Book No. 35 of 2021
I love Sedaris’ writing and have read almost every book he’s published, so Theft By Finding was a delightful way to flesh out the David Sedaris Cinematic Universe.
Theft on the whole is more vulnerable than Sedaris’ essays—one can spot the germs of ideas for his later writings, and his wry observational humor is evident even in his raw journaling, and yet there are many more bittersweet and at times painful elements. The earlier years have a sense of desperate yearning, from not knowing if his pursuits are going to work out, and his reactions to gradually getting more attention are very endearing. There’s a lot more melancholy and tension in his writing about his mother’s death, his relationship with his father, and his helplessness observing his sister Tiffany (things he has written about in his essays, but with a lighter, polished touch). Theft also includes his reactions to major news events, particularly his observation of New York and Paris immediately following 9/11.
Fans of Hugh (myself included) will delight in witnessing the first time they met and the journey from infatuation to partnership.
Similar Reads
It goes without saying that this complements the entire David Sedaris ouvre.
There were some elements that reminded me of Patricia Lockwood’s Priestdaddy and No One Is Talking About This.