Slowly but surely, Sedaris learns French. However, he goes about this process in a very unconventional way, opting to learn odd phrases like “facial swelling” before mastering how to have a simple conversation. Because most of the essays in
Me Talk Pretty One Day are primarily structured to make readers laugh, it’s unsurprising that he focuses on his quirky approach to learning French, providing humorous commentary on the difficulties of learning a new language.