Themes and Variations: An Essay

Name: Themes and Variations: An Essay
SKU: 77114
Availability: InStock

4.4 | 4,225 ratings

Price: 1.99

Last update: 06-28-2024

About this item

An Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestseller.

In this surprising essay, international bestselling humor writer David Sedaris shares the rewards of a book tour and his devoted readers’ worst-kept secrets.

Dismissed by a bored author at a book signing, a betrayed young man named David Sedaris made a vow. Someday, when it was his turn at the table, he’d connect with his readers. The experience has been even more revealing than he’d hoped.

In this hilarious and perceptive essay, the celebrated humorist reflects on the unusual patterns of forced socialization between author and audience, and the obligations and sometimes surprising returns of not-so-chance encounters with strangers: jokes, secrets, insights, and even charity.

Shaun E Ingalls

Hilarious!

Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2023

As usual, Sedaris has the ability to retell seemingly mudane events and make me laugh out loud with actual tears running down my cheeks.

S. S. Tyree

Themes and Variations: An Edsay

Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2024

David Sedaris is one of my favorite authors. I didn’t expect the book to be so short, so imagine my surprise when it ended. I’ve read several of his books and they all provided plenty of laugh out loud moments. He is quite the character.

TheJennTaFur

An author sharing their POV at book signings

Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2023

This perspective to read was extremely refreshing especially since I have had 2 horrible experiences at a book signing where an author told me that I asked a stupid question and the other asked me what the hell did I want when I was in line to get my book signed.

Your essay reminded me that we are all human even those who have published books.

Xo

Sandra C

Love David Sedaris.

Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2023

If you have never read anything by David Sedaris, read this essay. You will be quickly hooked! I could listen to him all day.

Southern reader

Short essay

Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2020

Very short essay on his conversations with people who wait in line at his signings. One of those people was me. It was my birthday and my husband and I had just seen him perform. Of course I mentioned it was my actual birthday, while thinking, “you know there’s at least one birthday person in every crowd. How annoying this must be for him.” However he was very kind and gave me a penis crayon as a gift. We bought a book to have signed for some friends...we were renting their vacant house while having some repairs done to ours and he really wanted to write about that in their copy. And he did. In a very...direct way.

Did I mention the penis crayon? It’s still around here somewhere.

Thomas G. Cummings

A fun short read

Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2023

Was not sure what to expect from the description but am glad I picked it up. This is an easy read that will make you laugh. A fun read.

SL Chiboi

Funny, by any other word - Clever and Witty

Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2020

I've followed David Sedaris from his days on the public radio show, This American Life: I love David's oral storytelling ability which his writing captures his humorously sarcastic POV (point of view) wonderfully. This series of essays allows us to find humor in the mundane and callus as well as the profane and the dark. While I enjoy the dry, sometimes dark and at times light read, if you are looking for a wetting-your-undergarments-laughing-through-it read, this is not it. Witty and clever, I believe this short read ready does an effective and efficient job capturing David's tone through how he processes the world around him.

Luce

Funny!

Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2023

David Sedaris never lets me down! So witty and honest, occasionally absolutely vulgar! I laugh often and tear up at other times.

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Themes and Variations: An Essay

About this item

Top reviews from the United States

Best Sellers in

The Kind Worth Saving: A Novel

The Victims' Club (Kindle Single)

The Bookstore Keepers (The Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories)

The Bookstore Wedding (The Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories)

Siege (The Boy in the Iron Box Book 5)

Encounter (The Boy in the Iron Box Book 6)

Doctor Ice Pick

Risen (The Boy in the Iron Box Book 4)