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Marie Angell, July 2, 2008

David Sedaris is an amusing guy. He's fun to listen to on NPR, he has a wry twist in his writing.

That said, his work is not always as amusing as he's given credit for.

"When You Are Engulfed in Flames" redeems him. The growth, perhaps through confidence, in his writing his obvious. He doesn't seem to be trying so hard and, in doing so, he reaches a little deeper, producing a more satisfying book.

The book is more touching, more revealing that previous books, but when it's funny, it's really funny. Sedaris takes us along as he muddles his way through life and it's like a journey with a neurotic friend that, thankfully, we don't have to take care of.

The finest part of the book is his bumbling stay in Japan while he weans himself from cigarettes. Poignant and laugh-out loud funny, it is a fine fish-out-of-water adventure.

David Sedaris' best work yet.

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