Theft by Finding is volume one of writer and humorist David Sedaris' personal diaries written between 1977 and 2002. (I'm assuming a Volume II from 2002- present will be forthcoming as a follow up).
I love David Sedaris, his previous books are some of the few that actually do make me LOL. These snippets from his diaries give an insight into his early life and show how he evolved as both a writer and a person. Some of the early entries are a little depressing as he drinks and drugs his way through a series of apartments in the wrong part of town and dead end jobs but slowly he sorts his life out and his lot improves. (Hooray!)
Theft by Finding isn't a traditional biography, rather it is a collection of short extracts which are arranged chronologically and form a series of small vignettes - some connected, others not. Many are simply small observations or snippets of overheard conversations.
Honestly, I must admit that I didn't love the first half of this volume, not just because it was a little sad and depressing, but more because the material hadn't really stood the test of time and the writing was less polished than the later entries. I did however like the later part of the book a lot and there were many entries there that made me chuckle.
I read this volume straight through but you could equally dip in and out of it reading small sections at a time. If you are a David Sedaris fan I think you will enjoy this, but if in doubt I would suggest waiting for the second volume as the later material here was simply so much better.
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