Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography (original 2002; edition 2003)

Lemony Snicket, while not a true person, is a true character. His life is wrought with disappointment, as all the lives of his subjects. For some reason, this makes his books all the more appealing to people whose biggest problem is they got the smaller slice of pizza or stubbed their toe when walking into the next room. At least they don’t have vicious arsonists dogging their every step, murdering and burning all that stands between the villain and the unwarranted fortune of his pursuit. It’s a matter of perspective.

Nevertheless, Lemony Snicket, in his Unauthorized Autobiography, presents several clues, possibly misleading, as to the more unanswered questions presented in his works (though, not to the ultimate unasked question). He gives more insight into who he is, who the villains are, and more information about his secret organization, such that, presented alongside the Series of Unfortunate Events and the Beatrice Letters, begins to unravel at least the first bit of tangles.

The book may not be for all, especially for those who have not read the Series of Unfortunate Events, or have little interest in delving deeper into the story. This book and the Beatrice Letters are to the Series of Unfortunate Events as Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantasical World Around You is to the Spiderwick Chronicles, purely supplementary, and only worth the time of fans of the series.

While this and other supplements to the Series of Unfortunate Events do provide some answers to questions, they provide even more questions in among themselves. My hope, though, is that when we finally see All the Wrong Questions, Snicket’s upcoming book, we also see a few right answers in the process. ( )

I did not read much as a young child, something that I try to make up for every day. However, there were three books/series that I remember devouring: Fever 1793, The Witch of Blackbird Pond and A Series of Unfortunate Events. These books seriously made my childhood (clearly I enjoyed depressing stories.... I was an odd child.). I didn't even know this book existed until two weeks ago, which is when I automatically bought it and read it as soon as it reached me. I was dying to continue the story, especially with All the Wrong Questions, Snicket's new series coming out later this year.

Although I enjoyed reading this novel, I wish there was a little something more... The book is composed of different pieces of writing gathered up in one place: news articles, secret notes, encrypted play scripts, dialogues, and more that all contribute to the mystery that is Lemony Snicket. I enjoyed the eclectic nature of the writing, since that style is what we have all come to love about the author. I just wish it all added up. Maybe I missed something, but I was hoping that all the little clues would create something come the end of the book... but I was left with more mystery. The novel was definitely fun and worth reading for any avid fan of the series, but I wouldn't expect a real conclusion. ( )

This is a very confusing book but I suspect this is intentional. It is not a straight-forward biography, more of a mishmash of letters, newspaper cuttings and photos. It does solve some of the mysteries left by the Series of Unfortunate Events, but the overall lack of narrative is frustrating. It's a book for true Snicket fans only. ( )

I thought Lemony Snicket managed to make a few jokes seem fresh for 13 books, and even successfully explained away all the loose ends. But I was hoping for some resolution or something completely different for this book. The best part is the title; the second best is the conclusion of the fine print on the versa of the tilte page: "Wouldn't you rather read about ponies?" (OK, maybe it's better if you read the rest of the paragraph.) Oh, and the index is well done, although as I remember it, Nabokov does it much better in his Pale Fire; so does John Updike in The Centaur. Both are books for adults. ( )

Delightful mumbo jumbo about secret! The truth is out there and it is running away from you. ( )