‘Fascinating, laugh-out-loud funny… Handler’s memoir, although subtle, ironic and full of dry wit, still pulses with that same childlike enthusiasm for books. Read it and you might just catch the bug.’ —The Sunday Times

'Extraordinary... highly entertaining.' —Daily Telegraph

‘This erudite, vulnerable, funny and idiosyncratic book ranks among his best. Grown-up fans of Lemony Snicket will enjoy discovering the rest of the story.’ —Wall Street Journal

'[Handler's] new book lays out a personal canon, from Baudelaire (of course) to Vladimir Nabokov, via Roald Dahl, Edward Gorey, pulp films and music... Wryly observed... This is a book of engaging essays that do not provoke but suggest, while also demonstrating how both life and literature combine to create the camp, whimsical neo-gothic of his books for children. “No one has asked me to do what I am doing, not really”, he notes. “I can’t really stop and I don’t really want to.” Which is about as succinct an explanation of why writers write as I've ever read.' —TLS

'A thoughtful and eloquent celebration of story.' —Irish Times

'A fierce cri de coeur at a time when books — especially kids’ books — are targeted.' —Washington Post

'If the Lemony Snicket output is looked at closely, it isn’t wayward but moral: misfits setting off from home and overcoming obstacles, building towards some great triumph; steadfastness in the face of chaos and menace. Isn’t this, also, the formula underlying Tolkien, J K Rowling, C S Lewis, Enid Blyton’s Famous Five, Dahl’s Matilda — all those authors who perceived that children generally "have a firmer grasp on what might be interesting to say". Daniel Handler’s creations belong in the company of these classics.' —Daily Mail

‘With his inimitable wit and candour, Handler, aka Lemony Snicket, crafts an exceptionally companionable memoir sure to delight and perhaps even challenge both existing fans and readers new to his work… A fully captivating memoir rich with insights on reading, writing, and life itself.’ —Kirkus, starred review

'This dazzling memoir from the writer better known as Lemony Snicket (a nom de plume whose origins he hilariously explains here) delves deeply into every aspect of his life... In stupendously written, engagingly conversational prose, Handler candidly covers a wide range of topics and experiences – his mental health struggles, his sexuality, his terrible early attempts at writing, and some shocking trauma... Thought-provoking, deeply personal, and like few other memoirs in the range of topics covered, Handler's mix of the personal and the literary is as compelling as his gloriously off-beat fiction.' —Booklist, starred review

'Handler is skilled and nuanced as a writer, with a developed voice and point of view. He has never fit the categories, so why would we expect him to start here?… He is frank without being overly revealing and always seeks out some larger integration, a place where thought and feeling might intersect.' —LA Times