Poison for Breakfast
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4.2 • 5 Ratings
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
A brand-new book from the bestselling author of A Series of Unfortunate Events – a cautionary tale about his own demise.
For curious children and adults alike.
‘Reading this little book feels like opening a window to let in air and light. It’s filled with curious information and powerful feelings, and is humorous, sad, meditative and rapturous by turns.’ Guardian
‘A strange, beguiling, beautiful book. No one else could have written it, or anything even a little like it. If Lemony Snicket didn’t exist, we’d have to invent him.’ Anthony McGowan, author of Lark
For more than twenty years, Lemony Snicket has led millions of young readers through a mysterious world of bewildering questions and unfortunate events. With this latest book – a love letter to readers young and old about the vagaries of real life – long-time fans and new readers alike will experience Snicket’s distinctive voice in a new way.
This true story – as true as Lemony Snicket himself – begins with a puzzling note under his door: You had poison for breakfast. Following a winding trail of clues to solve the mystery of his own demise, Snicket takes us on a thought-provoking tour of his predilections...
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Snicket (the A Series of Unfortunate Events series) returns with a delightfully quirky philosophical novel. After just finishing a meal of "Tea/ with honey/ a piece of toast/ with cheese,/ one sliced pear,/ and an egg perfectly prepared," protagonist Snicket finds a note that informs him: "You had poison for breakfast." Alarmed, he decides to trace the origins of each ingredient to discover what could have been poisoned. He visits a tea shop that keeps "daringly eccentric hours"; a honey farm; the disconcerting supermarket where he bought the bread; and the park where goats graze and where their cheese is sold. Between these inconclusive investigations, he reminisces about, among other things, a friendship with an older shoemaker neighbor, and considers the craft of writing. His final effort, to visit a library ("to breathe in a room where so much literature has been gathered... often brings a tear to my eye, although that could also be my mild allergy to dust") sets the stage for a surprising conclusion. Snicket laces the narrative with his trademark word definitions ("dicey, a word which here means as risky as rolling dice, if getting a certain number means you will drown") and ominous hints at past tragedies. This will delight fans of Snicket's singular storytelling.
Customer Reviews
Another of my favourite
A very different tone to his past books and I really enjoyed it. Very simple to read and his sentences flow so smoothly. A great book for a relaxing afternoon with a cup of tea.