May 28, 2008 06:07 PM
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You may think-why would I read another book from the Series of Unfortunate Events when it's plain that throughout the story, there will be nothing but suffering for the Baudelaires? Let me explain-this excellent series is about three children-Klaus, Violet and Sunny Baudelaire. They do not go on any exciting adventures or have ordinary teen problems like a boyfriend or bad looks. They're perfectly normal-Klaus is your above-average bookworm, Violet is a fantastic inventor, and Sunny, well she's just a baby, but she's good at biting. And not to mention that they are rich. Well then, what is the problem then?
Lack of friends? No.
Family problems? Think again.
Evil kidnapper? You're very near to the real thing.
Yes, ever since their parents die in a ghastly fire that also burns down their house, Violet, Klaus and Sunny are stalked by an evil count and shifted from one relative to the other with each meeting a ghastly end. Yes, this is the total summary of A Series of Unfortunate Events.
The count in question, Count Olaf, is a seedy theatre actor who is lusting after the Baudelaire fortune. After three failed attempts, involving an unsuccessful marriage to Violet, an attempt to take away the children to Peru, and a plan involving their aunt killing herself, we see the children move to a place called Paltryville in the middle of Nowhere-and thus begins the fourth book in this series-The Miserable Mill.
You may think that the book will be a dreadful moan about the children and their troubles, and in the end the wicked count is punished and the children live happily ever after. However, it is made clear that the children will endure nothing but suffering right from the beginning of this book. But that is the very fact that makes this book so unique. Not only do the events happen in quick succession-so don't expect a long drawl on the children-but Snicket is often very funny, adding in occasional dialogues that simply liven up the book-from a dead girlfriend(or so it seems) called Beatrice to how despite the fact that the children are terribly short in equipment to fight Count Olaf, they do manage it-in the funniest way possible.
Plus, even the characters are very engaging-from a man with a head entirely covered with smoke called'Sir' to 'Shirley', the'receptionist' in the doctor's office located next to the mill in which the children live.(No prizes for guessing who Miss Shirley is.) And there is also a very intriguing picture at the end of the book, where Sir is standing as usual with his head concealed, watching something outside the window. Read the rest of the book before examining the picture!
The reason why I find this book so delighting is that while I am supposed to heartily sympathize with the orphans, my mind seems more focused on what is going to happen next, apart from figuring out who Beatrice is and what Sir really looks like.
