Reviews

Poison for Breakfast by Lemony Snicket

semi's review

lighthearted reflective

2.0

tldr: yap central

if stream on consciousness writing is not your problem thing, skip out on this one. if you think this book is going to be a who-done-it mystery, it’s not. it’s just philosophical rambling. even you like philosophical-stream of consciousness writing, personally, it rarely felt effective or helped progress the story. it felt like missed potential in the way he tackled death, meta philosophy, and the love for literature. 

snack_bandit's review

4.0

3.75*

megbfrye's review

funny mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

namnams's review

informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book for sure isn't for everyone but if you want to dive deeper into the little details in life and get a little bit of perception of things in a different way, this book will deliver without a doubt.

I picked out this book craving for a story plot but I completed it with a lot of thoughts and wonders in my mind. Poison for Breakfast isn't much of a story but a book that will make you wonder and question a lot of things that you don't usually notice in your everyday life which is a really nice touch to open up your mind a little. People who like to think a lot would enjoy this book as a serotonin boost.

I might come back to read it again and try to see some things in a different perspective.

lesserjoke's review

4.0

This new novel from author Lemony Snicket is very discursive, a word which here means wandering down endless alleyways of thought instead of sticking to the nominal plot of the narrator investigating his discovery of a note warning he's eaten poison for breakfast. As he revisits the places where he procured each ingredient, he regularly interrupts himself to reflect on his past and make charmingly witty observations on literature, philosophy, and life in that inimitable Snicket way. (He appears to be growing more outspokenly progressive as he ages too, with pointed jabs at racist systems, cultural appropriation, and capitalistic excess.) I feel like this title is going to be divisive among fans, as the writer's droll commentary is usually deployed in service to colorful characters on an exciting adventure, rather than this sort of meditative and unadulteratedly stream-of-consciousness approach. But a shaggy dog story can work when the result is entertaining enough, and for whatever reason, while I can see what some people might find frustrating about this one, it just hits all the right notes for me.

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bookish_brenna's review

challenging dark funny mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

graciagothic's review

dark funny lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

sofiamey's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

wickedmitch's review

5.0

This book is exactly what I want when I pick up a Lemony Snicker book: self awarely verbose, probe to musing and a willingness to go in unusual directions.

keilahlovescows's review

adventurous dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I definitely liked the book. But it was confusing at times as the author went off on tangents that went in and on, bur related back to the story. The ending also was anticlimactic, it was good, but it was kind of predictable all the long.