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Lemony Snicket Biography, Books, and Similar Authors

Author Biography  | Interview  | Books by this Author  | Read-Alikes

Lemony Snicket

Lemony Snicket

Lemony Snicket Biography

Daniel Handler tells us that Lemony Snicket was born before you were, and is likely to die before you as well. His family has roots in a part of the country which is now underwater, and his childhood was spent in the relative splendor of the Snicket Villa which has since become a factory, a fortress and a pharmacy and is now, alas, someone else's villa. To the untrained eye, Mr. Snicket's hometown would not appear to be filled with secrets. Untrained eyes have been wrong before.

The aftermath of the scandal was swift, brutal and inaccurately reported in the periodicals of the day. It is true, however, that Mr. Snicket was stripped of several awards by the reigning authorities, including Honorable Mention, the Grey Ribbon and First Runner Up. The High Council reached a convenient if questionable verdict and Mr. Snicket found himself in exile.

Though his formal training was chiefly in rhetorical analysis, he has spent the last several eras researching the travails of the Baudelaire orphans. This project, being published serially by HarperCollins, takes him to the scenes of numerous crimes, often during the offseason. Eternally pursued and insatiably inquisitive, a hermit and a nomad, Mr. Snicket wishes you nothing but the best.

Due to the world-wide web of conspiracy which surrounds him, Mr. Snicket often communicates with the general public through his representative, Daniel Handler. Mr. Handler has had a relatively uneventful life, and is the author of two books for adults, The Basic Eight and Watch Your Mouth, neither of which are anywhere near as dreadful as Mr. Snicket's. Like Mr. Snicket, Mr. Handler wishes you nothing but the best.

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Daniel Handler/Lemony Snicket Bibliography:

A Series of Unfortunate Events (with Brett Helquist)

  1. The Bad Beginning (1999)
  2. The Reptile Room (1999)
  3. The Wide Window (1999)
  4. The Miserable Mill (1999)
  5. The Austere Academy (2000)
  6. The Ersatz Elevator (2001)
  7. The Vile Village (2001)
  8. The Hostile Hospital (2001)
  9. The Carnivorous Carnival (2002)
  10. The Slippery Slope (2003)
  11. The Grim Grotto (2004)
  12. The Penultimate Peril (2005)
  13. The End (2006)

The Unauthorized Autobiography (2002)
The Blank Book (2004)
Behind the Scenes with Count Olaf (2004)
The Notorious Notations (2006)
The Beatrice Letters (2006)
Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid (2007)
The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming (2007)
The Lump of Coal (2008)
13 Words (written with Maira Kalman, 2008)
The Composer Is Dead (2009)

Various calendars.

Lemony Snicket's website

This bio was last updated on 10/17/2016. In a perfect world, we would like to keep all of BookBrowse's biographies up to date, but with many thousands of lives to keep track of it's simply impossible to do. So, if the date of this bio is not recent, you may wish to do an internet search for a more current source, such as the author's website or social media presence. If you are the author or publisher and would like us to update this biography, send the complete text and we will replace the old with the new.

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Interview

A pithy and not particularly revealing interview with the author of the desperately depressing Series of Unfortunate Events books.

How did you start writing A Series of Unfortunate Events?
For various personal and legal reasons, I began researching the terrible things that happened to the three Baudelaire children following the death of their parents. The good people at HarperCollins offered to publish my findings, both as cautionary tales and for the general good. Did your own childhood inspire aspects or events in your books? What happened to me in my childhood in no way resembles what has happened to the Baudelaire orphans. When I was very young, however, I was taught the power of the written word and the importance of exposing evil wherever I found it, which are two of my highest guiding principles.

Did your own childhood inspire aspects or events in your books?
What happened to me in my childhood in no way resembles what has happened to the Baudelaire orphans. When I was very young, however, I was taught the power of the written word and the importance of exposing evil wherever I found it, which are two of my highest guiding principles.

What were some of your hobbies as a child?
Taxidermy and playing the harpsichord.

How do young people respond to your books?
People, young and old, have responded to my books with a mixture of shock...

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Books by this Author

Books by Lemony Snicket at BookBrowse
Who Could That Be At This Hour? jacket The Composer Is Dead (Book & CD) jacket The End jacket
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Read-Alikes

All the books below are recommended as read-alikes for Lemony Snicket but some maybe more relevant to you than others depending on which books by the author you have read and enjoyed. So look for the suggested read-alikes by title linked on the right.
How we choose read-alikes

  • Philip Ardagh

    Philip Ardagh

    Philip 'Beardy' Ardagh is the award-winning author of the Eddie Dickens adventures, currently available in over 30 languages. He wrote BBC Radio's first truly interactive radio drama, collaborated with Sir Paul... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    The Carnivorous Carnival

    Try:
    Dreadful Acts
    by Philip Ardagh

  • Kelly Barnhill

    Kelly Barnhill

    Kelly Barnhill writes books. It is a strange job, but, to be fair, she is a strange woman, so perhaps it makes sense. She is a former teacher, former bartender, former waitress, former activist, former park ranger, former ... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    The Austere Academy

    Try:
    The Mostly True Story of Jack
    by Kelly Barnhill

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