By: Lemony Snicket
Published: 2001
Audiobook Read by: Tim Curry
My rating: Delightful
I wish I could say that this book is the one where the Baudelaire Orphans finally defeat Count Olaf and live happily ever after but unfortunately that would make this an ersatz review. I suppose, despite the grief and agony it will cause you, I am duty bound to tell you the truth. This book is absolutely terrible, filled with awful and atrocious characters who should never be allowed to roam free, doing despicable and dastardly deeds that nobody should ever do, and bringing more misery and anguish on our beloved Sunny, Klaus and Violet! It's just plain bad!
You'll love it!
The children find themselves living in the lap of luxury with their new guardians, Jerome and Esme Squalor. The seventy-one room penthouse apartment at 667 Dark Avenue has everything they could ever wish for and it looks like there is at least a possibility of happiness there. Jerome is very kind and caring, and Esme, despite her indifference is at least civil to them. But doom and gloom invade this new abode in the form of Gunther the In Auction auctioneer. He is not someone they want to be around and after his appearance, everything goes down the tubes!
This was another really great installment in this fun series! We have been enjoying them very much and the kids have gotten in the habit of being ready to leave to go catch the bus as much as twenty minutes early so we have more time to listen! This book enforces my theory that there needs to be at least one nice character for the children to connect with for the story to be enjoyable. Jerome, despite his cowardice, cares for them very much and wants to see them taken care of. Under different circumstances he might have ended up being a wonderful guardian for them. Unfortunately this is not meant to be and we leave the Baudelaires waiting to see what new vile calamity will be waiting for them.
We listened to the audiobook read by Tim Curry and absolutely loved it! Tim does such a wonderful job with all the voices but his crowning glory has to be the evilness he can put into the villain's voices!
If you enjoy dark humor then this series is for you! Give them a try, I think you'll find that harrowing, ghastly misfortune has never been so much fun! :)
Andy, you are too much! What's with this harrowing, ghastly, and misfortune,being so much fun ! lol,still a good read,Blessings jane
ReplyDeleteWell...what can I say? :) I just can't help my self sometimes! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's funny though, before I started with these books I would have never believed that stories this grim could be so entertaining!
Have you tried Neill Gaimann (I think that's how you spell it). He writes amazing graphic novels. Quite extraordinary. Bits of all sorts of esoteric stuff in the series.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip. I reserved a couple of his books at the library so I can check him out. It definitely sounds interesting! :)
ReplyDelete