The Partly Cloudy Patriot

By: Sarah Vowell

Narrated by: Conan O'Brien, Seth Green, Stephen Colbert, Paul Begala, Michael Chabon, Norman Lear, They Might Be Giants

From This American Life contributor and self-described “history nerd” Sarah Vowell comes a collection of humorous and personal essays investigating American history, pop culture, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

In this insightful and funny collection of personal stories Vowell travels through the American past and in doing so ponders a number of curious questions: Why is she happiest when visiting the sites of bloody struggles like Salem or Gettysburg? Why do people always inappropriately compare themselves to Rosa Parks? Why is a bad life in sunny California so much worse than a bad life anywhere else? What is it about the Zen of foul shots? And, in the title piece, why must doubt and internal arguments haunt the sleepless nights of the true patriot?

Her essays confront a wide range of subjects, themes, icons, and historical moments: Ike, Teddy Roosevelt, and Bill Clinton; Canadian Mounties and German filmmakers; Tom Cruise and Buffy the Vampire Slayer; twins and nerds; the Gettysburg Address, the State of the Union, and George W. Bush's inauguration.

The result is a teeming and engrossing book, capturing Vowell's memorable wit and her keen social commentary.©2002 Sarah Vowell; (P)2002 Simon & Schuster Inc. All Rights Reserved. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Voice? C'mon!

Alla youse who negated Sarah's narration are SO missing the point. These essays ARE Sarah. Who else could possibly narate her stories as well as she does? If you enjoy her stories...you enjoy the quintessential Sarah. If you enjoy the quintessential Sarah, then it is her VOICE you are drawn to. C'mon...listen with your head instead of your arse!

Sleeper hit

I had never even heard of Sarah Vowell before downloading this book from Audible, but I am now a big fan. Ms. Vowell, with her dry delivery and ironic wit, is often compared with David Sedaris. The difference is this: Mr. Sedaris makes funny observations about his life, while Ms. Vowell is a literate and well-read humorous commentator on American history and politics. While Mr. Sedaris might make you laugh (if you can stand his voice), Sarah Vowell might actually make you think.

i would have rated it 4 stars if...

if there hadn't been the irritating addition of extra narrators, which seemed awkward and artificial and totally unnecessary to me. Sarah Vowel's peculiar voice, which grew on me, suits her words just fine. She doesn't need to be augmented by other people. This is true even moreso with "Assassination Vacation." Anyway, i thoroughly enjoyed the writing, the attitude, and the humor. Not to mention the history information.

Always entertaining, even when biased

I adore Sarah Vowell, and I would read anything that she wrote, especially if I get to hear it in her own voice. This collection of essays is entertaining and informative for the most part. Where it bothers me is when she gets into the partisan politics. I don't mind her bashing the Right. I pretty much expected that. I'm sure she thinks she's trying to be balanced by poking a little fun at her own side. However, I think she misses the real point of what is lacking from the Left's position on the issues. If you're on the Left, you'll probably be cheering along with her from start to finish. For me, I'll stick with her other non-partisan stuff for now.

History and Satire in one

Another great look at American History from Sarah Vowell. She managed to pack in both satiric comments and true history into every chapter. The only negative is that some of the pieces are now a bit dated, like the one about Bush's inauguration. Still insightful and funny though.

Vowell's reading voice can take a little getting used to, but she is a good reader, and having the author read helps get the emphasis and humor in the right spots.