| Amazon.com Review The Reptile Room begins where Lemony Snicket's The Bad Beginning ends... on the road with the three orphaned Baudelaire children as they are whisked away from the evil Count Olaf to face "an unknown fate with some unknown relative." But who is this Dr. Montgomery, their late father's cousin's wife's brother? "Would Dr. Montgomery be a kind person? they wondered. Would he at least be better than Count Olaf? Could he possibly be worse?" He certainly is not worse, and in fact when the Baudelaire children discover that he makes coconut cream cakes, circles the globe looking for snakes to study, and even plans to take them with him on his scientific expedition to Peru, the kids can't believe their luck. And, if you have read the first book in this Series of Unfortunate Events, you won't believe their luck either. Despite the misadventures that befall these interesting, intelligent, resourceful orphans, you can trust that the engaging narrator will make their story--suspenseful and alarming as it is--a true delight. The Wide Window is next, and more are on their way. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson From Publishers Weekly "If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book." So cautions Snicket, the exceedingly well-mannered narrator of these two witty mock-gothic novels featuring the misadventures of 14-year-old Violet, 12-year-old Klaus and infant Sunny Baudelaire. From the first, things look unfortunate indeed for the trio: a fire destroys their home, killing their parents along with it; the executor of their parents' estate, the obtuse Mr. Poe (with a son, Edgar), ignores whatever the children have to say; and their new guardian, Count Olaf, is determined to get his hands on the Baudelaire fortune. But by using their individual gifts (Violet's for inventing, Klaus's for reading and researching and baby Sunny's for biting) the three enterprising children thwart the Count's planAfor now. The author uses formal, Latinate language and intrusive commentary to hilarious effect, even for readers unfamiliar with the literary conventions he parodies. The peril in which he places the Baudelaires may be frightening (Count Olaf actually follows through on his threats of violence on several occasions), but the author paints the satire with such broad strokes that most readers will view it from a safe distance. Luckily for fans, the woes of the Baudelaires are far from over; readers eager for more misfortune can turn to The Reptile Room, for an even more suspenseful tale. Exquisitely detailed drawings of Gothic gargoyles and mischievous eyes echo the contents of this elegantly designed hardcover. Age 9-up. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal Grade 4-6-This series chronicles the unfortunate lives of the Baudelaire children: Violet, 14; Klaus, 12; and the infant, Sunny. In Bad Beginning, their parents and possessions perish in a fire, and the orphans must use their talents to survive as their lives move from one disastrous event to another. Surrounded by dim-witted though well-meaning adults, the Baudelaires find themselves in the care of their evil relative, Count Olaf, a disreputable actor whose main concern is getting his hands on the children's fortune. When Olaf holds Sunny hostage to force Violet to marry him, it takes all of the siblings' resourcefulness to outwit him. Violet's inventive genius, Klaus's forte for research, and Sunny's gift for biting the bad guys at opportune moments save the day. However, the evil Count escapes, only to return in The Reptile Room just as the children are settling into a far more pleasant life with their new guardian, Uncle Monty, who is promptly murdered by Olaf and his cohorts. Though the villain escapes again, and beloved Uncle Monty is dead, the children are safe...for now. While the misfortunes hover on the edge of being ridiculous, Snicket's energetic blend of humor, dramatic irony, and literary flair makes it all perfectly believable. The writing, peppered with fairly sophisticated vocabulary and phrases, may seem daunting, but the inclusion of Snicket's perceptive definitions of difficult words makes these books challenging to older readers and excellent for reading aloud. Linda Bindner, formerly at Athens Clarke County Library, GA Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. Review Harry Potter devotees who turn to Lemony Snicket's series expecting more of the same are in for a shock. These books are pervaded by an unrelieved Gothic gloom; a miasmic air of menace and misery hangs over the pages, and nothing ever seems to go right for the wretched Baudelaire siblings, Violet, Klaus and baby Sunny. Orphaned when their parents are killed in a fire, they are handed over to the mysterious Count Olaf for safe keeping. In the first book, The Bad Beginning, the children manage to foil the evil Count's dastardly plot to marry Violet and embezzle the family fortune. At the start of this sequel it appears the hapless trio's fortunes are finally on the up. But with Count Olaf still lurking in the shadows, you never can tell.... The horrors of Book 1 are far behind them, and the children are sent to stay with their uncle Monty, a kindly soul with a penchant for snakes and coconut cream cake. A dedicated herpetologist (snake expert), he has built a reptile room which houses every variety of snake known to man - and many that aren't. He is about to embark on a trip to Peru, accompanied by his young relatives. All he needs is the arrival of his new assistant, Stephano, to complete the party. But the advent of Stephano heralds further tragedy for the Baudelaires. Death is lurking round every corner, no one can be taken at face value, and it needs all of Violet's inventiveness, as well as Sunny's passionate attachment to a snake, to save the children from a dreadful fate at the hands of their old enemy. This is the second in the series, which Snicket has promised will run to 13 in all. The books are fast-paced, flavoured with a wry humour and take more than a sideways swipe at the whole genre of children's writing - the author explains the meanings of unfamiliar words in asides, thus displaying the very condescension he abhors, and a careless 'damn' causes outrage. Despising the 'lily-liveredness of children's books', he lays on the doom and gloom with a trowel. Judging by the ecstatic response from children on both sides of the Atlantic, they'll take as much of this as Mr Snicket can throw at them. Why stop at 13? (Kirkus UK) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Review "Luckily for fans, the woes of the Baudelaires are far from over: readers eager for more misfortune can turn to The Reptile Room, for an even more suspenseful tale." -Publishers Weekly--This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition. |
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