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Mar. 14th, 2009 12:18 pmPersonally, 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.
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.
