Holidays on Ice

Holidays on Ice is a short collection of humor by David Sedaris, focusing on funny things about the holidays. The first piece is "The Santa Land Diaries", an account of his season working as a department store elf. The antics of his fellow elves are only exceeded by the Santas and the parents. This was a pretty funny essay that turns the holidays upside down.

The rest of the stories are mixed. The piece "Seasons Greetings to our Family and Friends" is dark and full of spite but not much real humor. On the other hand, "Dinah, the Christmas Whore" is a funny bit about the year his sister brought home a prostitute friend during the holiday season. The piece "Six to Eight Black Men" is a classic commentary on cultural differences about the holidays.

Overall I'd say this is pretty standard Sedaris humor, if not his best. It is good for a laugh during the holidays, or even in the middle of summer. B