drawing closer after a tragedy. Attempting to recreate the summer vacations of their childhood, Sedaris purchases the Sea Section, a duplex on the beach in North Carolina, where he encounters a deformed snapping turtle, a vacationing former FBI Director, and man-eating sharks that fail to terrify his boyfriend Hugh. In their own unique, strange, and often-hilarious way, the Sedaris family heals. Every step along their quirky journey is a joy to read.

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5 people found this helpful

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Napa El
As always, funny as hell!
Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2024
Verified Purchase
David Sedaris is a master at writing humor, this book was both touching and hilarious at the same time. I recommend all his books.

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The T
Funny and sad
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2024
Verified Purchase
Liked his humor.
Easy to read.
Too much bodily function.
No plot, just a series of personal experiences.
Don't recommend

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Lizzie Weitendorf
Hilarious and emotional. Brilliant
Reviewed in Germany on June 20, 2024
Verified Purchase

Well its just David Sedaris being onto of his game loved it it made me laugh so much and then slapped me in the face with it's human truths!! BRILLIANT!

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Cols
I loved this book, it's just so funny and brilliant
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 24, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book is full of delightful stories and i loved it. The writing is superb, and the stories are so unique and amusing. I thoroughly recommend this book. I am going to have to read more books by David, they are just so beautifully written and funny !

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Dessa H.
Classic Sedaris
Reviewed in Canada on April 8, 2019
Verified Purchase
Still funny but truthful stories from the authors life. This book certainly has more reflection from Sedaris as a mature author as opposed to crazy adventures from his earlier years - but as usual, well told and glib.

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steven redant
Kept me awake
Reviewed in Spain on May 30, 2020
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I read books on my phone with the Kindle app to pass time when insomnia hits (with the black screen I need less light). But this book kept me awake, made me laugh out loud in the middle of the night.

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Mônica de Mattos Silva
Diversão madura e consciente
Reviewed in Brazil on July 2, 2018
Verified Purchase
Muito divertido. Um retrato inteligente e crítico da sociedade norte-americana atual e suas contradições. E muito, muito bem escrito, tornando a leitura muito prazerosa.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Will You Laugh Or Cry?

4.0 out of 5 stars Hits & Misses

5.0 out of 5 stars A Quirky Journey towards Healing

5.0 out of 5 stars As always, funny as hell!

3.0 out of 5 stars Funny and sad

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious and emotional. Brilliant

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book, it's just so funny and brilliant

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Sedaris

5.0 out of 5 stars Kept me awake

4.0 out of 5 stars Diversão madura e consciente

Will You Laugh Or Cry?

Hits & Misses

A Quirky Journey towards Healing

As always, funny as hell!

Funny and sad

Hilarious and emotional. Brilliant

I loved this book, it's just so funny and brilliant

Classic Sedaris

Kept me awake

Diversão madura e consciente