Happy-Go-Lucky
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- Create Date：2022-05-31 10:51:43
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：David Sedaris
- ISBN：0316392456
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Summary
David Sedaris， the “champion storyteller，” （Los Angeles Times） returns with his first new collection of personal essays since the bestselling Calypso。
Back when restaurant menus were still printed on paper， and wearing a mask—or not—was a decision made mostly on Halloween， David Sedaris spent his time doing normal things。 As Happy-Go-Lucky opens， he is learning to shoot guns with his sister， visiting muddy flea markets in Serbia， buying gummy worms to feed to ants， and telling his nonagenarian father wheelchair jokes。
But then the pandemic hits， and like so many others， he’s stuck in lockdown， unable to tour and read for audiences， the part of his work he loves most。 To cope， he walks for miles through a nearly deserted city， smelling only his own breath。 He vacuums his apartment twice a day， fails to hoard anything， and contemplates how sex workers and acupuncturists might be getting by during quarantine。
As the world gradually settles into a new reality， Sedaris too finds himself changed。 His offer to fix a stranger’s teeth rebuffed， he straightens his own， and ventures into the world with new confidence。 Newly orphaned， he considers what it means， in his seventh decade， no longer to be someone’s son。 And back on the road， he discovers a battle-scarred America: people weary， storefronts empty or festooned with Help Wanted signs， walls painted with graffiti reflecting the contradictory messages of our time: Eat the Rich。 Trump 2024。 Black Lives Matter。
In Happy-Go-Lucky， David Sedaris once again captures what is most unexpected， hilarious， and poignant about these recent upheavals， personal and public， and expresses in precise language both the misanthropy and desire for connection that drive us all。 If we must live in interesting times， there is no one better to chronicle them than the incomparable David Sedaris。
Back when restaurant menus were still printed on paper， and wearing a mask—or not—was a decision made mostly on Halloween， David Sedaris spent his time doing normal things。 As Happy-Go-Lucky opens， he is learning to shoot guns with his sister， visiting muddy flea markets in Serbia， buying gummy worms to feed to ants， and telling his nonagenarian father wheelchair jokes。
But then the pandemic hits， and like so many others， he’s stuck in lockdown， unable to tour and read for audiences， the part of his work he loves most。 To cope， he walks for miles through a nearly deserted city， smelling only his own breath。 He vacuums his apartment twice a day， fails to hoard anything， and contemplates how sex workers and acupuncturists might be getting by during quarantine。
As the world gradually settles into a new reality， Sedaris too finds himself changed。 His offer to fix a stranger’s teeth rebuffed， he straightens his own， and ventures into the world with new confidence。 Newly orphaned， he considers what it means， in his seventh decade， no longer to be someone’s son。 And back on the road， he discovers a battle-scarred America: people weary， storefronts empty or festooned with Help Wanted signs， walls painted with graffiti reflecting the contradictory messages of our time: Eat the Rich。 Trump 2024。 Black Lives Matter。
In Happy-Go-Lucky， David Sedaris once again captures what is most unexpected， hilarious， and poignant about these recent upheavals， personal and public， and expresses in precise language both the misanthropy and desire for connection that drive us all。 If we must live in interesting times， there is no one better to chronicle them than the incomparable David Sedaris。
Reviews
Ryan
，
My entry point into David Sedaris was his essay reading on This American Life a few decades ago。 Had I not had that introduction to his work， Happy Go Lucky would have been a difficult read。 It definitely had a more serious tone because so much of it circled around his father slowly fading away and attempting to find resolution to such a negative relationship。 To balance the heaviness， there were humorous moments and then cringeworthy ones that made me really wonder what I was missing from the s My entry point into David Sedaris was his essay reading on This American Life a few decades ago。 Had I not had that introduction to his work， Happy Go Lucky would have been a difficult read。 It definitely had a more serious tone because so much of it circled around his father slowly fading away and attempting to find resolution to such a negative relationship。 To balance the heaviness， there were humorous moments and then cringeworthy ones that made me really wonder what I was missing from the story that would make it clear for me。That’s typical of His work， and why many of us read his work; he says what many are thinking without worrying about filtering those impulses。 Sometimes a little more filtering would benefit him。Thanks to NetGalley Little， Brown & Company for an ARC of this book。 。。。more
Andrea Lackman
，
Another wonderful book by one of my favorite writers！ David Sedaris is astute， funny， fascinating， and perhaps most of all—honest。 He writes the kind of inner thoughts that I think most of us have in our heads， but wouldn’t say out loud。 the results are sometimes hilarious， but often give you that funny feeling of recognizing a part of yourself—kind of like hitting your funny bone where you get that sharp zing that overwhelms you for a minute。 I felt that this book was slightly less humorous tha Another wonderful book by one of my favorite writers！ David Sedaris is astute， funny， fascinating， and perhaps most of all—honest。 He writes the kind of inner thoughts that I think most of us have in our heads， but wouldn’t say out loud。 the results are sometimes hilarious， but often give you that funny feeling of recognizing a part of yourself—kind of like hitting your funny bone where you get that sharp zing that overwhelms you for a minute。 I felt that this book was slightly less humorous than some of his others， but definitely hit close to home with stories about his father。 Overall， it wasn’t my favorite， but I’m glad I didn’t miss out on it， and definitely recommend。 Thanks to the publisher and NetGally for my ARC 。。。more
Kiley Young
，
I’ve been following David Sedaris’ works for about 20 years， since I stumbled across Me Talk Pretty One Day during a non-fiction unit in high school。 Happy-Go-Lucky， Sedaris’ latest collection of essays， might not be the best entry point to Sedaris’ work。 Though approached with humor and levity， this collection explores the darkest range of experiences yet: living in New York during COVID， a natural disaster， and the loss of his father。 Sedaris also seems to share things here that he held close I’ve been following David Sedaris’ works for about 20 years， since I stumbled across Me Talk Pretty One Day during a non-fiction unit in high school。 Happy-Go-Lucky， Sedaris’ latest collection of essays， might not be the best entry point to Sedaris’ work。 Though approached with humor and levity， this collection explores the darkest range of experiences yet: living in New York during COVID， a natural disaster， and the loss of his father。 Sedaris also seems to share things here that he held close to his chest until after the death of his father， including illuminating some of the abusive and otherwise appalling behavior his father perpetrated against Sedaris and his siblings。 If I didn’t have experience reading Sedaris’ work and understanding his humor， there were stories and jokes here that may give me pause and that may generally raise some controversy。 One thing I did find frustrating reading this book was how Sedaris described his behavior during the pandemic， including discussion of not wearing （or improperly wearing） masks and hosting dinner parties。 There are some fatphobic comments， some complex feelings about his father’s behavior that didn’t seem quite fully processed， and a story about a boy he believes may have had a crush on him （"Bruised"） that was frankly uncomfortable。 In the context of his larger body of work， Sedaris basically feels like a somewhat-eccentric uncle at this point， which allowed me to consider these moments in the context of what else I’ve learned about Sedaris over the years， and allowed me to give him the benefit of the doubt I may not afford to other authors。 Overall， in most ways the resilience， moments of joy， and many laugh-out-loud moments here outweighed the more uncomfortable moments， but this wasn’t my favorite of Sedaris’ works。Hachette Audio provided me with an ALC， so I was able to listen to the audiobook version of this one in addition to taking a look at the DRC provided by Little， Brown and Company and NetGalley for review。 As always， Sedaris narrates the book himself， with some segments recorded at live events， and I always recommend listening to Sedaris’ audiobooks if possible in lieu of/in addition to reading them physically。I think this one will most likely appeal to others who already know Sedaris’ work well。 Readers new to Sedaris may want to start with his earlier collections instead， such as Me Talk Pretty One Day， When You Are Engulfed in Flames， or Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim。Happy-Go-Lucky publishes on May 31， 2022。 。。。more
Kristi Betts
，
I enjoy reading about the life events of David Sedaris， generally。 in previous books there have been a number of laugh-out-loud moments， but HAPPY-GO-LUCKY seemed anything but happy。This book， like so many other new releases， focuses on the pandemic。 Since Sedaris writes about his life and the people around him， it makes sense this was not one filled with laughter。 He talks about his aging father and his difficult lifelong relationship with him。 There are a few laughable moments when Sedaris tal I enjoy reading about the life events of David Sedaris， generally。 in previous books there have been a number of laugh-out-loud moments， but HAPPY-GO-LUCKY seemed anything but happy。This book， like so many other new releases， focuses on the pandemic。 Since Sedaris writes about his life and the people around him， it makes sense this was not one filled with laughter。 He talks about his aging father and his difficult lifelong relationship with him。 There are a few laughable moments when Sedaris talks about his book tour/signings。 I especially liked hearing the information his fans would tell him while he was signing their books。If you are a Sedaris reader， you will recognize his style of writing and the continued narrative of his relationship with his partner， Hugh， and his siblings。 If you have not read any of his other books， I suggest you pick up one of those so ease your way into Sedaris' head 。。。more
Allison
，
David Sedaris has produced another thoroughly engaging collection of essays， but， be warned; it is dark。 How could it not be when half the stories center on coping during the Pandemic and the other half describe the final days of Sedaris’ father。 If you have read any of his previous collections， you know Sedaris and his siblings had a dysfunctional relationship with their father， but this book goes into details which are stark and appalling。。 it is amazing that they survived relatively intact。 （ David Sedaris has produced another thoroughly engaging collection of essays， but， be warned; it is dark。 How could it not be when half the stories center on coping during the Pandemic and the other half describe the final days of Sedaris’ father。 If you have read any of his previous collections， you know Sedaris and his siblings had a dysfunctional relationship with their father， but this book goes into details which are stark and appalling。。 it is amazing that they survived relatively intact。 （One sister did commit suicide as an adult。） He writes without apology or anger which makes the story even more heartbreaking。 In his final days the father， Lou， who dies at almost 98， loses the inner rage that seemed to motivate his every move， but clearly six months of genial charm can not make up for a lifetime of twisted perversion and just plain meanness。 It is astonishing that this author has been able to turn his life into a source of so many laughs for his readers。 。。。more
Michelle Smith
，
Every time I read David Sedaris， I am in awe。 In awe of his talent and ability to take the horrible moments in a life， and the boring day-to-day events and turn them into something that the reader can laugh at or with， appreciate the moments of someone else’s experiences when we are unable to find the humor in our own， and relate to （in some instances， at least）， sympathize with， and feel affection for people that they will likely never know in real life。I may not always agree with or like his t Every time I read David Sedaris， I am in awe。 In awe of his talent and ability to take the horrible moments in a life， and the boring day-to-day events and turn them into something that the reader can laugh at or with， appreciate the moments of someone else’s experiences when we are unable to find the humor in our own， and relate to （in some instances， at least）， sympathize with， and feel affection for people that they will likely never know in real life。I may not always agree with or like his topics， but I always appreciate what he shares of himself。 。。。more
Kyra Leseberg （Roots & Reads）
，
David Sedaris is one of my favorite writers because of his painful honesty。 He’s always willing to share a story for a laugh even if it doesn’t put him （or his family） in the best light。 He’s peculiar， craves attention， and seems to truly enjoy people （or at least， enjoys the stories they provide）。 Happy-Go-Lucky is his latest collection of personal essays and it covers a wide range of topics from shooting guns with his sister， being stuck in NYC during lockdown， straightening his teeth， and his David Sedaris is one of my favorite writers because of his painful honesty。 He’s always willing to share a story for a laugh even if it doesn’t put him （or his family） in the best light。 He’s peculiar， craves attention， and seems to truly enjoy people （or at least， enjoys the stories they provide）。 Happy-Go-Lucky is his latest collection of personal essays and it covers a wide range of topics from shooting guns with his sister， being stuck in NYC during lockdown， straightening his teeth， and his relationship with his family （which is always my favorite）， as well as the death of his father。 Sedaris’ candid and brutally honest accounts of his dad are always so poignant and surprising in the midst of humorous essays。 This collection showcases his incredible ability to connect with people - any of us; many times for a laugh while exploring human nature， but always to share with readers。Thanks to Little， Brown and Company and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 Happy-Go-Lucky is scheduled for release on May 31， 2022。For more reviews， visit www。rootsandreads。wordpress。com 。。。more
Kassie
，
David Sedaris has been a solid favorite since I read Me Talk Pretty One Day。 I was absolutely thrilled when I received the arc for his newest book， Happy-Go-Lucky， through NetGalley。 While commenting on his experience meeting an author， Sedaris writes， “。。。if it was ever my turn and I was the author seated at that table， I was going to engage people until they grew old， or at least thirsty。” I have met David Sedaris at different book signings and I have never seen him fail in this regard。 His ta David Sedaris has been a solid favorite since I read Me Talk Pretty One Day。 I was absolutely thrilled when I received the arc for his newest book， Happy-Go-Lucky， through NetGalley。 While commenting on his experience meeting an author， Sedaris writes， “。。。if it was ever my turn and I was the author seated at that table， I was going to engage people until they grew old， or at least thirsty。” I have met David Sedaris at different book signings and I have never seen him fail in this regard。 His talent lies in seeing people and communicating with them。 This is not only true one on one during book tours （though his talent certainly shines there！）， but also in his writing。 Sedaris will admittedly write things in a way to be funny， but he also tells the truth about his relationships。 Sometimes his spouse yells and he’s still the person for him。 His dying father wasn’t perfect and he’s very blunt about it in his writing， but he still grieves when he passes。 Like many of his previous books， Happy-Go-Lucky does a great job of looking at mundane events we all experience and passing them through a lens that highlights the humor without adding false optimism or embellishing the positive aspects。 Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Lisa Jablonsky
，
This does not disappoint。 David is as funny and biting as ever。 Somehow he manages to balance the sadness， humor and reality of the death of his father and the pandemic。 That's along with his old favorites like the quirks and joys of his sisters， partner and readers。He did an excellent job at describing in his unique way living in NYC during the pandemic which I really appreciated， as it was a horror。 This does not disappoint。 David is as funny and biting as ever。 Somehow he manages to balance the sadness， humor and reality of the death of his father and the pandemic。 That's along with his old favorites like the quirks and joys of his sisters， partner and readers。He did an excellent job at describing in his unique way living in NYC during the pandemic which I really appreciated， as it was a horror。 。。。more
ashes ➷
，
holy shit this is coming out soon。 will have to read it asap （i'm 2/2 in line for the 1 audiobook copy & 4/4 for the 4 physical copies at my local library now-- don't usually do audiobooks but sedaris has an unbelievably good reading voice。） excited for the "covid stories" for sure-- sedaris's writing about it on the internet has been wonderful-- and also ready for "lady marmalade，" mentioned in some reviews of his recent readings & netgalley reviews of his book。 apparently that essay deals with holy shit this is coming out soon。 will have to read it asap （i'm 2/2 in line for the 1 audiobook copy & 4/4 for the 4 physical copies at my local library now-- don't usually do audiobooks but sedaris has an unbelievably good reading voice。） excited for the "covid stories" for sure-- sedaris's writing about it on the internet has been wonderful-- and also ready for "lady marmalade，" mentioned in some reviews of his recent readings & netgalley reviews of his book。 apparently that essay deals with his father's sexually inappropriate behavior， including his sister tiffany's allegations of rape by their father。 i've always loved sedaris's stories on these thornier topics， because he does so well in the nuances of darkness-- we sometimes DON'T know what happened， or CAN'T know， and that can be worse than knowing-- & wonder how this will read after the deaths of both tiffany and lou。 in general i worried about where his writing would go after his father's death， not because sedaris owes anybody writing， but because so much of his writing was about his parents， and i wonder if he felt like that chapter was forever closed （& his essay on his father's death was a major selling point for "the best of me，" his best-of collection， which to me always signals a pretty mature career）。 seeing this coming out is a relief in that sense。 definitely a must-read for me， & i expect to enjoy it no matter what。 sedaris fans get your familial trauma。。。 。。。more
Kaeleigh Reynolds
，
Hilarious， insightful， hilarious… I love this guy’s sense of humor so much。 I was cackling on my dog walks！
Michelle
，
I was gifted a copy of this book from Net Galley and Little， Brown， and Company in exchange for an honest review。 This book is available on May 31， 2022。 ⭐⭐⭐ I've read several David Sedaris books and I'm always pleased with them。 They are fast reads， funny， and sometimes heart warming。 Happy-Go-Lucky did not disappoint。 Some parts were a little too politic heavy for me， but I got over it quickly。 I always feel like I want to hang out with the Sedaris clan after reading a book by David。 I thin I was gifted a copy of this book from Net Galley and Little， Brown， and Company in exchange for an honest review。 This book is available on May 31， 2022。 ⭐⭐⭐ I've read several David Sedaris books and I'm always pleased with them。 They are fast reads， funny， and sometimes heart warming。 Happy-Go-Lucky did not disappoint。 Some parts were a little too politic heavy for me， but I got over it quickly。 I always feel like I want to hang out with the Sedaris clan after reading a book by David。 I think it would be a fun time！ 。。。more
Laurann
，
David Sedaris has done it again。 I have always loved his books - his diaries were a bit tougher to get through - but he has returned to form with this book。 I loved the sections about talking with people after his shows as I was once one of those people。 He is an amazing writer。 I recommend this book if you want a good laugh and maybe a little cry at times。 His family is as funny as ever！
The Atlantic
，
"David Sedaris is back， doing the thing his readers have come to adore: offering up wry， moving， punchy stories about his oddball family。 This batch also touches on some of the more tumultuous moments of our past two years， sometimes pretty irreverently。 Reading Sedaris on， say， his pathetic efforts to stockpile food in the early days of the pandemic is sublimely funny—he ends up with an assortment that includes a pint of buttermilk， taco shells， and a pack of hot dogs。" "David Sedaris is back， doing the thing his readers have come to adore: offering up wry， moving， punchy stories about his oddball family。 This batch also touches on some of the more tumultuous moments of our past two years， sometimes pretty irreverently。 Reading Sedaris on， say， his pathetic efforts to stockpile food in the early days of the pandemic is sublimely funny—he ends up with an assortment that includes a pint of buttermilk， taco shells， and a pack of hot dogs。" 。。。more
Lisa Konet
，
This was not my favorite book by David Sedaris but any life stories and humorous anecdotes are always ok by me。 I always like that he makes these short stories and life experiences relatable to everyone。 Still a recommended read but hope his next book is better。Thanks to NEtgalley。 David Sedaris。 and Little Brown & Company for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。Available: 5/31/22
jeremy
，
eighteen pandemic-era essays of healing hilarity， david sedaris （especially these days） is like a balm for battered souls。 with the familiar family drama， social hellscapes， and piquant observations of our "divided， beat-up country，" happy-go-lucky is like the inappropriate joke that makes the whole ordeal a bit more bearable。 the terrible shame about the pandemic in the united states is that more than eight hundred thousand people have died to date， and i didn't get to choose a one of them。 eighteen pandemic-era essays of healing hilarity， david sedaris （especially these days） is like a balm for battered souls。 with the familiar family drama， social hellscapes， and piquant observations of our "divided， beat-up country，" happy-go-lucky is like the inappropriate joke that makes the whole ordeal a bit more bearable。 the terrible shame about the pandemic in the united states is that more than eight hundred thousand people have died to date， and i didn't get to choose a one of them。 。。。more
JJ Ramirezz
，
I personally just couldn’t get in to this one。 I am a David Sedaris fan， but didn’t dig on this one。 Even if I didn’t dig it I will still recommend this one to people。 It is well written and nicely separated into nice little parts。
Terris
，
I always enjoy David Sedaris， and this one was no exception！ I especially liked that it was updated to his time spent quarantining， comparing his book tours before and after the pandemic， and more on the loss of his father。 He is always entertaining， but also so truthful。 If you are a David Sedaris fan， you'll want to run out and get this one！ :）I'd like to thank NetGalley， David Sedaris， and Little， Brown and Company for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review。 I always enjoy David Sedaris， and this one was no exception！ I especially liked that it was updated to his time spent quarantining， comparing his book tours before and after the pandemic， and more on the loss of his father。 He is always entertaining， but also so truthful。 If you are a David Sedaris fan， you'll want to run out and get this one！ :）I'd like to thank NetGalley， David Sedaris， and Little， Brown and Company for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review。 。。。more
Debbie
，
I used to cough to hide a fart。 Now I fart to hide a cough。This was a sign that Sedaris saw someone holding in New York City during the start of the pandemic。 It made me laugh out loud and I had to text it to a bunch of friends immediately。 I am not a fart-joke kind of gal， but how could I not laugh at this one？ Anyway， this joke fits Sedaris to a tee。 He is so good at finding wildly weird and funny stuff—be it signs on the street or whispers on a plane。 He picks up on the absurdity of life （he I used to cough to hide a fart。 Now I fart to hide a cough。This was a sign that Sedaris saw someone holding in New York City during the start of the pandemic。 It made me laugh out loud and I had to text it to a bunch of friends immediately。 I am not a fart-joke kind of gal， but how could I not laugh at this one？ Anyway， this joke fits Sedaris to a tee。 He is so good at finding wildly weird and funny stuff—be it signs on the street or whispers on a plane。 He picks up on the absurdity of life （he is such a keen observer！） and he’s a master at turning it all into funny little stories。 He’s cynical， outrageous， and oh so clever。Oh， and here are two more weird signs he saw:-Fuck you diaper face （held by a homeless guy in the street）-Consider your man card reissued （seen at a shooting range）Some lines I liked:“Had I honestly just used the term hot-dog artisans？ I said to Amy。 “Sometimes don’t you just hate yourself？”“I long ago stopped feeling bad about my interests。 History？ Give me a break！ Culture？ Yawn。 Take me to the nearest supermarket！”“I do do things I don’t commit to paper。 I use the bathroom。 I have sex。 But I try to be quick about it。”“The doctor wants me on fifty milligrams of Highfalutin， but I think he’s just full of himself。"About that last quote: He came up with Highfalutin as a good name for a fake medication， and I totally agree！ In fact， I think it would have been a fantastic name for this collection。 （I’m not crazy about the actual title， “Happy-Go-Lucky，” even though I know it wreaks of irony。）I must say that this collection isn’t quite as funny as his other books。 It’s understandable， given that there was horror all around him: the pandemic， political unrest， and a dying father。 And even though it isn’t as funny， it isn’t as snarky or gross as his other books， either， so that’s a good thing。 Both funny and snarky are turned down a notch。I love that he was able to observe goings-on in New York City during the pandemic （I happen to be in love with NYC）。 One of my favorite essays was “Themes and Variations，” which was partly about women and their bras， about how they “de-bra” the first chance they get。 He asked women and got some hysterical stories out of it。 Another favorite was “Lady Marmalade，” which gave you a sense of just how weird， unfiltered， and inappropriate his dad was。 “When the waiter asked if we were ready for the check， my father said， ‘Are you ready to bend over and take it？’”At least six of the essays are about his dad， a guy who told David he was worthless， a guy who cut him out of the will， a guy who sounds like a real a-hole。 But everyone’s relationship to their father is complicated， and in amongst Sedaris’s angst is probably a thread of love， though it’s hard to tell。 I felt like Sedaris was writing to work it all out in his head， some self-therapy。 He did manage to find the funny in good old dad， but I was left being pretty disgusted by the guy。 Sedaris at least got good material out of his dad （and even his funeral）， which he casually mentions as a perk for the eternal verbal abuse he received。Sedaris talks a lot about other family members—his escapades with his sisters， his life with his long-time partner， Hugh。 The essays are all touching and poignant， and most are funny。 He’s getting to be an even bigger curmudgeon now that he’s getting up there in age。 He gets annoyed more easily， but it does make for some funny tales。I’m not crazy about how Sedaris meanders sometimes。 He’ll start with a topic and then get sidetracked。 It’s easy to go with the flow， especially since everywhere he goes is funny， but it still seems a little disorganized。 I had the same beef with some of his other books。My one other gripe isn’t a criticism about the book， but about his behavior during the pandemic。 He didn’t follow the rules—he often didn’t wear a mask， he traveled when he could， he went to parties。 I know that everyone has different levels of risk they are willing to take， but it bugged me because it seemed irresponsible。 I have to remember that the pandemic was very hard for him because it meant he couldn’t work—he wasn’t free to travel around the world doing readings。 He admitted that he missed the attention。 I think the pandemic was especially hard for comedians。This is a good read—plenty of funny little tidbits—from a master observer and recorder。 As I said， not as great as his other books， but still very good。Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy。 。。。more
Stacey Lunsford
，
Sedaris delivers another thoughtful， clear-eyed， satirical take on the state of our society and the particular quirks of his own family。 Written during the COVID-19 pandemic and following the death of family patriarch， Lou， Sedaris critiques the banality of performative protest marches and takes about racism and privilege， always reflecting on his own failures and weaknesses with a gently self-mocking tone。 He talks about his father's final years and， with an honesty that goes deeper than he eve Sedaris delivers another thoughtful， clear-eyed， satirical take on the state of our society and the particular quirks of his own family。 Written during the COVID-19 pandemic and following the death of family patriarch， Lou， Sedaris critiques the banality of performative protest marches and takes about racism and privilege， always reflecting on his own failures and weaknesses with a gently self-mocking tone。 He talks about his father's final years and， with an honesty that goes deeper than he ever has before， deconstructs his father's life and legacy。 This collection made me think closely about family relationships and it made me howl with laughter。 Sedaris never disappoints。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
April
，
I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this title。 I am a huge fan of David Sedaris and this book did not disappoint。 I had read one story that had been released to Amazon prime prior to this book release。 This book tells of stories of his current life since COVID and his life now with family and his husband。 I enjoyed this book so much。 Many of the stories are relatable to how things are now and how the world is changing。 Excellent short stories that I have read several times already。
Lynne
，
I really enjoy this author， frequently laugh out loud while reading。 The majority of this book was very entertaining。 A few small parts were disgusting。 I guess that's art。 Thank you NetGalley for the ARC。 I really enjoy this author， frequently laugh out loud while reading。 The majority of this book was very entertaining。 A few small parts were disgusting。 I guess that's art。 Thank you NetGalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Chris
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Sedaris has never really been that relatable or likable as a person。 He's a misanthrope through and through， and that hasn't changed。 His life now is unlike the life he was writing about at the start。 Desperate living on the fringes of society has been replaced by rich living as a mild celebrity。 But the spirit is still there。 I keep expecting to be "over" Sedaris with each new book。 I was obsessed when I was younger， but don't our idols often fade in unappealing ways？ However， I devoured this。 Sedaris has never really been that relatable or likable as a person。 He's a misanthrope through and through， and that hasn't changed。 His life now is unlike the life he was writing about at the start。 Desperate living on the fringes of society has been replaced by rich living as a mild celebrity。 But the spirit is still there。 I keep expecting to be "over" Sedaris with each new book。 I was obsessed when I was younger， but don't our idols often fade in unappealing ways？ However， I devoured this。 In some ways， his confessional style is more radical now that he's rich and famous。 It's the rare book of personal essays that doesn't fluff up the image of the author or delicately dance around sensitive topics。 There's a lot to dislike him for， and how refreshing， how honest！ I sometimes felt almost embarrassed to be eavesdropping on these thoughts， like when he paints a difficult picture of his father who recently died or goes through the faults of his partner， Hugh。 But that's what the best personal essays--or at least the ones I like the most--do。 They show the ugly sides。 They don't try to valorize the author or make someone feel good， they just try for honesty。 This style came up short in the essays where he tries to tackle significant recent events--the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020， the pandemic。 But those fail for being myopic and smallminded， not for being obnoxiously grandiose。 And in that way， they're kind of relatable too--even if we care so much about the world， don't our petty personal concerns often take the forefront？ Don't come to this looking for philosophical or social reflection。 Do come for a model of how to be neither perfect nor weirdly enthralled with cancellation， just ambiguously human--and funny。 。。。more
Mandy Genge
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Another fantastic book by Sedaris about family， Covid，。。。 life！ I found myself laughing out loud throughout the reading adventure！ Two enthusiastic thumbs up！
Sarah
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*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC！*4。5 stars。 I love David Sedaris’ writing， so I was thrilled to get this latest collection。 He balances the silly and the serious so well， and makes the mundane feel powerful。 This book covers both COVID and the death of his father， so it’s not necessarily light， but Sedaris’ wry sense of humor always finds a way。 I liked hearing more of his family dynamic now that they are adults， especially the several stories here including his sister Amy， *Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC！*4。5 stars。 I love David Sedaris’ writing， so I was thrilled to get this latest collection。 He balances the silly and the serious so well， and makes the mundane feel powerful。 This book covers both COVID and the death of his father， so it’s not necessarily light， but Sedaris’ wry sense of humor always finds a way。 I liked hearing more of his family dynamic now that they are adults， especially the several stories here including his sister Amy， who is another of my favorites。 It was interesting that this collection was really focused on the past couple of years versus how many of his others are about his childhood， although there were plenty of looks back as he recounted stories of his father’s cruelty。 It feels like he’s put a lot of thought into reckoning with that past in these pages。 I also recently got to see him live and he read one of the more poignant chapters from this book。 There were some fatphobic comments that I could have done without， and he casually made them on stage live too which was a bummer。 If you are a fan， you’ll love this one， and if you are new to him， it’s a good one to start with。 。。。more
Maegan
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Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of the latest David Sedaris。 Both laugh-out-loud funny and heartwarming， it’s also touching as Sedaris deals with the complicated feelings around his father’s decline and death。 TW- suicide， abuse allegations， mental illness
Danielle
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3。5
Marima
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Although it pains me to say this， I think this will be the last book I read by David Sedaris。 I liked him。 I laughed my way through Me Talk Pretty One Day and chuckled while reading Calypso， which wasn’t as funny but offered up enough reflection on life and death for me to see it as a meditative memoir of sorts。 But this？ I’m not sure what happened here。 I chuckled maybe once or twice。 And it’s definitely not reflective enough to qualify as a meditative memoir （most chapters are filled with thou Although it pains me to say this， I think this will be the last book I read by David Sedaris。 I liked him。 I laughed my way through Me Talk Pretty One Day and chuckled while reading Calypso， which wasn’t as funny but offered up enough reflection on life and death for me to see it as a meditative memoir of sorts。 But this？ I’m not sure what happened here。 I chuckled maybe once or twice。 And it’s definitely not reflective enough to qualify as a meditative memoir （most chapters are filled with thoughts that could be deep and eye-opening but instead feel half-baked and incomplete）。 It reads more like a man complaining about everything and everyone—including his loved ones。 He complains about their behaviour （which is， by the way， objectively bad） and cosigns it simply because he loves them （please note that you can love someone while calling them out on their outrageous behaviour—I would even encourage it）: he mentions instances in which his family has been rude to customer-service workers， mentions his father’s abusive behaviour， and mentions （and tries to DISPROVE） his dead sister being assaulted。 I was uncomfortable。 I was angry。 My second-hand embarrassment was through the roof。 The thing is， these things would be fine in a memoir if they served a purpose—if an author put all of these cards on the table and said， “look at this thing that I have grown from; if you have gone through these things， too， I will stand in your pain with you and show you the light at the end of the tunnel，” I would gobble it up。 But Sedaris seems to be sharing horrific moments with us in lieu of going to therapy。 Many thanks to Netgalley and Little， Brown， and Company for the advance copy provided in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Gina Zappa
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Okay so David Sedaris is always gonna be a 5 star for me。 Forever。 He never disappoints。 He is able to find the funny even in the hardest of times， and the world always needs more of that。 I laugh audibly every time I read an essay by him， and most of the time I'm at work。 At the library。 Where I look like a crazy person for cackling into the silent abyss。 I'll just Shhh！ myself。But hey， I'm fine with that， keep those essays coming Sedaris， I'm ready to look like a lunatic anytime for you。Thank Okay so David Sedaris is always gonna be a 5 star for me。 Forever。 He never disappoints。 He is able to find the funny even in the hardest of times， and the world always needs more of that。 I laugh audibly every time I read an essay by him， and most of the time I'm at work。 At the library。 Where I look like a crazy person for cackling into the silent abyss。 I'll just Shhh！ myself。But hey， I'm fine with that， keep those essays coming Sedaris， I'm ready to look like a lunatic anytime for you。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jen
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Thank you Little Brown and Libro。fm for an eAudio copy of this to listen to and review。Ok， opinions differ and I know Sedaris is a favorite of many， but this book was either boring or WAAAAY too much TMI for it to be anything but a DNF at 15% for me。 I have read some of his work in the past and loved it， which is why I jumped on requesting this， but I guess he’s aged poorly or I’ve changed or something， but this was just…not good。 2， I didn’t hate it but I can’t really recommend it unless you ar Thank you Little Brown and Libro。fm for an eAudio copy of this to listen to and review。Ok， opinions differ and I know Sedaris is a favorite of many， but this book was either boring or WAAAAY too much TMI for it to be anything but a DNF at 15% for me。 I have read some of his work in the past and loved it， which is why I jumped on requesting this， but I guess he’s aged poorly or I’ve changed or something， but this was just…not good。 2， I didn’t hate it but I can’t really recommend it unless you are a die-hard Sedaris fan， stars。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Happy-Go-Lucky
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Happy-Go-Lucky&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Happy-Go-Lucky&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0