The Book of Liz - Acting Edition
by David Sedaris and Amy Sedaris
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Book Reviews of The Book of Liz - Acting Edition
Book Review: Wacky fun!!
Summary: 4 Stars
As with some of the other reviewers here, I pre-ordered "The Book of Liz" long before its publication, and I was somewhat surprised to see how short it is (although at that price, I shouldn't have been surprised). However, after reading the play I was ultimately satisfied with my purchase. "The Book of Liz" chronicles a very sweaty and naive Squeamish Sister (an obvious play on the Amish) who decides to leave her job making cheeseballs and venture out into the real world. No, I'm not kidding! The plot is as bizarre as you'd expect from the Sedaris siblings.
It should be noted that the play lists Amy Sedaris as the first author, and it definitely reflects her humor more than David's humor. It's kind of a tame variation of her show, "Strangers With Candy." "The Book of Liz" is different and fun, and it gave me a few chuckles. Not bad for such a short and inexpensive tome.
Book Review: nice and cheesy
Summary: 4 Stars
Sister Elizabeth Donderdock is unappreciated in her Squeamish township. (So as not to offend the Amish, the Sedarises replaced the "A" with "Squea". I'm sure no one suspects.) She is the only person who has the secret touch it takes to make the famous Squeamish cheese balls, but the town doesn't realize how important she is until she disappears. Although not David's best work, this play is a lot of fun to read and features a lot of good-natured silliness. On the otherhand, it appears difficult to stage. Make sure you have four good actors who can play male and female roles, Amish as well as alcoholic and can speak Ukranian.Book Review: It is an acting edition of a stage play
Summary: 4 Stars
It seems rather odd that several of the below reviewers are not familiar with acting editions of plays---or, for that matter, with stage plays in general. The "Dramatists Play Service" on the front cover certainly tells us that that is what this is! Not a pamphlet! Not a short story! While reading it,you should try to envision it being performed by actors on a stage, live, in front of an audience (if some of you know what that means...) And, as such, it is really quite entertaining. I don't see it as more than that, but, then again, neither was "Strangers with Candy"Book Review: Better onstage? (potential spoiler)
Summary: 3 Stars
From the moment you know the main character is a sweaty nun (well, sort of) who makes unique cheeseballs, well, come on! What do *YOU* think is gonna happen?There are some Sedaresque observational turns that are worthwhile: AA members staffing an IHOP equivalent, an all-too-short interlude with a Mr. Peanut-wearing couple from Eastern Europe...
Perhaps onstage, with the aid of a talented comic to interlace these tidbits with some kind of physical running gag, well, it would all be worth it.
But I guess it really isn't.
Book Review: Why bother anymore with that cloying elf?
Summary: 5 Stars
...and his fatuous harpy of a sister...This guy has pulled eight sheeps of wool over way too many eyes. Let's take him, Eggers, Squeaky Vowell, Frangenides, and all the other ersatz nutz (a phrase which might inspire peals of squeals and subsequent chapters for any of these Supersponges) and write them out of their own self-suckling fables. This is Seinfeld without the neuroses, Pynchon without the mystery, Modernism without the resonance or wit...just a mess of weak minds and quirks masquerading as Personality.