"Great books for bored, smart kids who know what's good for them and are tired of it." -- Sarah Morrill, Book Weekly.
Mr. Snicket, who is more conventionally known as Daniel Handler,
is an absolutley wonderful writer of children's books. Children's books
with a twist. And of course, like all good children's books, they cross
over into the world of adults.
Not too long ago he attended Lowel High in San Francisco.
One reason we like Mr. Snicket so much is due to reciprocal appreciation. He's a regular, or was a regular, before he got so busy.
Daniel loves classical music and he's married to the beautiful and charming Lisa Brown. He wears colorful clothes, likes flowers and looks young for his 33 years, the same as Jesus when he died. He's always been very pleasant and polite but nobody we know has ever seen that boyish face smile except maybe the Bison in Golden Gate Park. There's a soft, round aspect to him. He's a little too chubby to be mistaken for a professional soccer player.
Mr. Snicket's first book is titled A Bad Beginning. He has 12 other books but if you haven't read any of them yet, we suggest you read the first one first.
There are so many good things to say about his books that we don't know where to begin. It seems like every time I read one of his books, I'm saying to myself, "This is too good to be true," every time I turn a page. His prose is as polished as the work of A. A. Milne and E. B. White.
You must have heard that many critics are not very fond of Harry Potter. "At least the kids are reading," is a lame endorsement. Unlike Harry Potter, Lemony Snicket is clever and original and does not insult your child's intelligence.
Darkly humorous without crossing the line into actual morbidity, the Lemony Snicket books remind one of Edward Goréy, the Addam's Family, Edgar Allen Poe, Ms. Manners and Joe Frank. They're tongue-in-cheek noir. Gothic but for children.
These are strange books which happen to be very clever and amusing.
These books are perfect for middle school students who are a bored by typical children's books--or should be. They're not for everybody but they're perfect for some.
All of his books are available at our store BUT WE NO LONGER
HAVE ANY SIGNED COPIES. Here's a list that you can order by mail through
our corporate brethren. They each cost about $8.00.
A Bad Beginning -- book 1The Reptile Room -- book 2
The Wide Window -- book 3
The Miserable Mill -- book 4
The Austere Academy -- book 5
The Ersatz Elevator -- book 6
The Vile Village -- book 7
The Hostile Hospital -- book 8
The Carnivorous Carnival -- book 9
A Box of Unfortunate Events (the first three books)Lemony Snicket by Lemony Snicket -- The Unauthorized Biography
Q. What were some of your hobbies as a child?
A. Taxidermy and playing the harpsichord.
Q. How do young people respond to your books?
A. People, young and old, have responded to
my books with a mixture of shock, horror, melancholy,
resignation, and enthusiasm.
Q. How did you start writing A Series of Unfortunate
Events?
A. For various personal and legal reasons,
I began researching the terrible
things that happened to the three Baudelaire children
following the death of
their parents. The good people at HarperCollins
offered to publish my
findings, both as cautionary tales and for the general
good.
Q. Did your own childhood inspire aspects or
events in your books?
A. What happened to me in my childhood in
no way resembles what has happened to the Baudelaire
orphans. When I was very young, however, I was taught
the power of the written word and the importance of
exposing evil wherever I found it, which are two
of my highest guiding principles.
Q. What was your favorite book as a child?
A. The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily by
Dino Buzzati
Q. What advice do you give children who want
to be writers?
A. Avoid wearing squeaky shoes when listening
at keyholes.
Q. What do you do to prepare to write?
A. I look at the only photograph I have of
my beloved Beatrice, and I say to myself: If you do not write these
books, her wrongful death will go unpunished.
Q. Are you a real person?
A. Of course. Aren't you?
The best place to write to him is at this address:
Mr. Lemony Snicket
1350 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10019
The best email address for him is LSnicket@harpercollins.com. (Tell him we say hi.)
The best place to see him without disturbing him is when he takes long, aimless walks in Golden Gate Park or around Cliff House.
We still don't have a copy of his future bookstore appearances. He's been writing like mad lately. Busy, busy, busy.
The interview
with Terry Gross which aired on December 10, 2001. Mr. Gross will make
you wince at first but be patient. Mr. Handler's singing is well worth
it.