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Alarming revelations about Lemony Snicket, and more, in our favorite new books.
May 6, 2002 |

What we're reading, what we're liking

Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography
Admirers of the saddening yet very important work that Mr. Snicket has done in his A Series of Unfortunate Events books have long been concerned about the tragic and elusive author. This book will answer some of their questions, although perhaps they would rather not know. I do feel compelled to add that I would not call this an autobiography. I would call it a dossier, and the materials to be found in it range from blurry photographs taken from a great distance of a man in a hat, instructions on the art of disguise, the lyrics and music for the evocative folk ballad "The Little Snickety Lad" accompanied by correspondence from an adjunct professor at the Scriabin Institute for Accuracy in Music, and clippings from a newspaper of questionable journalistic integrity. Aware of the highly sensitive and occasionally quite dangerous nature of the book's contents, the publisher has responsibly provided readers with a suitable book-jacket disguise.

-- Laura Miller