Author Quote by Daniel Handler
““The first book that I bought with my own money was "The Blue Aspic" by Edward Gorey. In fact, when the first two volumes of "A Series of Unfortunate Events" were ready to be published, I sent them to Edward Gorey with a note saying how much I admired his work and how much I hoped that he would forgive what I had stolen from him. Shortly after I sent it, he died. So, I like to think that I killed him.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: The End of the World, 2020
The narrator confesses a dark, guilty fantasy of causing a beloved author’s death after a personal tribute, reflecting twisted guilt and admiration.
In simple terms: A morbid fantasy of responsibility for a mentor’s death.
Key Takeaway
Recognize unhealthy guilt.
Themes
guilt
fantasy
admiration
dark humor
Mood
self‑critical
darkly humorous
Type
confessional
satirical
When to use this quote
- writing
- personal confession
- humor
Key Concepts
celebrity worship
psychological conflict
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do you feel responsible for his death?
- How does admiration turn into guilt?
A Different Perspective
Such thoughts can be harmful if taken seriously.
![“That movie [A Series of Unfortunate Events] told four books in two hours, and we have two hours per book. So we have eight hours to tell four books, and if people watch we'll get to tell more of them. There's only thirteen books, so there's only going to be two more seasons, but that allows for a…” quote by Neil Patrick Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/678/neil-patrick-harris-2281_book_that-movie-a-series-of-unfortunate-event_2166126.jpg)
