the zany side of life

When I first saw Amy Sedaris's book on the shelf at Barnes and Noble, my first reaction was surprise at how big it was. I had originally pictured it as regular-sized and similar to her brother's book, more along the lines of a novel or memoir. Intrigued, I flipped through the pages while standing in line to pay, and was immediately pulled into Amy's zany and colorful world. I didn't do much other homework that night because I was too absorbed in pictures that reminded me of the ISpy books we used to have at home, and in relating to my roommate all the recipes in the book that we had to try.

I think what makes the book so interesting for me is how eclectic it is. Amy doesn't just include recipes and pictures of the finished products, but also advice for many different situations. It seems to be a mish-mosh of all different kinds of genres- from cookbook, to home-entertaining, to advice book, and finally a jokebook. Throughout the whole book, Amy punctuates her advice, photographs, and even recipes with her oftentimes goofy humor.

In the beginning of the semester, we talked about how humor can be used to bring people together, as well as how it is a way in which one can feel free to be themselves. Amy's book captures both of these elements because she is able to engage her reader, as well as to encourage them to be as zany and goofy as they want, as long as they are being themselves. After finishing her book, I really wanted to attend one of her themed parties - if reading about her parties are this entertaining, attending one must be even more so.