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Holidays on Ice: Stories | 
 enlarge | Author: David Sedaris
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Category: Book
List Price: $8.99
Buy New: $4.12
You Save: $4.87 (54%)
New (43) Used (70) Collectible (13) from $3.39
Avg. Customer Rating:  166 reviews
Sales Rank: 2457
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 144
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.9 x 4.9 x 0.4
ISBN: 0316779237
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780316779234
ASIN: 0316779237
Publication Date: November 1, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New and Factory Sealed Item Fast Shipping
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Amazon.com Review
Holidays on Ice is a collection of three previously published stories matched with three newer ones, all, of course, on a Christmas theme. David Sedaris's darkly playful humor is another common thread through the book, worming its way through "Seasons Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!!" a chipper suburban Christmas letter that spirals dizzily out of control, and "Front Row Center with Thaddeus Bristol," a vicious theatrical review of children's Christmas pageants. As always, Sedaris's best work is his sharply observed nonfiction, notably in "Dinah, the Christmas Whore," the tale of a memorable Christmas during which the young Sedaris learns to see his family in a new light. Worth the price of the book alone is the hilarious "SantaLand Diaries," Sedaris's chronicle of his time working as an elf at Macy's, covering everything from the preliminary group lectures ("You are not a dancer. If you were a real dancer you wouldn't be here. You're an elf and you're going to wear panties like an elf.") to the perils of inter-elf flirtation. Along the way, he paints a funny and sad portrait of the way the countless parents who pass through SantaLand are too busy creating an Experience to really pay attention to their children. In a sly way, it carries a holiday message all its own. Read it aloud to the adults after the kids have gone to bed. --Ali Davis
Product Description
A new holiday classic--six of the most profound Christmas stories by the author of the bestselling "Naked" and "Barrel Fever"--is now in a paperback edition perfect for stocking stuffing.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 161 more reviews...
 A couple of bright stars December 12, 2008
"SantaLand Diaries" and "Dinah, the Christmas Whore" save this one. Sedaris is at his best telling tales (tall or otherwise) of his own life and family. I like the satirical stories less. Still, it is David Sedaris after all... which means you'll no doubt laugh and enjoy yourself.
Not Sedaris at his best, but still really really good. December 10, 2008
I'm a big David Sedaris fan. I think that Me Talk Pretty One Day is one of the funniest books I've ever read. I've checked out several of his books, the most recent being Holidays on Ice, a collection of holiday-themed comic essays.
If you've seen the stage production of Santaland Diaries, then the anchor story in this collection will be very familiar to you. It details Sedaris' stint as a Macy's Christmas elf one year, and it is freaking hilarious. From the humiliating "uniform" to the strict instructions by the Gestapo-like Macy's Christmas management team, you will chuckle during this one.
I found the rest of the book a bit uneven. "Season's Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!!" went on far too long, as did "Christmas Means Giving," which took one joke and spun it out for more than 10 pages. I did enjoy reading "Dinah, the Christmas Whore," though, as well as "Front Row Center with Thaddeus Bristol."
Though every story isn't a gem, the book is a quick read and worth checking out if you're in the mood for some subversive holiday humor.
Enjoy!
Dark stuff October 23, 2008
Try to imagine David sitting next to you, bathed in the twinkling glow of the tree, telling these stories to get the full effect.
 Casual Brilliance at it's best October 17, 2008
Must read - brilliant!
For everyone who has felt weird or knows weird people - these are the voices and stories.
We've all been there or been near it.
David Sedaris is brilliant. A must own! August 18, 2008
Holidays On Ice is a terrific compilation and should be given as a gift to anyone who is less than enthused when December rolls around. David and his sister Amy are two of the funniest people on earth it seems. While there are a couple of stories in here that are less enjoyable than others, it is still superb comic writing and had me in hysterics while reading some parts of this collection. SantaLand Diaries is pitch perfect and ends on a hilarious note that sums up much of the ridiculous nature of the Christmas season. Front Row Center With Thaddeus Bristol is a brilliant idea executed to perfection as various children's pageants are picked apart without pity. My favorite in this collection is perhaps Season's Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!! which is written in such a similar nature to so many Christmas letters I've read over the years except for some of the more theatrical elements of course. The tone he writes with in that piece is dead on. An absolutely wonderful present to give yourself or anyone who deserves a treat at any time of year. I'm fairly irritated to see that it is being released again this coming holiday season with new stories included which seems like a ploy to make more money, similar to the Christmas shopping season exploits depicted in this book.
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