Barrel Fever

Stories and Essays

by David Sedaris

Paperback, 196 pages

English language

Published Dec. 8, 1994 by Back Bay Books.

ISBN:: 978-0-316-77942-5
OCLC Number:: 625123586

In David Sedaris’s world, no one is safe and no cow is sacred. A manic cross between Mark Leyner, Fran Lebowitz, and the National Enquirer, Sedaris’s collection of essays is a rollicking tour through the national Zeitgeist: a do-it-yourself suburban dad saves money by performing home surgery; a man who is loved too much flees the heavyweight champion of the world; a teenage suicide tries to incite a lynch mob at her funeral; a bitter Santa abuses the elves.

David Sedaris made his debut on NPR’s Morning Edition with “SantaLand Diaries”, recounting his strange-but-true experiences as an elf at Macy’s, and soon became one of the show’s most popular commentators. With a perfect eye and a voice infused with as much empathy as wit, Sedaris writes stories and essays that target the soulful ridiculousness of our behavior. Barrel Fever is like a blind date with modern life, and …

7 editions

felienne reviewed Barrel Fever by David Sedaris

Review of 'Barrel Fever' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I never read something by Sedaris before, but he is surely very funny. Very dry and sarcastic, but at the same time down to earth because the settings are absurd, but still very realistic. Highlight of the book is Glen's Homophobia Newsletter but the story about him dating Mike Tyson is a close second.