(no subject)

[skygiants]

Personally, I know Daniel Handler mostly as the alternate nomenclature of one Lemony Snicket, author of a certain series involving a number of highly unfortunate events with which I am moderately well acquainted.

My coworker-friend, however, is a big fan of Daniel Handler, Literary Author, and she is the one who told me to read his book Adverbs. This is a bunch of short stories about love that almost sort of kind of makes up a novel, in the same way, really, that the backstory of the Series of Unfortunate Events almost makes up a separate story of its own; there are linkages and connections to be made, and characters who may be traceable through several stories, if you can piece the hints together. Or they may not form a consistent thread at all and it might be Daniel Handler playing with your head the whole time (as he freely admits in several of the stories.)

Some of the stories themselves I liked a lot, and some of them I didn't like as well. There are definitely places where I stopped and said, "Mr. Handler, with all due respect, you are trying way too hard." But it's a very, very self-aware book and it is always playing with words and themes and characters and flirting with meta in order to make you think, and so if you like that sort of thing (as I do!) then it is without a doubt worth reading.

Also there is a story about the Snow Queen in a bar, and that is always kind of awesome.

Comments

[muji]

Did you end up thinking you would want the John Berendt book? (And why do I keep typoing Berendt as Berendy?)

[dramaturgca.livejournal.com]

I have a Snow Queen inna Bar!

[skygiants]

- oh right I meant to answer that! And the answer is: yes, I do. :D Have you got my current address?

[skygiants]

As I said: always kind of awesome!

[ceitfianna]

I read Series of Unfortunate events and trying way too hard sums up a lot of it for me.

There were moments I enjoyed and others when I kind of went um really.

[skygiants]

With A Series of Unfortunate Events, I actually found I liked it more and more as the series went on and I could sort of see where all the cutesy-cleverness of the early books was leading. It was still Very Very Clever in the later books, but in a very bittersweet way, which sort of let it have the point it needed.

[ryanitenebrae.livejournal.com]

I agree with other commenters that Unfortunate Events felt to me as if the author was trying too hard, but this sounds really good. I'll add it to my list.

(Snow Queen in a Bar reminds me of the song "Royal Blues."


The queen came for a visit, she kicked off both her shoes
She said “You got a little whiskey for a woman with the blues?”
I said “ Wait right here your highness and I’ll go and get a pint”
She said “You better get a quart my dear ‘cause I’ll be here all night”)

[skygiants]

Like I said, there are definitely places where the author is trying too hard here as well, but I think it stands out a lot less - at least, it's not nearly as cutesy. I think it's worth the read!

(- heh, that is actually quite a lot of the feel of some of the stories.)

[muji]

Could you email me with it again just to be on the safe side?

[skygiants]

And done!

[fahye.livejournal.com]

That sounds like ENORMOUSLY my kind of thing.

[skygiants]

HAH, you are right, it does pretty much shout "FAHYE!"

[elspeth-vimes.livejournal.com]

...On account of that last sentence, I need this book.

[skygiants]

That story may have been my favorite. *grins* For bonus awesome, it also has private eyes!

[elspeth-vimes.livejournal.com]

I am so there.