tilmanjakob_alias_tilly's review
4.0
This series gets more and more weird with every single book. I am really curious about how this will look in the Netflix adaptation which is planned because the first three books (who were made into a movie in 2004) are even the most "normal" books so far. To this book as a single I must say that I really liked it. Not only because I laughed very often but also because all the secrets around the Baudelaires seem to become more clearly with the time. I give this one 4.5 of 5 stars and still would recommend the series to everyone.
alexampersand's review
5.0
The story is still getting thicker, but with this one for the first time we see one of the biggest themes of the series - moral ambiguity. The orphans realise that maybe they aren't so different to Olaf, creating schemes, lying, tricking people, and disguising themselves and their true intentions.
The Quagmires appear to have now left the story, in their hot air balloon, but we have a new twist - that a parent may be alive. However, call me cynical, but... I didn't really enjoy this twist. The photograph contained four people - the parents, Jacques, and a mysterious man. Upon first reading, I assumed this mysterious man was Lemony Snicket. He was turned away from the camera (as Lemony seems wont to do), and he is carrying a notepad and pen 'as if he were a writer'. But as we will discover in a few books' time (view spoiler) But I'm not sure why you would assume the parents did survive - after all, why include a photograph of four people, with a note discussing a fire that took place at a separate occasion?
From the perspective of re-reading the series, it is also fun to spot little signs. Such as the list of anagram patient names - including Daniel Handler, Brett Helquist, Lemony Snicket, and... Beatrice Baudelaire. And Red Herring. Of course.
It is interesting to see that the story is moreorless comfortably slotting into place already by this point, quite early on - we know that Jacques was a member of VFD, we know that Lemony Snicket has a tattoo of an eye, and if that is the insignia of VFD we know then that Olaf was a member too. We know from The Ersatz Elevator that Beatrice stole something from Esmé, and that Lemony Snicket loved Beatrice, and that Lemony Snicket stole the sugar bowl from Esmé.
It's almost (almost) difficult to see, when re-reading, why I was left with so many questions when first reading the books. But maybe that is the point - creating a mysterious setting, whilst leaving the answers in plain sight if the audience can piece them together.
The Quagmires appear to have now left the story, in their hot air balloon, but we have a new twist - that a parent may be alive. However, call me cynical, but... I didn't really enjoy this twist. The photograph contained four people - the parents, Jacques, and a mysterious man. Upon first reading, I assumed this mysterious man was Lemony Snicket. He was turned away from the camera (as Lemony seems wont to do), and he is carrying a notepad and pen 'as if he were a writer'. But as we will discover in a few books' time (view spoiler) But I'm not sure why you would assume the parents did survive - after all, why include a photograph of four people, with a note discussing a fire that took place at a separate occasion?
From the perspective of re-reading the series, it is also fun to spot little signs. Such as the list of anagram patient names - including Daniel Handler, Brett Helquist, Lemony Snicket, and... Beatrice Baudelaire. And Red Herring. Of course.
It is interesting to see that the story is moreorless comfortably slotting into place already by this point, quite early on - we know that Jacques was a member of VFD, we know that Lemony Snicket has a tattoo of an eye, and if that is the insignia of VFD we know then that Olaf was a member too. We know from The Ersatz Elevator that Beatrice stole something from Esmé, and that Lemony Snicket loved Beatrice, and that Lemony Snicket stole the sugar bowl from Esmé.
It's almost (almost) difficult to see, when re-reading, why I was left with so many questions when first reading the books. But maybe that is the point - creating a mysterious setting, whilst leaving the answers in plain sight if the audience can piece them together.
wildflowerz76's review
2.0
This is a re-read. I read the series a while ago and I've been reading the last several to my daughter at bed time. We're both a little over this series. I remember really liking it the first time I read it, but this time? Granted, this one was a bit better than the last one, but neither of us can really get over how incredibly stupid these kids are. I mean, I know there's supposed to be a lot of fantastical elements and it's not really supposed to be believable, but they're seriously stretching my imagination to it's limits with their asinine behavior. (Asinine is a words which here means "We're giving up on these stupid books right now.)
tanikon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I think this is the book where we begin to see some very interesting development in the children's characters. All three of them have definitely grown since the first book and are much less naive and more independent now. They have also begun to contemplate and do things that technically can be deemed villainous. They have begun to have some interesting conversations about that which is cool to see in a series that is otherwise so whimsical and nonsensical at times.
melomindy's review
3.0
A quick read, however after 8 books the narrator interjecting all the time gets a bit old.
vael's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
mysticalmell's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
vaniltea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0