The Land and Its People

by David Sedaris

In The Land and Its People, his first collection since Happy-Go-Lucky, David Sedaris reflects on what it means to be a foreigner, a brother, a lifelong friend. He tries on the role of caretaker after his boyfriend Hugh’s hip-replacement surgery, and both succeeds and fails. He buys his sister a cape and discusses his brother with a jaded Duolingo bot. He walks dozens of miles with his friend Dawn and challenges her to eat a truck tire. Ever adding to his list of “Countries I Have Been To,” he rides a horse named Tequila in Guatemala, buys a bespoke priest’s cassock in Vatican City, and goes on safari in Kenya without taking a single photo.

There is sadness here—scrolling through his address book, he realizes how many dear friends are now deceased—but also delight: he revels in author’s biographies, the malapropism that becomes a decades-long inside joke, and pair of well-made cotton underpants. He is bitten by a dog. A train passenger vomits in his face. A woman on the street late at night either sexually harasses him or doesn’t. Look how hard it is to be alive!

Throughout these essays—at once acerbic and tender, playful and profound—Sedaris shows how much there is to marvel at when you keep your head up and your eyes open, observing with warmth and curiosity this fascinating human species and the lands we inhabit.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Essays, Audiobook, Memoir, Biography, Comedy

272 pages, Hardcover

First published May 26, 2026

About the author

David Raymond Sedaris is an American humorist, comedian, author, and radio contributor. He was publicly recognized in 1992 when National Public Radio broadcast his essay "Santaland Diaries". He published his first collection of essays and short stories, Barrel Fever, in 1994. His next book, Naked (1997), became his first of a series of New York Times Bestsellers, and his 2000 collection Me Talk Pretty One Day won the Thurber Prize for American Humor.
Much of Sedaris's humor is autobiographical and self-deprecating and often concerns his family life, his middle-class upbringing in the suburbs of Raleigh, North Carolina, his Greek heritage, homosexuality, jobs, education, drug use, and obsessive behaviors, as well as his life in France, London, New York, and the South Downs in England. He is the brother and writing collaborator of actress Amy Sedaris.
In 2019, Sedaris was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Reviews

[CJ Alberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Am I the first person to review the new Sedaris on Goodreads wtf!!!! David is less angry at his dad in this one and I’m happy for him. I just simply love him, even if he’s completely unrelatable to me on an income level now he still Talks To Me you know

[2raccoonsinacoat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think David Sedaris is one of the best modern comedy writers. I also think this book kind of missed the mark.

To anyone who has read his stuff before, the format is much the same. A collection of easy-to-read essays reflecting on his, usually absurd, interactions and observations of daily life. He talks about marriage, living in NYC, traveling, meeting strangers, and public transportation.

I was pretty obsessed with his books when I was in college because they were smart, self-deprecating, digestible, and occasionally heartfelt. I credit the audiobooks of “Me Talk Pretty One Day” and “Let’s Talk Diabetes with Owls” with surviving an awful stint in a Limnology Lab.

That being said, this was his first book to disappoint me. The writing was strong, the length and pacing of each essay perfect, and his wit was sharp as always (I laughed out loud several times). Maybe I’m just older now (or maybe he is?) but it just felt so…bitter. He’s always been a critic, but there was no reconciliation in this, no balance. And all of the digs at trans/non-binary people were grating. It’s giving “mean gays”, but not sarcastically. What happened to not taking swings at people with less power than you, David?

I still like David Sedaris and think fans of his earlier stuff will find something here to enjoy, but I wouldn’t recommend this to a first-timer.

Thank you to Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Admittedly my review of Sedaris’ previous book was harsh. I try to write reviews just after I finish a book, and my emotions are high and my thoughts haven’t had time to mellow. I probably could have put a sweeter spin on what I didn’t like in the collection, but it is how I felt in the moment.

Thankfully, this new collection gets all of my praise….almost! The cover price is worth the number of times I laughed out loud, like cathartic, deep, laughing. Much needed laughing. Sedaris isn’t holding back, he’s unbelievably irreverent and not at all PC here, it was shocking, and, at least to me, hilarious.

There are times he falls into Andy Rooney territory. “Get off my lawn!” style curmudgeoness. And one of my disagreements from the last book comes up again here, there’s lots of talk about the fancy possessions being acquired. Thankfully, the luxe mentions are used better here. A tale about a very pricey cashmere cape is a stunner, funny, sarcastic, and heartfelt in that special Sedaris way.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an early peek.

[LPosse1 Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well… someone is back to his old form.

The Land and Its People had me laughing out loud with enough frequency to frighten neighborhood dogs, alarm passing pedestrians, and probably raise concerns about my mental stability during my daily walks.

I listened to the audiobook, recorded live at various venues, and that format is absolutely perfect for David Sedaris. I’ve seen him live many times — including just a few weeks ago — and this book captures what makes him such a singular performer and writer.

The last couple of Sedaris outings, at least for me, felt a little… mailed in.

This one is not.

The show I saw recently was sharp, energized, and wonderfully funny. This book is too.

The observational humor here is classic Sedaris. Stories like “Cool Moms” and the unforgettable dog-bite episode in Portland showcase his uncanny ability to transform ordinary life into comic gold. That’s really his superpower: taking the small, awkward, everyday moments most of us overlook and turning them into something hilarious, revealing, and strangely profound.

In fact, Sedaris has inspired me to start carrying a small notebook around to capture snippets of everyday life — because that’s the magic trick on display here. This book is, in many ways, simply David Sedaris paying close attention.

And what brilliant attention it is.

What has always separated Sedaris from lesser humorists is his ability to pivot on a dime from laugh-out-loud comedy to bittersweet humanity. One moment you’re cackling; the next you’re unexpectedly touched.

I’m glad he’s back in this form.

Funny, observant, vulnerable, weird, and wonderfully human — The Land and Its People is David Sedaris doing what he does best. 5 Stars- Audiobook

You have made it this far- find out more about the greatest literary Sunday ever!
https://open.substack.com/pub/lposse1...

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection felt a tad more uneven to me than most of Sedaris’ previous works, but there was still plenty to enjoy: I giggled out loud quite a bit as I listened to the audio (narrated by Sedaris himself). As he ages and friends and family die and experience serious health issues, Sedaris seems to be turning his thoughts more and more to mortality, and several of the essays are deeply considered appreciations of people in his life, past and present.

[Kasa Cotugno · Rating 5 out of 5]

This audio book is unusual in that it is transcribed from various visits around the country, some very recent. In his own voice, he continues his ongoing version of his life and that of his family so that previous excursions into his life are brought to memory without effort. I was going to only listen to a few, but found myself devouring the whole thing in one swoop.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like catching up with your cool uncle. He’s charming and fun to talk to so you don’t really mind that he’s a boomer.

[Alena · Rating 5 out of 5]

First a piece of advice: Listen to this latest David Sedaris on audio. Hearing him read his own words with the pauses and inflections he intends, is part of the joy.

Next, a warning: Do not listen to this audio book while driving. I was laughing so hard I almost veered into another lane of traffic (which I think the non-driving Sedaris might appreciate).

This essay collection is the funniest thing I’ve read in years, as Sedaris always is. Self-defined essayist, I’d also call him a stand-up comic and a memoirist. What he does so brilliantly is to balance acerbic, caustic wit with tender-hearted sentiment. Just when you think he might be a complete bitch, he just breaks your heart with his perceptive sensitivity.

I will miss his voice and his writing.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Rachel Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is peak David Sedaris. Highly recommend the audiobook, which Sedaris reads to a live audience. It makes the essays even funnier and more personal. His timing, delivery, and the audience reactions add so much to the experience.

[Justice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent collection overall. Some stories, like the one about his childhood best friend, and about his mom, were poignant and funny in that trademark Sedaris way. But others show his out-of-touch-rich-old-man side a little too prominently lol.

[Kieran · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. It’s David Sedaris, so some of these essays are funny and reasonably well-constructed. But this collection is hit or miss. There is a chasm between the good essays and the rest. This particular collection starts off whiny and self-indulgent, but there are a few pieces later in the collection that are Sedaris at his best. Overall disappointing with some great moments.

[Charlie Hourihan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like I’m taking crazy pills reading some of these other reviews.. David Sedaris has always been this self absorbed LOL that’s why I love him! Maybe because there are fewer stories about his childhood it’s a harder pill to swallow? It wasn’t my favorite but it definitely had me chuckling. I love how much care goes into the final sentence of a lot of these essays.

Once Sedaris mentioned being on Duolingo I was on the edge of my seat waiting for him to share his thoughts on Lily (the purple haired character & my personal Duolingo nemesis). He did not disappoint!

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly new essays. Still funny but a tad less irreverent.

Worth a read or better yet, a listen.



Thanks Edelweiss and Little, Brown and Company.

[Baz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a delight. It’s more of Sedaris writing about the things I love him to write about: his relationship with his husband Hugh, his terrible dad, his sisters and brothers—especially Amy Sedaris, of whom I might be more of a fan than David himself—and his best friend Dawn.

I number Sedaris among the writers who are always there when I need them—an easy choice, a guaranteed good time—whenever I need a book to perk me up.

[Ryan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nothing about this was insightful or interesting — it never even registered that any of it was meant to be funny. His whole gig is talking down on people and judging anyone he considers beneath him, and somehow the audience is supposed to find that humorous? He is entitled, self-absorbed, someone who seems to hate his life, hate his husband, and resent anything that can’t immediately be made about himself. And on top of all that — it’s not even written well.

[Jolanta (knygupė) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didžiulis pliusas – pačių autorių įgarsintos humoristinės audioknygos. Popierinio varianto tikrai nebūčiau ištempus. O toks „paletės išvalymas“ tarp rimtesnių knygų – pats tas.

[James Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is how I feel about David Sedaris, he is getting better and better with age. I still find his essays laugh out loud funny, but they are also so poignant, too. He's such an incredible observer - of people, situations, funny moments, but mostly about himself. He sometimes describes how he feels about something and I think, 'Wow, I'm not the only one who thinks that way!' It's very comforting. Also, there's nothing like seeing him live - so if he visits a place near you, go see him! This was a great read.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

More of the same from Sedaris. I’m just not buying what he’s selling anymore.

[alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really felt like the author back to his finest. I didn’t love his last few things but this collection felt more like his older essay collections that I loved (ie Calypso, Me Talk Pretty etc). There were still a variety of stories but a lot more focused around getting older and navigating that. It had the humor you come to expect and I even chuckled out loud a few times while reading on the train. Excellent.

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Sedaris has been one of my favorite authors and essayists since I read Me Talk Pretty One Day when it was first released back in 2000. So I guess I’ve been a fan for over 25 years. I’ve read every single one of his books as well as saw him speak at ASU Gammage in the mid 2000’s.

His essays in this latest book, The Land and Its People, are delightful; they are filled with humor, insight, and the disdain for impolite humans which makes him so relatable. He talks about his long walks (GOALS! I wish I could walk as much as David does on a daily basis), his Duolingo addiction, and his relationship with long time companion Hugh.

The Land and Its People: Essays, is a lot more of that classic David Sedaris that we know and love. Having read his works over the past 25 years, I feel that I’ve grown with him as he’s aged through the years, and in this book he discusses the friends that he’s lost as time marches on. He also talks about his extensive travels (again, GOALS) through so many countries, adventures on safari, riding a horse atop a volcano, and trying to journal while sitting in a bouncing safari vehicle.

This book is excellent as a newcomer to David Sedaris, as well as those of us who have followed his books since the beginning. I feel like I know his family almost as well as my own by now, with all of their quirks and problems. It’s a wonderful read that almost felt too short, because I was having so much fun diving into each essay.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for sending me this ARC.

[Lisa Burris · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is not secret that David Sedaris is a master of the essay form, and his latest collection underscores that. Whether eulogizing a childhood friend or lamenting the moroseness of his godson, Sedaris is relatable and funny, and, for those of us who have long enjoyed his work, reading each new collection is like catching up with an old, albeit often crotchety, friend.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll start by saying that there were moments when reading The Land and Its People that I wondered if this would be it for David Sedaris and me. There were a few jokes that just rubbed me the wrong way and reminded me of gay men of a certain generation who think that because they have enough money that they don’t have to care about the rest of the world.

As always, though, the essays that hit in this collection really hit. No one will ever be able to convince me that Sedaris isn't just a brilliant humorist; he's a brilliant writer. He says the most in the least amount of words. And although, as he ages, he returns to familiar topics (namely, his parents), it's precisely because he's aging that he is viewing them through even newer and more liberated lenses.

I laughed out loud at Lily, the teenage character who coaches him on Duolingo. I cried reading the essay about the death of his best friend from childhood. And I couldn't help but relate when he wrote about his relationship to the word husband. I have to wonder if, when Sedaris is ruffling my feathers, if I'm not just hearing something said out loud that I know many others are keeping to themselves.

[ThatBookish_deviant · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

Each new Sedaris release feels like a little gift I can’t wait to unwrap. I’ve consumed so much of his work, the anecdotes within now feel familiar yet never cease to elicit lots of amused grins throughout.

[Kristi Hovington · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the mix of poignancy and irreverence of older Sedaris; this didn’t move me as much as Calypso did, but I was still enthralled, reading about the same cast of characters he’s been writing about for 30 years, all older and wiser themselves. He definitely comes across as more Larry David-esque here, filled with many complaints of modern life.

[Gary Parkes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great collection from Sedaris!

[Claudia Greening · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite of his, but does make me want to go back and reread everything he’s ever published!

[Audrey Approved · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always happy to get a new Sedaris essay collection! This one felt a little more nostalgic and melancholy than his previous books. There were some real LOLs in here, and while I feel like Sedaris seems less relatable than in his earlier works, he's still so entertaining to hear muse about random life observations. Definitely worth picking this up in audio format for the full Sedaris effect.

[leedsdevil · Rating 4 out of 5]

The latest collection of easays by David Sedaris is a tasty flight of wines of a lesser vintage. Although expertly and perhaps flawlessly narrated by the author, the tales ran between droll and chuckle inducing, most leaning toward the former. My particular favorite was the poignant “Good Grief”, where the author recounts the dualistic grief of finding out about the death of a former best friend, and experiencing the loss of one once so close while re-experiencing the memory of the death of a close relationship of youth. The humor in the memory of the hijinks of the two friends is perhaps overahadowed by the schadenfreude Sedaris lets leak through in his description of the deceased as ultimately haviing lived a lesser life, and looking much older. Even though the author has been accused of gilding the lily in some of his essays, one can’t help but feel the humanity in the truth of that sentiment; as Gore Vidal has been supposed to have said, “It is not enough to succeed. Others muat fail.” That may perhaps be no more true than when you had a close friendship with the object of that comparison — a friendship that died ignominiously a long time ago. The other tales are all interesting, but this reader can’t help but feel that Mr Sedaris has already mined the best nuggets of golden memories from his life, and he is now offering us the silver ones.

[nadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met David Sedaris last month and my friend told him I got rejected from a job. She then said she was going to Princeton to get a PhD. I’m content knowing he thinks I’m an unemployed loser.