Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary by David Sedaris
For a long time, I’ve wanted to read this book it reminded me of books in the vein of “Who Moved My Cheese” which I liked. I must admit that when I first read the title I thought the entire book was about a squirrel and a chipmunk dating, funny right. Curiosity made me purchase it. The illustrations were childish and ranged from humorous to bordering the disturbing. Even so the stories were geared to a mature audience. All the stories were plausible with a morale. Some of themes were adult peppered with a little spicy language. Squirrel seeks Chipmunk is is not one of those books you review normally, because each chapter is a new story with different main characters. The author tried to showcase the many sides of the human condition in a comfort format and I must say I wasn’t blown away. The writing was lovely and the subject matter either shocked me or was just blah, sorry. An example the story of the sitter he is a pedigree dog his wife isn’t she cheats on him with the hot tempered bulldog across the street and gets pregnant classic reminds of an episode of a trashy talk show. By the end of the book I don’t know how I felt. I would recommend this book as filler to complete a reading challenge if you need to catch up. Or to break up the monotony of your favorite genres. I gave Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk a three out of five.
Bestiary — descriptive or anecdotal treatise on various real or mythical kinds of animals, esp. a medieval work with a moralizing tone.
Rating: 3/5
- Title: Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary by David Sedaris
- Published: September 28, 2010
- Publisher: Little Brown Company
- Genre: Short stories
- Format: Paperback
- Pages: 159
- Buy: Barnes | Amazon
Featuring David Sedaris’s unique blend of hilarity and heart, this new collection of keen-eyed animal-themed tales is an utter delight. Though the characters may not be human, the situations in these stories bear an uncanny resemblance to the insanity of everyday life.
In “The Toad, the Turtle, and the Duck,” three strangers commiserate about animal bureaucracy while waiting in a complaint line. In “Hello Kitty,” a cynical feline struggles to sit through his prison-mandated AA meetings.
In “The Squirrel and the Chipmunk,” a pair of star-crossed lovers is separated by prejudiced family members. With original illustrations by Ian Falconer, author of the bestselling Olivia series of children’s books, these stories are David Sedaris at his most observant, poignant, and surprising.