AOW #18- End of IRB

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

David Sedaris is a comedian who is well known for his books in which he writes funny short stories from his life. He has many books published to this date, including Holidays on Ice, filled with short stories about the holiday season, which I read for my IRB.

This book is composed of several short stories that David Sedaris has pulled from the many holiday seasons he has experienced throughout his life. He uses these funny moments to exhibit how the holiday season is for him. His stories focus on elements such as work, friends, family, and of course all the stereotypical holiday moments, such as Santa, elves, mall Santa, Christmas, and holiday meals.

The context of this piece is in the prime of Sedaris' career, where he has previously published many books and has a well-established career.

The purpose of this book was to make his audience laugh while telling of his experiences in the holiday season.

The audience of this book is anyone who is a fan of Sedaris or is attracted to his humor. It is not for everyone, as it does not appeal to all humor.

Rhetorical devices of DIDLS are:

• Diction- Sedaris uses comical phrasing and casual word choice. Sedaris says things that the average person might not normally say, but in such a way that it seems like casual phrasing.
• Imagery- Sedaris consistently does a good job of setting the scene. He describes settings well and effectively sets the mood for the following situation.
• Details- Details are used interestingly in this book. Sedaris adds details that may seem insignificant at first glance, but then end up being what sticks out to you most after reading the short story. He uses details to add further humor to his piece.
• Language- Sedaris uses language that could sometimes be seen as offensive. Though personally I don't find it to be offensive, Sedaris uses words and phrases that may make the reader say "did he really just say that?"
• Syntax: For the most part, Sedaris uses basic syntax. There is mild variation in punctuation.

Personally, I do not feel Sedaris accomplished his purpose. I rarely found myself laughing at his stories and usually found them quite boring. I was disappointed in this book, because I had high expectations/hopes for it.