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  • When You Are Engulfed in Flames

  • By: David Sedaris
  • Narrated by: David Sedaris
  • Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (1,069 ratings)
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When You Are Engulfed in Flames cover art

When You Are Engulfed in Flames

By: David Sedaris
Narrated by: David Sedaris
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Summary

David Sedaris' remarkable ability to uncover the hilarious absurdity teeming just below the surface of everyday life is elevated to wilder and more entertaining heights than ever in this new book of stories.

Sedaris proceeds from bizarre conundrums of daily life - the etiquette of having a lozenge fall from your mouth into the lap of a fellow passenger or how to soundproof your windows with LP covers against neurotic songbirds - to the most deeply resonant human truths.

Taking in the parasitic worm that once lived in his mother-in-law's leg, an encounter with a dingo and the purchase of a human skeleton, and culminating in a brilliant account of his attempt to quit smoking - in Tokyo - David Sedaris' sixth story collection is a fresh masterpiece of comic writing.

©2008 David Sedaris (P)2008 Hachette Audio

What listeners say about When You Are Engulfed in Flames

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Utterly wonderful!

I stumbled accidentally across David Sedaris about 6 months ago, and as I type this I experience a frisson of horror at the idea that I could so easily have missed him altogether!

This book is typical of his work: by turns hilarious, heart-rending and cringe-making (but in the best sort of way). Never boring, and at the end leaving me feeling bereft and wondering whether to just fast-forward back to the start and listen to it all over again.

If you've never tried David Sedaris then do yourself a big favour and download this. If you already know him then rest assured that this is more of the brilliant same :)

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20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A Master Storyteller

I am a new convert to the work of David Sedaris and I am very pleased that he still narrates his own audiobooks, as a key part of the nuance of his wonderfully meandering stories is his soft, languid delivery. And this title does not disappoint in any way; every story is a stand-alone and yet part of the whole that is the author's life. By turns funny, poignant, angry, confused or just plain mad Sedaris weaves a world that is fascinating and unusual and yet instantly recognisable. A must-have title for your collection

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

What an odd man...

This is my first expedition into the world of David Sedaris, and it was a very enjoyable, funny one! Great book. I'll definitely be getting some some more from this author.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Sardonic & Delicious

David's sardonic honesty & generous sharing of his "inner voice" is 5 star listening.Always engrossing, Sedariss rare talent will have you snorting with laughter or marvelling at how well he describes "real life". Always a pleasure to listen to, & I regularly revisit all his recordings!

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful!

I came across David Sedaris on R4. The short story - both written and read by him - was delightful and hysterically funny. On the strength of that reading I downloaded this collection, which is simply brilliant. My only problem is that every time I listen, I know I'm nearer to finishing. He's definitely the funniest writer I have come across in years

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

meet david sedaris you're in for a treat

DS manages to be both incredibly profound and witty at the same time. Without any faux sentimentality (some achievement for an american) he comments about life, love and existence.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Perfect for cold nights

I am a fan of David Sedaris, and so I expect I would enjoy any of his books. When You Are Engulfed in Flames is a strong collection with clever repeated themes and a good spread of stories. I have been able to let my parents-in-law listen to a few stories without fear of offending them, however you must be warned that Sedaris delights in saying things which most people simply will not. Still, it would be worth the cost for 'In the Waiting Room' alone.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Funny, touching and thought-provoking tales

This is the sixth book in the author’s collection of personal stories and is the second of his that I’ve bought. Having heard a lot of his work on BBC radio, I got the audio version of this one, read by the author himself and which also includes a selection of live recordings from his lecture tours. Like everything Sedaris writes, this is a heady mix of funny, touching and thought-provoking tales. Covering such niceties as Japanese social habits, how to quit smoking and getting along with your neighbours, allowing him plenty of room to dig into the nature of relationships with friends and strangers. My particular favourites this time round would be the author’s friendship (or otherwise) with New York neighbour Helen (whose lack of political correctness had me in stitches) and the consequences of spitting a lozenge onto a fellow passenger’s lap during a plane flight. Also, his solutions to a certain crossword puzzle reminded me that sometimes it’s not good to drive while enjoying a David Sedaris audiobook.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

when you are engulfed in giggles

Some audio books will let you quietly get on with things whilst listening - not always possible with this one I found. The delivery is so deadpan, the anecdotes so funny that I could do nothing but surrender to it: settle down and relish the outrageous misfortunes of one of America's greatest mild misanthropes!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

I love David Sedaris but this was disappointing

David Sedaris is one of my favourite writers, but this was underwhelming compared to 'Me talk pretty one day' and 'dress your family...'

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1 person found this helpful