This book was a tiny bit confusing for me. It's part recipe book, part hospitality guide, but it's not the sort of hospitality guide I expected!
Ok, so the blurb does ask if you're lacking direction in whipping up a swanky soiree for lumberjacks but I might have not read that before I began the book. Sedaris starts of by giving advice for a range of parties; dinner parties, blind dates, children's parties...feeding lumberjacks and rich old uncles. There's a few humourous notes but not enough that I was entirely sure if I was meant to be taking this seriously or if it was an outright joke. I mean, one minute there's useful tips about setting tables and picking themes, the next she's talking about setting up a for sale stand with unwanted items in order to make money from your guests. When it got to the section where she gives details on washing your vagina and how rabbit poo makes an "excellent" addition to salads, I'd given up.
I think I'd have liked this more if it had been an outright piss-take of hosting and entertaining, or at least offered practical advice interspersed with funny stories and anecdotes. But it seems to be neither practical not amusing. I'm sure Sedaris is a funny person and that's why I decided to read this book but it left me wanting to know her stories about her parties, like the one she tells of a blind date showing up with a friend and drinking so much he stayed the night and threw up on himself. THAT is what I wanted out of this book, not being told kids parties should have games and a 30minute limit.
On the other hand, you have a whole bunch of recipes which compliment the stories or ideas from the book which are obviously really useful. Some of them seemed genuinely delicious and easy which made me want to try them out - especially 15minute meals in 20mins because I'm sure that's how it would end up being for me if I tried them.
Ultimately, as a student of hospitality I downloaded this because I figured it would be both amusing but kind of interesting and informative at the same time. While it might not strictly be outright advice, there'd be an element of learning in things gone wrong in an oh-so humourous fashion. But I was wrong. I found myself cringing at some of the tips and not in a good way - like the step by step instructions on how to put on tights? Why? Neither useful nor amusing.
All in all I was completely disappointed by this book. It makes me want to try more by Sedaris because I know she has the ability to be a funny and absorbing storyteller but this book and it's concept just fell completely flat for me.
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