Atlantic £7.99 (206pp) from the Independent Bookshop: 08430 600 030
You Better Not Cry, By Augusten Burroughs
Friday 17 December 2010
Latest in Reviews
Related stories
Written in the same self-deprecating, gently witty vein as David Sedaris' quirky vignettes, these thematic stories of Christmas confusions and misdemeanours are a delightful read.
Don't be fooled by the crude cover of a dog wearing a festive hat: the material inside is genuinely rib-tickling and veers on the right side of cute.
Augusten Burroughs, author of the memoir Running with Scissors, recalls his early conflation of Santa and Jesus - "I could identify Coke or Pepsi with just one sip, but I could not tell you for sure why they strapped Santa to a cross" - and takes us onto more adult terrain when, one morning after the night before, he wakes up in a hotel bedroom with a man in a Santa suit. It beats the EastEnders omnibus for festival laughs.
- 1 Eurovision row escalates as Iran withdraws ambassador
- 2 First Night: Posh, Duke of York's Theatre, London
- 3 One is nipping to Tesco: Jubilant Jubilee royals as seen by Alison Jackson
- 4 Last night's viewing: Hit & Miss, Sky Atlantic; My Big Fat Fetish, Channel 4
- 5 Kanye West's Cruel Summer premieres at Cannes
- 6 From fashion to film: Jean Paul Gaultier on his week as a Cannes juror
- 7 Jedward reach Eurovision final in Baku
- 8 On the Road, Cannes Film Festival
- 9 Stone Roses play first gig in 16 years
- 10 Language: The cussing room floor
- 1 Andre Villas-Boas out of contention as Liverpool have second thoughts over former Chelsea manager
- 2 Brazil rocked by abortion for 9-year-old rape victim
- 3 Queen tried to use state poverty fund to heat Buckingham Palace
- 4 Society: The only way is Finland
- 5 Portugal 'sells' Ronaldo to Spain in £160m deal on national debt
- 6 Gary Connery lands safely after 2,400 ft helicopter jump without parachute
- 7 Uefa may reconsider Champions League rule that saw Chelsea qualify instead of Tottenham
- 8 DmC Devil May Cry set for early 2013 release
- 9 French in uproar over oral sex anti-smoking posters
- 10 Coke reveals its secret: It may need to carry a cancer warning
Experience the Heineken Hub
Get free wi-fi and exclusive i content while you enjoy a tasty pint of Heineken at participating pubs.
Can you imagine a career in teaching?
Be inspired to teach - let real teachers show you how rewarding the job can be.
Playing a game-changing role during the Games
Cisco is providing the solutions for London 2012's complex IT needs.
Enter the latest Independent competitions
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.
Business videos from commercial thought leaders
Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.
Career Services
The art of industrial espionage
Therapist who tried to 'cure' me of being gay thrown out...
VIP treatment: Life is golden in the Olympic fast lane
Forest guards told to shoot poachers on sight after rash of tiger killings


Comments