The Dreaded Feast: Writers on Enduring the Holidays

By Michele Clarke

Book Overview

The Dreaded Feast will act as a balm for the millions of people who face Christmastime with a mixture of dread and obligation. Whether it's the last-minute shopping, the unappealing office party, or the prospect of more than 24 hours with family, it's never easy. The anthology, which includes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry on these and many more related subjects, deflates the notion of the "perfect" holiday season, and allows the reader to commiserate and bask in the glow of a little dark, neurotic, and unflinchingly honest humor. ? The star roster of contributors includes Jonathan Ames, Dave Barry, Robert Benchley, Charles Bukowski, Augusten Burroughs, Billy Collins, Greg Kotis, Lewis Lapham, Jay McInerney, Fiona Maazel, George Plimpton, David Rakoff, David Sedaris, Charles Simic, Hunter S. Thompson, James Thurber, Calvin Trillin, and John Waters. Praise for The Dreaded Feast: "A wonderfully irreverent look at the holidays. A must for the Christmas cynic on your list."? - USA Today ? One of USA Today's 2009 "12 Books of Christmas"? "If you embrace the darker side of Christmas, then this is definitely the book for you." ? -Chicago Sun-Times? "Thank the 'X' in 'Xmas' for The Dreaded Feast , [which] collects essays, short stories, and poetry that attack Hallmark holidays with all the neurotic humor one expects from contributors like Jonathan Ames, Fiona Maazel, and Calvin Trillin."? - The New Yorker? "Amid the twinkly decorations, dancing sugar plums, and ubiquitous holiday cheer, a bracing dose of dark humor might be nice, don't you think? For book lovers, we're recommending a volume that offers just that: The Dreaded Feast ."? - Raleigh News & Observer

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 081098265X
• ISBN13: 9780810982659
• Release Date: October 2009
• Publisher: Abrams Image
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.5" x 0.8" x 5.3"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Hilarious

If you don't have the "ideal" family and your holiday events are really not celebrations, but something to be endured, you will love this book. There are many different authors sharing their insights and revelations. These stories will make you laugh as well as help you to feel better about your own family...hey, you aren't the only one!

A fun holiday gift for under $20

We (my husband and I) happened to be at "Book Passage" (Marin County, CA) last Thursday (Dec 17th '09) looking for gifts for friends, family, etc. that they might not buy for themselves. Michele Clarke was doing readings from "The Dreaded Feast" and everyone in the audience was having such a good time laughing that we wandered in to listen. Our desperate shopping mode was over - - - this is a fun read and perfect for bringing reality to the "Holiday Season."

Dark Humor That's Best Enjoyed in Small Doses

Worth the purchase price just for Graham Roumieu's wonderful cover illustration--rarely has a single image so succinctly captured a book's theme. One look at "The Dreaded Feast"'s darkly humorous cover and I guarantee you'll know if this book is for you. All of the stories here are previously published and most can be found elsewhere quite easily, although "The Dreaded Feast" is a handy collection. Where else will you find today's best humorists (David Sedaris, Augusten Burroughs, David Rakoff, and Jonathan Ames) alongside classic writers (Charles Bukowski, George Plimpton, and John Cheever)? There are some surprises, such as John Waters's selection, "Why I Love Christmas," and "Santa Claus's" "Santa Responds." And, of course, there's a couple of duds--"Susie's Letter From Santa" is clearly not Mark Twain's best work. The gap between the various writing styles can be a difficult chasm to bridge; I can't really think of two authors more different than John Cheever and Dave Barry, although I enjoy them both. I also found myself constantly flipping to the back of the book to find the date that a particular story originated so that I could read it in context. Lewis Lapham's "Christmas Carol," for instance, lampoons mid-90s Big Business, and it's jarring to read it side-by-side with Roy Blount Jr.'s 2008 recession parody "Xmas Words." Rather than reading this cover-to-cover, it's probably best digested a story or two at a time. (Note that the Augusten Burroughs story is from "Running With Scissors," and is curiously not included in his own Christmas collection, "You Better Not Cry.")

The Dreaded Feast: A Hilariously Real look at holiday traditions

The Dreaded Feast: Writers on Enduring the Holidays is a terrific read for those who've embraced the realities of our holiday traditions....no Santa, the Pilgrims most likely didn't have jellied cranberry sauce, etc. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially Home for the Holidays, A Survivor's Frightening Account by Chris Radant. I'd follow this writer anywhere!

The Best Cure for Holidays with "loved" ones

Having endured my mother's baked apples stuffed with raisins every Christmas ("they are so GOOD this year, mom!") and holiday booze-fests turned red state vs blue state screaming matches with right-wing in-laws, I was happy to see that this collection does the title justice. Dreaded indeed, the holidays (in my book) are a load of rubbish and this hilarious book will take the edge off the worst of them. Thank heavens for Sedaris, Thurber, Waters, Trillin et al for this survivors manual. Perhaps it will reduce the incidence of the big S, which, not surprisingly, spikes during the holidays. Great read if you like humor and loath the holidays.