The Land and Its People
Essays
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4.3 • 161 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
In this new collection, David Sedaris reflects on what it means to be a foreigner, a brother, a lifelong friend, in essays that are “among the best of his career" (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
“A welcome return to form for the much-awarded and much-loved humorist…Sedaris remains a national treasure.” —Kirkus (starred review)
In The Land and Its People, Sedaris investigates what it means to be a traveler, a brother, a lifelong friend. Trying on the role of caretaker after his boyfriend Hugh’s hip-replacement surgery, he both succeeds and fails. He covers ground with his friend Dawn and challenges her to eat a truck tire. A ambivalent Duolingo bot becomes his unlikely confidante as he attempts to describe his family in a foreign language. Ever adding to his list of “Countries I Have Been To,” he rides a horse named Tequila in Guatemala, buys a bespoke priest’s cassock in Vatican City, and goes on safari in Kenya without taking a single photo.
Time takes its toll: scrolling through his address book, he counts those he couldn’t bear to outlive, and realizes how many are already gone. He is bitten by a dog and insulted by a wee train passenger. A woman on the street late at night either sexually harasses him or doesn’t. It’s easy to agree with the lady waving a sign that reads, “Enough Is Enough.” And yet, life holds much to delight in: the massive testicles of a ram, a trip abroad with his sisters, a really excellent reptile video, a pair of well-made cotton underpants.
Throughout these essays—at once acerbic and tender, playful and profound—Sedaris shows how much there is to marvel at when you keep your head up and your eyes open, observing with warmth and curiosity our fascinating human species and the lands we inhabit.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
One of America’s greatest comic essayists delivers a fresh collection of real-life observations that are relatable even at their most eccentric. The Land and Its People begins with Sedaris as a reluctant helpmate when his husband, Hugh, has hip-replacement surgery, which David thinks shouldn’t keep Hugh from cooking Thanksgiving dinner. From there, the stories range from the time he met Pope Francis (and asked where his vestments come from) to a daydream about how to deal with people who put their feet on public-transportation seats. He’s as laugh-out-loud funny as always, even when he fully admits he’s becoming even more crotchety in his sixties. But there’s also a growing sense of compassion as he frets about the state of the world and faces personal losses. Few essayists are as consistently funny as Sedaris, but The Land and Its People offers us a sense of reflection as well.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Humorist Sedaris (Happy-Go-Lucky) returns with a funny and heartfelt essay collection on friendship, family, and aging. Snapshots of his life with Hugh, his partner of more than 35 years, include his reluctance to assume the caretaker role after Hugh had hip-replacement surgery (he decries "the puffy, foot-tall toilet seat" Hugh needed after the operation, calling it "a specter of death no less chilling than the Grim Reaper himself"). The couple's humorous dynamic is further showcased in "A Long Way Home," which chronicles the time Sedaris invited a stranger on a seven-hour drive to keep Hugh company so Sedaris could lay in the back and indulge in his Duolingo addiction. Moments of sadness also bubble to the surface, such as the discovery that his childhood best friend, whom he hadn't spoken to in 47 years, had died of throat cancer. The news leads Sedaris to reflect on the memories they shared and, even though they grew apart after a painful incident, conclude that his life is "different now, diminished" knowing his former friend is gone. Elsewhere, he discusses his eccentric family, his world travels, and unfortunate encounters with strangers. Throughout, Sedaris's wit and keen awareness of life's absurdities are on full display. These essays are among the best of his career.
Customer Reviews
Thank you. A treasure.
I own all of David Sedaris’ books and love them. Last year, I bought them over again in audiobook format because I was very sick and couldn’t hold a book up for about a year. I was feeling really down on a lot of days but David’s stories made me smile and reminded me of my own resilience. I’m well now and glad David keeps writing. I’ll keep reading. I enjoyed this one just as much as the others.