#poison for breakfast
The Powerhouse bookstore hosted a virtual book launch for POISON FOR BREAKFAST, Lemony Snicket’s brand-new book that is out now.
In case you missed it, you can watch a recording of the book launch above, in which Mr. Snicket’s official representative is interviewed by author Myla Goldberg, and answers questions sent in by fans (including yours truly at 41:20!). Mr. Handler talks about children’s natural inquisitiveness, bewilderment, the illustrations in PFB, and more.
Poison for Breakfast
Coming this September - proofs, complete with a letter from Mr Snicket himself, are available. (via rocktheboatnews)
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After a long gestation period (first news of the title go back to 2018), we finally have an official cover for Lemony Snicket’s upcoming POISON FOR BREAKFAST, and what we hope to be a final release date: August 31, 2021.
Here are the four synopses for the novel so far:
Is Lemony Snicket toast?
Unfortunately, this book opens with some very bad news: Lemony Snicket has been poisoned. He’ll have to work quickly to get to the bottom of a sinister plot, or this adventure may be his last.
But this is Lemony Snicket, so be prepared for an investigation like no other – one that will take readers on a bewitching journey through breakfast ingredients and philosophy, existential questions and observations about writing, death and the preparation of a good egg. Hopefully this witty, inspiring tour-de-force won’t prove fatal.
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Lemony Snicket must investigate his own possible murder by poison after receiving a suspicious note following breakfast.
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Has Lemony Snicket been poisoned? A standalone novel for all ages – a contemporary fable in the great tradition of The Little Prince and Sophie’s World – by one of the twenty-first century’s most beloved authors.
For more than twenty years, Lemony Snicket has been one of the most famous narrators in contemporary middle-grade fiction, leading millions of readers through a mysterious literary world of bewildering questions and unfortunate events. Now, with this latest book – a love letter to readers and reading, and a meditation on the vagaries of real life – longtime fans and new readers alike have an opportunity to 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: the proper way to prepare an egg, a perplexing idea called “tzimtzum,” the sublime pleasure of swimming in open water, and much else.
Poison for Breakfast is a classic-in-the-making that – in the great tradition of modern fables like The Little Prince and The Phantom Tollbooth – will delight readers of all ages.
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Has Lemony Snicket been poisoned? A standalone novel for all ages – a contemporary fable in the great tradition of The Little Prince and Sophie’s World – by one of the twenty-first century’s most beloved authors.
The greatest mystery of Lemony Snicket’s life may be his own death.
Lemony Snicket begins his morning the same way every day: with a breakfast of tea with honey, a piece of toast with cheese, one sliced pear, and an egg perfectly prepared. But one morning, after finishing his meal, he finds a note on a slip of paper under his door: You had poison for breakfast. With that, one of the most famous narrators in contemporary middle-grade fiction (and chronicler of other people’s mysteries) finds himself in a race against the clock to solve the mystery of his own demise. Along the way, he takes readers on a delightful journey of philosophy, literature, art, love, life, death and other bewildering subjects. Appropriate for young readers, formerly young readers, and adults who are young at heart, Poison for Breakfast is a classic in the making, an entertaining but profoundly moving book that will stir the hearts of young and old alike.
Daniel Handler on twitter (Nov 9, 2020):
For now, enjoy this excerpt from the style guide of the forthcoming Lemony Snicket book.
More of the book is coming soon.
(Note: Style guides are an internal document used by publishers to make sure a novel’s wording is consistent across the work.)
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Dec 8, 2021 - Daniel Handler vists the Kansas City Public Library to discuss the newest Lemony Snicket book, Poison for Breakfast. Prior to the discussion, you can see Mr. Handler doing hijinks at the library’s North-East and Plaza Branches. Starts 1 minute in. At 18 minutes in, Daniel talks about coming from the Jewish tradition of carrying one’s history of pain and suffering with you, as well as the importance of humor. “There’s something funny about endless misery, and there’s something miserable about endless fun.”
Further talking points: the role of reading (20:40); Daniel’s method of writing (24min); on responding to one’s environment (37min), like during this pandemic, and being invited to Oxford University; on tzimtzum and making space (42min); on libraries as refuge for the homeless (1h1m); on censorship of literature (1h6m).
Nina Simone - Sinnerman
Read Lemony Snicket’s latest book, Poison for Breakfast, for an insightful breakdown of this song. The book (unfortunately) doesn’t come with this recording, so here it is for your reference.
(Andclick here for a playlist of the jazz music referenced in Snicket’s All The Wrong Questions.)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Missouri, July 26, 1896
We do not recommend eating poison for a living, nor having poison for breakfast, but we can recommend Lemony Snicket’s “Poison for Breakfast” to soothe your less corporeal maladies. (“Corporeal” is a word which here means “better left to professionals”.)
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My next read after I finish my qualifying exam
