Did you know that author, David Sedaris, has a soft spot for spiders? He took Japanese classes in Tokyo? One of his closest friends used to be an old lady in his apartment building?
When You Are Engulfed in Flames (Little Brown and Company, 2008) by David Sedaris is a series of autobiographical stories, covering Sedaris’ life in Paris, Normandy and New York, his eccentric family and his comedic strategy to quit smoking which included an extended vacation in Tokyo.
This novel is genuine, heartfelt and entertaining to say the least. Readers see Sedaris at his worst, like the time his apartment in Paris had no water and he needed a cup of coffee so badly he used water out of a vase, which was holding flowers his significant other hand picked for him! And at his best, like when he befriends a community of spiders in his apartment, names them, feeds them and even decides he can’t travel without them. His antics are unpredictable and spontaneous. Also, they’re usually quite funny. At times, this novel feels like a comedy routine.
When You Are Engulfed in Flames explores many different eras in Sedaris’ life, from childhood through present time. He spends several chapters of the book explaining his struggles with smoking. Smokers, put down that self help book, buy Sedaris’ novel and read it! He wasn’t always keen on smoking—he hated it when his older sister started. But something happened when he became an adult, and nicotine grabbed a hold of him and he couldn’t stop. What does he do? He goes to Tokyo. No, we can’t all go to Tokyo to quit a bad habit, but his novel is still a great resource for reading about the trials and tribulations one goes through when quitting. If David Sedaris can quit, anyone can.
