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Most Helpful Reviews
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Liked It “Loved it. Irreverent look at love from all angles.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “I felt the author put more effort on the form than the plot. Beautifully written, but what does it all mean in the end?” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“Loved it. Irreverent look at love from all angles.”
Raquel B wrote this review Wednesday, July 8 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“depressing ”
Emily M wrote this review Wednesday, April 1 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I could not stop laughing as I read this book. It's a good book to read for when your feeling down.”
Dominique J wrote this review Friday, March 13 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I love absurd fiction, which I think this tries a bit too hard to be. These bizarre stories seem to both touch at something very real -- in all their awkward phrasing, feelings, characters, situations -- and yet, unfortunately, seem to ring so often fake. Not just quirky or absurd, but self-consciously so, like Daniel Handler really decided to throw in a phrase, or a feeling, or a character, just because they were so kooky, so crazy. It's so hard, in books (or movies, or music, or anything) to be a little bit left of centre, without becoming pretentious, or making it seem like you're trying to obscure something, or trying to be cooler than you really are. Again, unfortunately, Handler's stories are so often over-the-top, the styling just a little bit too self-conscious, too fake. Instead of a quirkiness that comes from within, he's slapped eccentricity over the top; decidedly crafted craziness, rather than giving the illusion that it's something that happened organically. The first two stories, for example, I thought were fantastic -- the first one, so bizarre, so sudden and out of field; the second one had such a strong voice it pretty much begged to be read aloud. From then on, there are a few gems, but for the most part, the book becomes self-conscious and tries to connect the characters and the stories, literally or thematically or what the fuck ever; but the links turn up so convoluted and ridiculous. So there are some real gems (two full stories, a few paragraphs here and then, a couple images, a phrase or two) that I'll photocopy and pass on to friends. But the book as a whole? I can't say there's anyone I'd recommend to, without a major "WARNING" sign slapped on the cover: warning being, this is ridiculous, and not always in an enjoyable way.”
Hannah McGhost wrote this review Friday, September 26 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Excellent adult short stories. Cleverly written and highly entertaining.”
anna r wrote this review Thursday, July 10 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“In the Series of Unfortunate Events books written under his pseudonym Lemony Snicket, Daniel Handler displays a knack for creative word play. That talent is well displayed in Adverbs, an adult novel about “the way love gets done despite every catastrophe.”
Sassy Librarian wrote this review Thursday, June 12 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Although it claims to be a novel, Adverbs is really a crazy quilt of short stories stitched together by tiny random strands — characters, cocktails, birds, song lyrics — that recur from one story to the next.
From his book’s title to his stylized writing, Handler makes it clear that his focus is language rather than character or plot. Handler’s writing is hilarious and playful, with shout-outs to both pop culture and classical literature. But his characters seem to be nothing more than quirky props who exist only to demonstrate Handler’s flair for satirizing the spoken word. In a chapter entitled “Truly,” Handler acknowledges that “you can’t follow Adam or Allison or Keith … and anyway they don’t matter.”
Although I can’t recommend the book for its story or characters, Handler kept me engrossed with his energetically and eccentrically crafted Adverbs.”“I felt the author put more effort on the form than the plot. Beautifully written, but what does it all mean in the end?”
Murali K wrote this review Wednesday, January 23 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“The book was a little weird for me one, that it was very different from the writer's treatment with his series as Lemony Snicket; and two that some parts I really liked like "Obviuosly" but some I really didn't get. I guess because in the cover it said novel, I was expecting a story that flowed complete with a climax and everything; but as I went I got confused as to whether or not all the characters were related or would at least cross paths. By the end of it, I felt I was left hanging looking for a denouement of any sort. ”
E Bennet wrote this review Monday, December 31 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“this is the kind of book you would bring to a coffee shop for some down time. on the outset it seems like a light read, but at the same time it's pretty profound. daniel handler has a way of saying things that is just so clever and so real that you find yourself recalling similar moments/feelings in your life..and thinking.. "so this is how you put that into words." ”
Marian wrote this review Friday, December 28 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
