Happy-Go-Lucky (book)

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Happy-Go-Lucky
First edition cover
AuthorDavid Sedaris
Audio read byDavid Sedaris
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
PublisherLittle, Brown and Company
Publication date
May 31, 2022 (2022-05-31)
Media typePrint, e-book, audiobook
Pages272
ISBN978-0-316-39245-7
Preceded byCalypso 

Happy-Go-Lucky is a collection of 18 semi-autobiographical essays by David Sedaris.[1][2] It was published on May 31, 2022, by Little, Brown and Company.[3][4] 13 of the 18 essays were previously published in a magazine or through Amazon Original Stories; some of these were published under a different title or in a different form.[5]

Essays[edit]

  1. "Active Shooter"[a]
  2. "Father Time"[a]
  3. "Bruised"
  4. "A Speech to the Graduates"[b]
  5. "Hurricane Season"[a]
  6. "Highfalutin"[c]
  7. "Unbuttoned"[a]
  8. "Themes and Variations"[d]
  9. "To Serbia with Love"
  10. "The Vacuum"[a]
  11. "Pearls"[a]
  12. "Fresh-Caught Haddock"
  13. "Happy-Go-Lucky"[a]
  14. "A Better Place"[a]
  15. "Lady Marmalade"
  16. "Smile, Beautiful"[e]
  17. "Pussytoes"
  18. "Lucky-Go-Happy"[a]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i First published in The New Yorker
  2. ^ First published in The Paris Review
  3. ^ First published in Elle
  4. ^ First published by Amazon Original Stories
  5. ^ First published in British Vogue

Synopsis[edit]

In Happy-Go-Lucky, Sedaris continues where he left off in Calypso, writing about his transition into late midlife during the final years of the Trump administration and into the COVID-19 pandemic. He writes about his life and the lives of his family—including his siblings, his longtime partner Hugh, and the decline of his 98-year-old father, with whom he had a fractured relationship.

Reception[edit]

Happy-Go-Lucky debuted at number one on The New York Times nonfiction best-seller list for the week ending June 4, 2022.[6]

Happy-Go-Lucky received favorable reviews from critics, with a cumulative "Positive" rating at the review aggregator website Book Marks based on a sample of 12 reviews.[7] Publishers Weekly wrote, "Sedaris's tragicomedy is gloomier than usual, but it's as rich and rewarding as ever."[8] In a rave review, Anita Snow of the Associated Press wrote, "Writing about his teen years, Sedaris is simultaneously amusing and brutal while unflinchingly exposing the ironies of his family and life in general."[9] In a mixed review, Houman Barekat of The Guardian criticized Sedaris as coming across as "glib on racial politics", "cranky" toward the younger generation, and "petty" and "bitter", but admitted "it is partly because of these flaws that people relate to him." Barekat concluded, "On the page he's a somewhat diminished presence: engaging but rarely captivating."[10]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Alford, Henry (May 30, 2022). "The Sneaky, Subversive Thrills of David Sedaris". The New York Times. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  2. ^ McAlpin, Heller (May 31, 2022). "In 'Happy-Go-Lucky,' David Sedaris reflects on his fraught relationship with his dad". NPR. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  3. ^ "Happy-Go-Lucky by David Sedaris". Little, Brown and Company. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
  4. ^ "Happy-Go-Lucky by David Sedaris". Kirkus Reviews. March 11, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  5. ^ Sedaris, David. Happy-Go-Lucky. Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-316-39245-7.
  6. ^ "Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction". The New York Times. June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  7. ^ "Happy-Go-Lucky". Book Marks. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  8. ^ "Nonfiction Book Review: Happy-Go-Lucky by David Sedaris". Publishers Weekly. March 22, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  9. ^ Snow, Anita (May 31, 2022). "Review: 'Happy-Go-Lucky,' an amusing look at life's ironies". Associated Press. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
  10. ^ Barekat, Houman. "Happy-Go-Lucky by David Sedaris – lockdown, loss and dentistry". The Guardian. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
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