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277th out of 489 books
—
1,271 voters
Who Could That Be At This Hour? (All The Wrong Questions #1)
by
Lemony Snicket,
Seth
In a fading town, far from anyone he knew or trusted, a young Lemony Snicket began his apprenticeship in an organization nobody knows about. He started by asking questions that shouldn't have been on his mind. Now he has written an account that should not be published, in four volumes that shouldn't be read. This is the first volume.
Before you consider reading "Who Could T...more
Before you consider reading "Who Could T...more
Hardcover, 258 pages
Published
October 24th 2012
by Little Brown
(first published October 23rd 2012)
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Do any actual kids like Lemony Snicket books, or are they only read by hip parents who think that they are the kind of books they want their kids to like?
Because, sure, I'd think it was neat if my daughter was into, like, opaquely plotted genre satires stuffed with obtuse narration, whimsical wordplay, literary references and impenetrable characters, books that tackled life's big philosophical questions through a meta-filter of storytelling.
But actually, kids want to read Captain Underpants and...more
Because, sure, I'd think it was neat if my daughter was into, like, opaquely plotted genre satires stuffed with obtuse narration, whimsical wordplay, literary references and impenetrable characters, books that tackled life's big philosophical questions through a meta-filter of storytelling.
But actually, kids want to read Captain Underpants and...more
Review soon!
For me starting to read this book was like coming home from a long vacation to your own bed and toiletries and cuddly cat. So you will possibly guess that this review might be slightly biased toward the tendency I have to love everything DanielLemony HandlerSnicket puts his hands on.
The things I loved about this book:
1. The setting. So. Weird. And quirky. A town by the sea that's no longer by the sea that's major industry is extracting ink from caves populated by terrified Octopi? How does one t...more
The things I loved about this book:
1. The setting. So. Weird. And quirky. A town by the sea that's no longer by the sea that's major industry is extracting ink from caves populated by terrified Octopi? How does one t...more
5 likes · like · see review
There was a book, and there was a twist and there was annoyance. I was reading said book, I was hit by a twist in it - which here means I was surprised by the writing inside it, not that it somehow managed to bend my body unnaturally - and when I was done with the book, I was annoyed.
I should've asked myself why I ever thought it would be any different than Lemony Snicket's other wonderful books, or why I even supposed it wouldn't be in the first place, but instead I asked myself all the wrong q...more
I should've asked myself why I ever thought it would be any different than Lemony Snicket's other wonderful books, or why I even supposed it wouldn't be in the first place, but instead I asked myself all the wrong q...more
67 likes · like · see review
Anyone who, like me, had enjoyed reading “A Series of Unfortunate Events” will be thrilled to learn that Lemony Snicket has embarked on writing a prequel to it. “Who Could That Be At This Hour?” is the first book in a new series titled “All The Wrong Questions”.
We are introduced to Lemony Snicket, a near 13-year-old, who was recruited as a neophyte to an enigmatic secret society and sent on his first mission to investigate the case of a missing statue. It was an investigation calculated to frust...more
We are introduced to Lemony Snicket, a near 13-year-old, who was recruited as a neophyte to an enigmatic secret society and sent on his first mission to investigate the case of a missing statue. It was an investigation calculated to frust...more
You getting this all right, son, or am I goin' too fast for ya? Oops. Wrong character. That's hard-boiled detective Sam Spade. Thirteen-year-old Lemony Snicket would say, This was nonsense, of course, but there's nothing wrong with occasionally staring out the window and thinking nonsense, as long as the nonsense is yours, which pretty much sums up this twisty tale. There's the nonsense of the mystery. There's the nonsense of the word definitions. There's the nonsense of the town with its missin...more
This is the newest book from Lemony Snicket. It's the first of four volumes that form the authorized autobiography of the author, titled "All the Wrong Questions", and act as a sort of prequel to A Series of Unfortunate Events. I say "sort of" because so far there's very little link between the two series but that's not to say there is no link at all.
In this book 13 year old Lemony Snicket begins an apprenticeship to S. Theodora Markson, a woman who seems hopeless at solving the cases she's bee...more
In this book 13 year old Lemony Snicket begins an apprenticeship to S. Theodora Markson, a woman who seems hopeless at solving the cases she's bee...more
I enjoyed "Who could that be at this hour", especially when I opened it and immediately could tell it was written by Lemony Snicket. Interestingly, he used his own name as the protagonist in this story. Lemony (the book character) is an "almost thirteen year old" boy who has been apprenticed by the fifty-second (on a list of fifty-two) detectives. His associate, S. Theodora Markson, thinks of him as silly or dumb most of the time, though makes rather idiotic assumptions herself. The book starts...more
Excited to get this book I jumped it ahead in the stack, I knew it'd be a quick read too. The first chapter or 2 I was worried that it wouldn't be as good as A Series of Unfortunate Events, but it picked up quickly and the word play and story line were exactly what you would want from his books (it was probably me jumping the gun too soon on first book intro stuff). It is a fun book and I cannot wait for the next book in the series! My bookshelves are thankful this series will only be 4 books, l...more
4 likes · like · see review
Summary
When young Lemony Snicket is on a train with his “parents”, he receives a mysterious note from a woman instructing him to meet with her at a roadster. The woman, S. Theodora Markson, informs Snicket that he is to be her apprentice whilst investigating a theft in the small town of Stain'd-by-the-Sea.
This is the first book in Snicket’s new series called All the Wrong Questions as well as the prequel to the Unfortunate Events series.
My Thoughts
Nothing makes me happier than a really good chi...more
3 likes · like · see review
I read the Series of Unfortunate Events series maybe 5 years ago, and really enjoyed them, so I was excited to learn that Lemony Snicket had a new book coming out- about himself. The narrator of the book is the thirteen year old Lemony Snicket. He is now an "apprentice" to S. Theodora Markson. Don't even think about asking what the S. stands for. They arrive at the town of Stain'd-by-the-Sea, which manufactures ink, and is no longer by the sea. There are many mysterious characters and shady goin...more
2 likes · like · see review
I tried really hard to like this book. I really did. I mean, Lemony Snicket has never steered me wrong before. However, I really just couldn't get into this book. It might be because of my strong dislike of authors who feel a need to make themselves characters (especially main characters) in their books, so that might have been why I was turned off from the beginning, but mostly I just found this one to be sort of obnoxious. I fell in love with Snicket's style of narration in The Series of Unfor...more
This novel by Snicket was released in 2012, a very recent addition to his growing repertoire. Repertoire here means range of collection works in this case books. (This is a stylistic device used by Snicket throughout the entirety of his works, which is actually very helpful because he uses an advanced vocabulary in order to introduce his young audience to an enriched language). The story begins with the usual style of Snicket—mysterious confusing, and a little uneasy. Begin asked the question of...more
The question I had before picking up this book was, What should I read when the antibiotic I'm taking makes me feel more ill than what it's supposed to be treating? I'm not sure if that's a "wrong question," but this book was a right answer.
At some point I realized -- with the stolen item and its convoluted travels and the girl that maybe shouldn't be trusted -- I was reading a mild parody of the The Maltese Falcon, which added to the fun. And, though it's not obvious, the dialogue of the last c...more
At some point I realized -- with the stolen item and its convoluted travels and the girl that maybe shouldn't be trusted -- I was reading a mild parody of the The Maltese Falcon, which added to the fun. And, though it's not obvious, the dialogue of the last c...more
10 likes · like · see review
(note: I wrote this review for work. my short opinion is that it's not as immediately engaging as the Series of Unfortunate Events, but I can't put my finger on why that is.)
Lemony Snicket’s snark + the clipped speech of hard-boiled detective novels = the tone of the first installment in a new Snicket series called, All the Wrong Questions. It tells the story of Lemony’s own education as a private eye as he tries to get the scoop about an odd statue called the Bombinating Beast which may or may...more
Lemony Snicket’s snark + the clipped speech of hard-boiled detective novels = the tone of the first installment in a new Snicket series called, All the Wrong Questions. It tells the story of Lemony’s own education as a private eye as he tries to get the scoop about an odd statue called the Bombinating Beast which may or may...more
So clever. Very much in the same style as A Series of Unfortunate Events with smart children, dumb adults, mysterious organizations, clever references to other books, new vocabulary ("a word which here means..."), and really odd names (Stain'd By the Sea, Ellington Feint), but it is a bit less depressing than A Series of Unfortunate Events simply because the child heros are not captives of an evil man like Count Olaf. I doubt there will be a happy ending (that's right, this book is not self-cont...more
Lemony Snicket books are a joy to read simply for the wordsmithing. About every other sentence is some kind of witty turn of a phrase. One of my favorite jokes was descriptions of children’s books from the perspective of an adolescent. (It helps if you know/remember your children’s lit; if not, it’s worth looking up online if you don't catch the reference.) As in the Series of Unfortunate Events books, Snicket uses the theme of precocious children and incompetent adults, which makes for some hil...more
Feb 11, 2013
Cheryl Gatling
added it
What do you write after you finish A Series of Unfortunate Events? You want to make it different, but to contain the same qualities that made the first set popular. This book is narrated by the young Lemony Snicket, who, at 12 years old, has apprenticed himself to an incompetent detective. That's what's different. What's the same is that Lemony, and the other children in the story, are pretty much alone in the world, with absent or useless parents. The children are smarter than the adults, and m...more
I have to admit that Snicket's desire to be vague and mysterious made this book somewhat inaccessible at first, as I didn't understand what was going on or have a helpful way of relating to the character, and the main thing keeping me reading was past experience with the author. I did finally get caught up in the plot and enjoyed the droll voice of the narrator, but never fully identified with him or his concerns (which remained too veiled in mystery to the end). It's a decent mystery in which t...more
This easy reader book is subtitled "All the wrong questions"... unfortunately that is exactly what this book leaves you with. This is a crazy book where you kind of feel like you stepped into The Twilight Zone. Little is explained or resolved and things just go from crazy to crazier as young Lemony Snicket, apparently a member of some shadowy and unexplained spy group, tries to solve the mystery of a missing statue. While I applaud Snicket's creativeness and his obvious clever asides about the b...more
He had an unusual education, and intended to do his own thing because of an ill-ranked chaperone. However, young Lemony Snicket's early life is no less pleasant than the later years. He finds himself deep in a mystery with players of all shapes and sizes with their own hidden agendas.
Seeing a younger, less despondent (a word here meaning "using handkerchiefs for his tears rather than cleaning off ink") Lemony is an interesting experience. More interesting are the small clues into the V. F. D. t...more
Seeing a younger, less despondent (a word here meaning "using handkerchiefs for his tears rather than cleaning off ink") Lemony is an interesting experience. More interesting are the small clues into the V. F. D. t...more
In his trademark sarcastic and humorous dialogue, Snicket tells us the story of his young life as a detective in Who Could That Be at This Hour? Twelve, almost-thirteen, Snicket is an apprentice to S. Theodora Markson, a bumbling, clueless detective in the secretive V.F.D.
Assigned to find the missing statue, The Bombinating Beast in the nearly-deserted seaside town of Stain'd By the Sea, Snicket and Markson, stumble upon some very mysterious, deceptive, and creepy characters. The statue is found...more
Assigned to find the missing statue, The Bombinating Beast in the nearly-deserted seaside town of Stain'd By the Sea, Snicket and Markson, stumble upon some very mysterious, deceptive, and creepy characters. The statue is found...more
This is the first Lemony Snicket book that I've read. Overall, I found it to be entertaining, quirky, and amusing.
The Characters
Snicket-- the protagonist, a boy of almost 13, who becomes the apprentice of S. Theodora Markson. He has the demeanor of a boy, but is faced with situations that many grown men would have trouble handling.
S. Theodora Markson-- the chaperone of Snicket, ranked 52nd out of 52 chaperones. Despite Snicket's inquiries, you never find out what the S stands for. She comes acr...more
The Characters
Snicket-- the protagonist, a boy of almost 13, who becomes the apprentice of S. Theodora Markson. He has the demeanor of a boy, but is faced with situations that many grown men would have trouble handling.
S. Theodora Markson-- the chaperone of Snicket, ranked 52nd out of 52 chaperones. Despite Snicket's inquiries, you never find out what the S stands for. She comes acr...more
Premise: A young Lemony Snicket is training as a detective's apprentice. I would have read this no matter what the story was, as I loved A Series Of Unfortunate Events when I was younger and this new series seems to be a kind of prequel.
Characters: There is a new cast of quirky characters, including the useless detective S. Theodora Markson, the curious and helpful Moxie Mallahan, the mysterious Ellington Feint and a whole bunch of others who are all entertaining. There are also some references...more
Characters: There is a new cast of quirky characters, including the useless detective S. Theodora Markson, the curious and helpful Moxie Mallahan, the mysterious Ellington Feint and a whole bunch of others who are all entertaining. There are also some references...more
I was initially slightly worried when my sister gave me this book for Christmas, because though I loved reading the Series of Unfortunate Events as a child, I always felt that "Lemony Snicket" was cheating. I felt sure that reading more from this author with more experience with literature would leave me feeling negatively towards a series that I did thoroughly enjoy as a youngster. However, this book certainly did not leave me feeling cold. It has all the familiar elements from S.o.u.E.; the ri...more
Snicket's eccentric characters, gloomy settings, and twisted plots are back full-force in All the Wrong Questions: "Who Could That Be at This Hour?" The thirteen-year-old Lemony Snicket is already suspicious, worried, and over his head in secrets. Snicket is apprenticed to S. Theodora Markson (asking what the S stands for is a Wrong Question) who is taking him to Stain'd-by-the-Sea, an inconsequential speck on the map, and a thoroughly strange place with lots of its' own secrets. Markson and Sni...more
I had never read Lemony Snicket before, and honestly, I probably won't again. This audio book wasn't a bad experience per se… it was odd. I guess with a name like Lemony Snicket, you have to be odd.
First, he used his own name as the name of the main character. I'm not sure if he did this to allow for getting into the characters head, or if he just couldn't think of anything else at the time and then forgot to change it later, but it was strange and somewhat distracting.
Second, Although it was ex...more
First, he used his own name as the name of the main character. I'm not sure if he did this to allow for getting into the characters head, or if he just couldn't think of anything else at the time and then forgot to change it later, but it was strange and somewhat distracting.
Second, Although it was ex...more
“So you’re reluctant, I said to myself. Many, many people are reluctant. It’s like having feet. It’s nothing to brag about.”
Daniel Handler is a man about my age but with a rounder face. He lives in an old Victorian in San Francisco and claims to swim fifty laps every morning. He drinks lots of coffee and has come out against the drugging of children with laudanum (“Where,” he asks, “is Beverly Cleary on this issue?”). Daniel Handler is also Lemony Snicket, author of the Series of Unfortunate Eve...more
Daniel Handler is a man about my age but with a rounder face. He lives in an old Victorian in San Francisco and claims to swim fifty laps every morning. He drinks lots of coffee and has come out against the drugging of children with laudanum (“Where,” he asks, “is Beverly Cleary on this issue?”). Daniel Handler is also Lemony Snicket, author of the Series of Unfortunate Eve...more
1 like · like · see review
Handler does The Maltese Falcon. It was better than Dashiell Hammett but not as good as Raymond Chandler.
I miss Brett Helquist's art. And I think the Baudelaires are more interesting main characters than Lemony Snicket (though I adored Lemony Snicket's intrusive narration in ASoUE). The first-person detective narration didn't quite gel through most of it. Shame, because Handler did a great job of narrative styles both in his children's books and in his YA/adult books.
(As an aside, I don't rememb...more
I miss Brett Helquist's art. And I think the Baudelaires are more interesting main characters than Lemony Snicket (though I adored Lemony Snicket's intrusive narration in ASoUE). The first-person detective narration didn't quite gel through most of it. Shame, because Handler did a great job of narrative styles both in his children's books and in his YA/adult books.
(As an aside, I don't rememb...more
52 of 52
WHOO-HOO I MADE MY GOAL!! YIPPEE!!!
WHCTBATH reminded me a lot of another book I read this year The Extraodinary Education of Nicholas Benedict, which was a prequel to the Mysterious Benedict Society. Both the books had the handicap of being prequels to well-loved book series, but not actually a part of the series. It's a handicap because it creates a high expectation that's almost impossible to fill.
I think a requirement to fully appreciate this book would be to already really love the c...more
WHOO-HOO I MADE MY GOAL!! YIPPEE!!!
WHCTBATH reminded me a lot of another book I read this year The Extraodinary Education of Nicholas Benedict, which was a prequel to the Mysterious Benedict Society. Both the books had the handicap of being prequels to well-loved book series, but not actually a part of the series. It's a handicap because it creates a high expectation that's almost impossible to fill.
I think a requirement to fully appreciate this book would be to already really love the c...more
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| The Great Unknown | 2 | 48 | Feb 26, 2013 10:05am | |
| So... thoughts? | 5 | 47 | Nov 25, 2012 08:37am |
Lemony Snicket is the pen name of American novelist Daniel Handler. Snicket is the author of several children's books, serving as the narrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events (his best-known work) and appearing as a character within the series. Because of this, the name Lemony Snicket may refer to both a fictional character and a real person. This article deals primarily with the character.
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“Don’t repeat yourself. It’s not only repetitive, it’s redundant, and people have heard it before.”
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49 people liked it
“They say in every library there is a single book that can answer the question that burns like a fire in the mind.”
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31 people liked it
More quotes…
May 22, 2013 07:39am
May 22, 2013 08:11am