When You Are Engulfed in FlamesWhen You Are Engulfed in Flames
Score Modern
What it's about
A collection of David Sedaris's comic essays: he takes a trip to Tokyo to quit smoking, fights with neighbors, buys a skeleton for his boyfriend Hugh, has a stranger's cough drop fall into his lap on a plane, and remembers his strange childhood and family in North Carolina.
Why it's worth reading
It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list. Sedaris is one of the funniest writers alive, and he's sharp about himself and everyone else.
You'll love it if you liked
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-centered PlanetGood to know
The essays stand alone. Sedaris's audiobook readings are especially funny.
By the numbers
- Readers59 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller79 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #128 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #367 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #725 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Funny, Thought-provoking
More by David Sedaris
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Calypso
The Land and Its People
Happy-Go-LuckyIf you like this, read next
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood
Bossypants
I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons
Yes Please
Why Not Me?
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?Explore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is When You Are Engulfed in Flames worth reading?
Yes. It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list. It ranks #725 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 75.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is When You Are Engulfed in Flames about?
A collection of David Sedaris's comic essays: he takes a trip to Tokyo to quit smoking, fights with neighbors, buys a skeleton for his boyfriend Hugh, has a stranger's cough drop fall into his lap on a plane, and remembers his strange childhood and family in North Carolina.
How long does it take to read When You Are Engulfed in Flames?
About 8 hours (323 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after When You Are Engulfed in Flames?
If you liked it, try Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris, A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson or The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-centered Planet by John Green.