Book cover for A Series of Unfortunate Events #8: The Hostile Hospital by Daniel Handler

A Series of Unfortunate Events #8: The Hostile Hospital

2009 Released
272 Pages
2-3 Hours
Paperback Unavailable
HarperCollinsISBN 9780061757204

NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES

The Baudelaires need a safe place to stay—somewhere far away from terrible villains and local police. A quiet refuge where misfortune never visits. Might Heimlich Hospital be just the place?

In Lemony Snicket's eighth ghastly installment in A Series of Unfortunate Events, I'm sorry to say that the Baudelaire orphans will spend time in a hospital where they risk encountering a misleading newspaper headline, unnecessary surgery, an intercom system, anesthesia, heart-shaped balloons, and some very startling news about a fire.


This is a story of peril and paperwork, where the only thing more dangerous than the cure is the hospital itself.


  • Dark Humor: Join narrator Lemony Snicket as he documents the Baudelaire orphans’ ghastly time at Heimlich Hospital, a place where heart-shaped balloons are considered medical treatment.
  • Resourceful Kids: Watch Violet, Klaus, and Sunny use their unique talents—inventing, research, and biting—to survive an incompetent staff and a truly unnecessary surgery.
  • Secret Societies: The hunt for the meaning of V.F.D. continues inside a dusty Library of Records, leading to startling news about a fire and a potential survivor.
  • Absurdist Humor: Meet the Volunteers Fighting Disease, a group of cheerful singers who believe that no news is good news, even when it’s in The Daily Punctilio.

Daniel Handler

Daniel Handler is the author of the best-selling ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ (under the pen name of Lemony Snicket), a collection of books for children. He has also written various screenplays, and three books for adults: ‘Basic Eight’, ‘Watch Your Mouth’, ‘How to Dress for Every Occasion, by the Pope’ and ‘Adverbs’. He lives in San Francisco.

More by Daniel Handler

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