Theft by Finding - David Sedaris

Theft by Finding

By David Sedaris

  • Release Date: 2017-05-30
  • Genre: Humor
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 275 Ratings

Description

One of the most anticipated books of 2017: Boston Globe, New York Times Book Review, New York's "Vulture", The Week, Bustle, BookRiot
An NPR Best Book of 2017An AV Club Favorite Book of 2017A Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2017A Goodreads Choice Awards nominee

David Sedaris tells all in a book that is, literally, a lifetime in the making.

For forty years, David Sedaris has kept a diary in which he records everything that captures his attention-overheard comments, salacious gossip, soap opera plot twists, secrets confided by total strangers. These observations are the source code for his finest work, and through them he has honed his cunning, surprising sentences.

Now, Sedaris shares his private writings with the world. Theft by Finding, the first of two volumes, is the story of how a drug-abusing dropout with a weakness for the International House of Pancakes and a chronic inability to hold down a real job became one of the funniest people on the planet.

Written with a sharp eye and ear for the bizarre, the beautiful, and the uncomfortable, and with a generosity of spirit that even a misanthropic sense of humor can't fully disguise, Theft By Finding proves that Sedaris is one of our great modern observers. It's a potent reminder that when you're as perceptive and curious as Sedaris, there's no such thing as a boring day.

Reviews

  • So boring.

    1
    By ScooterMiami
    What a boring diary. I guess he can get anything printed. His other books are entertaining. This is not.
  • A great debut to iBooks

    5
    By Tkho12
    I’ve never been much of a fan of digital copies of literature, mostly because I enjoy the feeling of hardcovers or satisfaction of seeing the pages I’ve finished reading. However, sedaris’s diary excerpts were just the right little revues I’d need throughout my day when I had downtime between coffee lines and rides around town. I’d highly recommend this to any avid Sedaris fan—great insight to David’s world as he finds his literary voice.
  • FN great.

    5
    By Malllory1712213
    I❤️DS.
  • Worst "book" I've ever read

    1
    By heritagebay
    Theft By Finding is the worst waste of money I've ever spent. Why we glorify these guys is beyond me. It's almost as if the critics who propel this drivel forward are getting a blow job because of it. Absolutely terrible thing to say but when the title is Theft by Finding, one expects a plot in this diary......and there is none. If I'd wanted an autobiography, I'd have chosen another. I wish I'd have researched the book instead of blindly purchasing it. It's nice he's managed to get his life together, but I won't read any other books by him, and I recommend others do some research before they do, too.
  • Another Sedaris classic

    5
    By Nodestar
    Some people don't like this format, but after so many books he had to change the format a bit. He has that same witty moments, and honesty. From his first quaalude (1980) to insights into his later successes he is careful to entertain us.
  • Disappointing

    1
    By Idubihdbihbdi
    When you patiently wait for the next David Sedalia book and all you get are diary entries.
  • So Great

    5
    By BigSiaFan
    I'm a longtime fan, and this was such a treat. I tried to savor it, but couldn't put it down. Reading it felt like a gift because it's fun to connect the dots to his stories. Those who enjoy his books will love every word.
  • Good but not great--Sedaris fans will enjoy.

    4
    By AliOsh1800
    In the beginning the reader gets a real look inside the daily life of Sedaris before he became famous. There is shift in the honesty of his journaling as his literary career begins to climb in real life, his journal reads more like a blog or a published author taking notes for his next book. I'm always a fan of Sedaris and this did not disappoint but I gained more insight from the beginning years. As the years get newer, the stories get older (based on stories already included in his other published books).
  • Mystery solved...

    5
    By jcros1950
    So you're the crook that stole my diary?