daniel handler. little brown

Book Review- Why We Broke Up

19 Jan, 2012 by Heather in why we broke up 1 comment

by Daniel Handler
Art by: Maira Kalman
Hardcover, 368 pgs
Published December 27, 2011
by Little, Brown
ISBN: 9780316127257
Book source: BEA

Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads | Shelfari

Summary From Goodreads: Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped

Debbie’s Review: Right from the start I was into this book. They writing style (written in a letter/rambling form) took me a bit to get used to but I was impressed that the author was able to get across an entire, very interesting, story line this way. I enjoyed the quirky details, and the well written female lead by male author, even though parts of the plot were a little obvious.

Plus the book has some great art that carries the story along as well. In each chapter Min tells Ed the reasons they broke up, accompanied by a picture of each item she’s including in the box to give back to him.

Content: Some sex. No violence. Some strong language. I’d give it a PG-13 rating as the references/language are brief

About the author: Daniel Handler is the author of the novels The Basic Eight, Watch Your Mouth, Adverbs, and as Lemony Snicket a sequence of children’s novels collectively entitled “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” He also plays the accordion.

More info on Author: facebook

About the Illustrator: Maira Kalman was born in Tel Aviv and moved to New York with her family at the age of four. She has worked as a designer, author, illustrator and artist for more than thirty years without formal training. Her work is a narrative journal of her life and all its absurdities. She has written and illustrated twelve children’s books including Ooh-la-la- Max in Love, What Pete Ate, and Swami on Rye . She often illustrates for The New Yorker magazine, and is well known for her collaboration with Rick Meyerowitz on the NewYorkistan cover in 2001. Recent projects include The Elements of Style (illustrated), and a monthly on-line column entitled Principles of Uncertainty for The New York Times. She has had three exhibitions at the Julie Saul Gallery since 2003. She lives in New York and walks a lot.

More info on Illustrator: Website