And Then? And Then? What Else?: A Writer's Life

A memoir from the beloved author behind the multimillion-copy bestselling A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS

A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR

'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

Known to most as Lemony Snicket, the tormented narrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events, Daniel Handler spends his days writing – for children and adults; film and television; and, occasionally, the accordion. Mainly, he writes about horrible things: orphans, abusive uncles, poison, murder, arson, bad grammar…

A love letter to the consoling and terrifying power of books, And Then? And Then? What Else? traces Handler’s life through morbid poetry collections, eccentric acting troupes, hazy midnight taxi rides, second-hand bookstores and psychiatric units. Traversing his personal canon from his first encounter with Baudelaire to Vladimir Nabokov, Elizabeth Bishop and The Pet Shop Boys, Handler offers a witty, poignant exploration of reading, writing and why we tell stories.

‘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