Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid [Hardcover]

Lemony Snicket (Author), Mark Tucker (Illustrator)

Book Description

Lemony Snicket's work is filled with bitter truths, like: 'It is always cruel to laugh at people, of course, although sometimes if they are wearing an ugly hat it is hard to control yourself.' Or: 'It is very easy to say that the important thing is to try your best, but if you are in real trouble the most important thing is not trying your best, but getting to safety.'

For all of life's ups and downs, its celebrations and its sorrows, here is a book to commemorate it all – especially for those not fully soothed by chicken soup. Witty and irreverent, Horseradish is a book with universal appeal, a delightful vehicle to introduce Snicket's uproariously unhappy observations to a crowd not yet familiar with the Baudelaires' misadventures.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lemony Snicket claims he was nowhere near the scene of the crime. He is the author of several other unpleasant stories, including those in the bestselling A Series of Unfortunate Events and The Lump of Coal.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; First Edition edition (April 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061240060
• ISBN-13: 978-0061240065
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #461,492 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lemony Snicket claims he was nowhere near the scene of the crime. He is the author of several other unpleasant stories, including those in the bestselling A Series of Unfortunate Events and The Lump of Coal.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clever wit in the style you would only find under the Snicket name, April 27, 2007

By 

L. Rogolsky "Lady Heartilly" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid (Hardcover)

Think of this book as an advice book Snicket-style. Each page has a quote on it pertaining to family, love, work, school, death, and other universal topics. Some of the quotes are just silly and others are outlandishly clever, as would be expected from a Lemony Snicket book. No, it isn't a story about the Baudelaires or Mr. Snicket's life, but it does contain some of the best quotes in A Series of Unfortunate Events along with other original ones. These are the lines that you would be frantically flipping through every book of A Series of Unfortunate Events to find because they are so brilliant, but you simply can't remember the correct page number. One of the more memorable ones is the beautiful quote about the death of a loved one that was first found in The Reptile Room. Therefore, I find it very convenient to have all of these witticisms together in one easy-to-scroll-through book.

It begins with a short and ironically tragic story about a woman searching for knowledge, and the rest of the book contains the sad, yet brutally honest knowledge that she was never able to find. Each page has a message that you probably weren't expecting, and I guarrantee that whoever reads this book will find at least one of the quotes to be brilliant. It's a very good book to read if you are down and are seeking wisdom that won't give you false hope or advice that won't actually work.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like a book of proverbs - except useful, September 28, 2007

By 

L. Smith (LA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid (Hardcover)

I got this book for my 18th birthday and thought it was very fitting. No, it does not tell an actual story; yes, it is a little expensive; and no, your young children probably won't enjoy it as much as you hoped they would. It's aimed more at YA and up and is basically a book of Snicketified proverbs that will temporarily relieve some of the bitterness that goes along with these truths.

There is never anything surprising that Lemony Snicket puts out, so stop acting disappointed when you should have known perfectly well what the book would be like. If you're not a fan of Lemony Snicket already or can't yet define the word satirical, then you're not likely to enjoy it.

45 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, but not what I expected..., April 27, 2007

By 

K. Walgrave (southwest Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid (Hardcover)

In purchasing this book I was expecting something similar to the Unauthorized Autobiography or the Beatrice Letters. Let me tell you, this book is NOT that. This book contains 13 chapters on various topics. The content of the book is like reading chinese proverbs with a Lemony Snicket twist. You won't learn anything about the Series of Unfortunate Events, if that is what you are expecting. You also learn nothing about Lemony Snicket himself (other than to see his pessimistic nature once again).

All in all, if you are looking for something related to the Series of Unfortunate Events I wouldn't recommend this book. If you like reading chinese proverbs, and you like the Snicket writing style, I would recommend it.