And Then? And Then? What Else?

Handler (author of the A Series of Unfortunate Events books as Lemony Snicket) takes a charming if diffuse look at the people, literature, and films that shaped him. Topics on offer include misogyny in movies like Vertigo and Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, Roald Dahl’s antisemitism, Handler’s experiences having his work adapted for the screen, and the “mysteries” underpinning his happy 26-year marriage. The author’s stated purpose is to share “the lunatic ways” such musings “explain what I’ve done and what I’m doing,” and by and large, he delivers. In a punchy, stream-of-consciousness style, Handler excavates his childhood—including a chilling, flatly delivered recollection of sexual abuse—and his fraught relationship with novel-writing, pulling readers into his funny, fractured world. The wide net he casts can, however, make the proceedings feel slightly rudderless, with too few through lines to tie the book’s entertaining parts into a satisfying whole. Still, this offbeat, discursive outing will entertain and enlighten Handler’s many fans. Agent: Charlotte Sheedy, Charlotte Sheedy Literary. (May)