A review by lesserjoke
Poison for Breakfast by Lemony Snicket

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.

Like this review?
--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
https://ko-fi.com/lesserjoke
--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
https://patreon.com/lesserjoke
--Follow along on Goodreads here!
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6288479-joe-kessler
--Or click here to browse through all my previous reviews!
https://lesserjoke.home.blog