David Sedaris invites readers to traverse through a slew of colourful vignettes that revolve around the passage of time and the inevitability of death in his sixth book, “When You Are Engulfed in Flames.”
The essays Sedaris assembled to emphasize the theme of mortality range from everyday mishaps, such as accidentally spitting a throat lozenge onto the lap of a fellow commuter, to the bizarre corners of the world life takes us, like the medical examiner’s office Sedaris spends Halloween in while surrounded by decomposing corpses.
Just like so many celebrated authors before him, Sedaris writes about experiences and realizations he has had throughout his life. Sedaris was asked whether he would classify his books as fiction or nonfiction in a 2008 interview with Time Magazine.
“Nonfiction. I’ve always been a huge exaggerator, but when I write something, I put it on a scale. And if it’s 97% true, I think that’s true enough. I’m not going to call it fiction because 3% of it isn’t true,” Sedaris said.
Although he might occasionally embellish and alter minor details, Sedaris has a profoundly genuine tone, and at the heart of this novel he is doing all he can to share his truth. The authenticity behind his writing, along with some sardonic observations Sedaris makes along the haphazard road life takes him down, is why this novel has resonated so strongly with readers.
Some of the revelations Sedaris shares come directly from highly emotional points in his life, while others happen out of the blue in the dullest of settings. Yet all of these epiphanies are relatable because they circulate around realities of life that every single one of us will have to come to terms with at some point in our life. Whether it is the death of a parent, the loss of youth or routine turning a relationship stale, Sedaris invokes empathy from the reader by presenting these situations as plainly and abruptly as he experienced them in life.
While leafing through the series of thought-provoking essays Sedaris compiled in “When You Are Engulfed in Flames,” a fitting drink to sip on is Canadian Club Blended Whiskey. Although Canadian Club is certainly not considered the highest quality whiskey, the drink has become iconic. This might be the whiskey your father used to buy before he got promoted, but it has remained a steadfast option at practically every bar and liquor store around for two reasons: price and drinkability. When it comes to whiskey, price is always tied into taste. The drinks at the bottom of the barrel are so horrid, they give whiskey a bad name, and anything that tastes remotely smooth will cost you an arm and a leg.
Miraculously, Canadian Club Whiskey is able to deliver a decent tasting bottle of whiskey for around $20. The whiskey itself is light and sweet with a delicate hint of cream on the aftertaste. In other words, Canadian Club is the perfect drink to slosh around in your tumbler glass while you’re curled up on the couch exploring the wit of David Sedaris.
Dean Ravenola is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at dean.ravenola@uconn.edu.
