Let's Explore Diabetes With OwlsAudiobook review by Paul Fiander
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Written by: David Sedaris
Narrated by: David Sedaris Length: 6 hrs and 25 mins Publisher: Hachette Audio UK |
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Why Should I…...Listen to Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls
The main selling point of this book is the narrator David Sedaris who oddly enough is also the author. Thanks to this double act by a single person we get a true feel of a stand up comedian going about his business as well at points as well as a humorist bringing his essays to life. The book is split between straight narration and recordings seemingly made from a stand up show complete with crowd reaction. This allows Sedaris to show off his range of self depreciating wit covering topics from dentists to litter. It’s a treat to hear an American comedian chat about real life in England and France as well as his young life in the States. Overall this book made me laugh throughout and thus it passes my test for comedy titles. At a little over 6 hours you are getting a high hit ratio although I did find myself wanting more. |
Review
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You may not know David Sedaris but after listening to him narrate Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls you will feel you do. This is because he lets you into his world in an almost alarmingly open way. From his dalliances with a embalmed severed arm to his feelings on chinese cuisine nothing is beyond his critical eye. This type of openness is refreshing in a biographical work as the humourist works the audience (listener in this case) by finding the humour in a variety of situations.
The book works as a series of essays and there does not seem to be a narrative spine to the layout. This allows for easy listening as you can easily leave the book and come back without worrying about where you left off as long as you get to the end of a chapter of course. Due to this structure you learn more about the character of Sedaris as the book unfolds. I was in this camp as I did not know the author before listening, however the title hooked me and the blurb along with the audio preview really reeled me in. |
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The 26 essays of the book cover a variety of topics and each one is introduced by what turns out to be a very descriptive title. These include rather obscure ones like “Laugh, Kookaburra” and “A Guy Walks Into A Bar Car” to the more simple “Obama!!!!!”. Each essay deals with one major topic the best example is the aforementioned “Obama!!!!!” as Sedaris deals with the French reaction to the election of the US President. This is one of the key points of the work as Sedaris is a bit of a traveler. His tales cover a variety of land including England, Japan, Australia, France and China. His view of each of the countries feels fair as he is happy to list each countries highs and lows. I find this whole American abroad idea hugely enjoyable as Sedaris is by no means a cliched character. His openness to embrace culture is refreshing especially in a world with shows like An Idiot abroad. Sedaris’s comedy relies less on the look at those weirdos who do things differently (though there is an element of this) instead he draws the comedy from situations.
The Audiobook itself is 6 hours long, although this is not the longest of books it still feels like good value for money if you think of it as a counterpart to a stand up comedy show. These are shorter yet will cost roughly the same. The more pertinent idea though is the way Sedaris makes you laugh, it may not be quick fire hits of a comedian like Jimmy Carr but each essay hits home on more than one occasion. The audio production is also notable especially in the stand up sections. The audio balance feels spot on as the crowd are present but never drown out the performance.
I will happily dive into another book from Sedaris though it would have to be narrated by him as the presentation is just as important as the actual words. Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls may not answer the the diabetic question it does though offer a huge dose of laughter which apparently is the best medicine of all.
The Audiobook itself is 6 hours long, although this is not the longest of books it still feels like good value for money if you think of it as a counterpart to a stand up comedy show. These are shorter yet will cost roughly the same. The more pertinent idea though is the way Sedaris makes you laugh, it may not be quick fire hits of a comedian like Jimmy Carr but each essay hits home on more than one occasion. The audio production is also notable especially in the stand up sections. The audio balance feels spot on as the crowd are present but never drown out the performance.
I will happily dive into another book from Sedaris though it would have to be narrated by him as the presentation is just as important as the actual words. Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls may not answer the the diabetic question it does though offer a huge dose of laughter which apparently is the best medicine of all.
