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A Series of Unfortunate Events #2
The Reptile Room
Dear Reader,
If you have picked up this book with the hope of finding a simple and cheery tale, I'm afraid you have picked up the wrong book altogether. The story may seem cheery at first, when the Baudelaire children spend time in the company of some interesting reptiles and a giddy uncle, but don't be fooled. If you know anything at all about the unlucky Baudelaire children, you already know that even pleasant events lead down the same road to misery.
In fact, within the pages you now hold in your hands, the three siblings endure a car accident, a terrible odor, a deadly serpent, a long knife, a large brass reading lamp, and the appearance of a person they'd hoped never to see again.
I am bound to record these tragic events, but you are free to put this book back on the shelf and seek something lighter.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket
If you have picked up this book with the hope of finding a simple and cheery tale, I'm afraid you have picked up the wrong book altogether. The story may seem cheery at first, when the Baudelaire children spend time in the company of some interesting reptiles and a giddy uncle, but don't be fooled. If you know anything at all about the unlucky Baudelaire children, you already know that even pleasant events lead down the same road to misery.
In fact, within the pages you now hold in your hands, the three siblings endure a car accident, a terrible odor, a deadly serpent, a long knife, a large brass reading lamp, and the appearance of a person they'd hoped never to see again.
I am bound to record these tragic events, but you are free to put this book back on the shelf and seek something lighter.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket
192 pages, Paperback
First published August 26, 1999
About the author
Lemony Snicket
158 books23.7k followersLemony Snicket had an unusual education and a perplexing youth and now endures a despondent adulthood. His previous published works include the thirteen volumes in A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Composer is Dead, and 13 Words. His new series is All The Wrong Questions.
For A Series of Unfortunate Events:
www.lemonysnicket.com
For All The Wrong Questions:
www.lemonysnicketlibrary.com
For A Series of Unfortunate Events:
www.lemonysnicket.com
For All The Wrong Questions:
www.lemonysnicketlibrary.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 8,274 reviews
March 25, 2023
Incredibly Deadly SADNESS.
The Baudelaire Orphans misfortune continues. After their home burned, their parents died, and they narrowly escaped the evil clutches of uncle Olaf, Violet, Klaus and Sunny are taken to the care of a distant relative, Dr. Montgomery Montgomery, a BRILLIANT herpetologist and quirky nice guy. A brief respite of happiness ensues; until Stephano, a totally new character appears out of nowhere in their lives, and calamity strikes again.
A wonderfully endearing beginning followed by a terrible succession of utterly sad events. LOVED Uncle Monty, although not as much as Justice Strauss. Totally HATED Stephano, one truly dreadful character, especially when brandishing his scary knife; a nice addition to the series, with much more depth and cunning than the totally different evil Count Olaf of the first book. The Orphans lovely as ever, never giving up, despite everything falling apart around them. Sunny and the Incredibly Deadly Viper were hilarious. A funnier and somewhat lighter sequel than the first book.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE : I planned to read this series between other books, like I do with almost everything else, but then decided it was probably not the best move to let Lemony kill my buzz every single month for the next year. So here I am. Making my stand for the full depression 12 round match. Bring it on Lemony. Do your worst. I can take it. *feigns strength*
[1999] [192p] [Children's] [3.5] [Recommendable] [Uncle Monty <3] [Die Stephano DIE!] [Disturbing Knife scenes] [New amazing vocabulary that I quickly forget]
-----------------------------------------------
★★★★☆ 1. The Bad Beginning [3.5]
★★★★☆ 2. The Reptile Room [3.5]
★★★☆☆ 3. The Wide Window
★★☆☆☆ 4. The Miserable Mill [2,5]
★★★★★ 5. The Austere Academy [4.5]
★★★☆☆ 6. The Ersatz Elevator
★★★★★ 7. The Vile Village
★☆☆☆☆ 8. The Hostile Hospital
★★★☆☆ 9. The Carnivorous Carnival [3.5]
★★★☆☆ 10. The Slippery Slope [3.5]
★★★★☆ 11. The Grim Grotto
★★★☆☆ 12. The Penultimate Peril [3.5]
★★★★☆ 13. The End
★★★★☆ 14. The Complete Wreck
-----------------------------------------------
Increíblemente Mortífera TRISTEZA.
Los infortunios de los Huérfanos Baudelaire continua. Después de que su hogar se incendiara, sus padres murieran, y estrechamente escaparan de las malvadas garras del Conde Olaf, Violet, Klaus y Sunny son llevados al cuidado de un pariente lejano, el Dr. Montgomery Montgomery, un BRILLANTE herpetólogo y peculiar buen sujeto. Sobreviene un breve respiro de felicidad; hasta que Stephano, un personaje totalmente nuevo aparece de la nada en sus vidas, y la calamidad golpea otra vez.
Un maravillosamente encantador principio seguido de una terrible sucesión de desgarradores tristes eventos. AME al Tío Monty, aunque no tanto como a Justice Strauss. ODIE totalmente a Stephano, un verdaderamente espantoso personaje, especialmente cuando blande su aterrador cuchillo; una linda adición a la serie, con mucha más profundidad y astucia que el totalmente diferente malvado Conde Olaf del primer libro. Los Huérfanos tan adorables como siempre, nunca rindiéndose, a pesar de que todo se derrumbe a su alrededor. Sunny y la Increíblemente Mortífera Serpiente fue hilarante. Una graciosa y algo más ligera secuela que el primer libro.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL : Planeaba leer esta serie entre otros libros, como hago con casi todo lo demás, pero luego decidí que probablemente no era la mejor idea dejar que Lemony destruya mi vibra cada mes durante el siguiente año. Así que acá estoy. Defendiendo mi posición para la pelea de 12 rounds de completa depresión. Trae todo Lemony. Hacé tu daño. Puedo soportarlo. *finge fortaleza*
[1999] [192p] [Libro para Niños] [3.5] [Recomendable] [Tío Monty <3] [Muere Stephano MUERE!] [Perturbadoras escenas con cuchillo] [Increíble nuevo vocabulario que rápidamente olvido]
-----------------------------------------------
The Baudelaire Orphans misfortune continues. After their home burned, their parents died, and they narrowly escaped the evil clutches of uncle Olaf, Violet, Klaus and Sunny are taken to the care of a distant relative, Dr. Montgomery Montgomery, a BRILLIANT herpetologist and quirky nice guy. A brief respite of happiness ensues; until Stephano, a totally new character appears out of nowhere in their lives, and calamity strikes again.
A wonderfully endearing beginning followed by a terrible succession of utterly sad events. LOVED Uncle Monty, although not as much as Justice Strauss. Totally HATED Stephano, one truly dreadful character, especially when brandishing his scary knife; a nice addition to the series, with much more depth and cunning than the totally different evil Count Olaf of the first book. The Orphans lovely as ever, never giving up, despite everything falling apart around them. Sunny and the Incredibly Deadly Viper were hilarious. A funnier and somewhat lighter sequel than the first book.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE : I planned to read this series between other books, like I do with almost everything else, but then decided it was probably not the best move to let Lemony kill my buzz every single month for the next year. So here I am. Making my stand for the full depression 12 round match. Bring it on Lemony. Do your worst. I can take it. *feigns strength*
[1999] [192p] [Children's] [3.5] [Recommendable] [Uncle Monty <3] [Die Stephano DIE!] [Disturbing Knife scenes] [New amazing vocabulary that I quickly forget]
-----------------------------------------------
★★★★☆ 1. The Bad Beginning [3.5]
★★★★☆ 2. The Reptile Room [3.5]
★★★☆☆ 3. The Wide Window
★★☆☆☆ 4. The Miserable Mill [2,5]
★★★★★ 5. The Austere Academy [4.5]
★★★☆☆ 6. The Ersatz Elevator
★★★★★ 7. The Vile Village
★☆☆☆☆ 8. The Hostile Hospital
★★★☆☆ 9. The Carnivorous Carnival [3.5]
★★★☆☆ 10. The Slippery Slope [3.5]
★★★★☆ 11. The Grim Grotto
★★★☆☆ 12. The Penultimate Peril [3.5]
★★★★☆ 13. The End
★★★★☆ 14. The Complete Wreck
-----------------------------------------------
Increíblemente Mortífera TRISTEZA.
Los infortunios de los Huérfanos Baudelaire continua. Después de que su hogar se incendiara, sus padres murieran, y estrechamente escaparan de las malvadas garras del Conde Olaf, Violet, Klaus y Sunny son llevados al cuidado de un pariente lejano, el Dr. Montgomery Montgomery, un BRILLANTE herpetólogo y peculiar buen sujeto. Sobreviene un breve respiro de felicidad; hasta que Stephano, un personaje totalmente nuevo aparece de la nada en sus vidas, y la calamidad golpea otra vez.
Un maravillosamente encantador principio seguido de una terrible sucesión de desgarradores tristes eventos. AME al Tío Monty, aunque no tanto como a Justice Strauss. ODIE totalmente a Stephano, un verdaderamente espantoso personaje, especialmente cuando blande su aterrador cuchillo; una linda adición a la serie, con mucha más profundidad y astucia que el totalmente diferente malvado Conde Olaf del primer libro. Los Huérfanos tan adorables como siempre, nunca rindiéndose, a pesar de que todo se derrumbe a su alrededor. Sunny y la Increíblemente Mortífera Serpiente fue hilarante. Una graciosa y algo más ligera secuela que el primer libro.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL : Planeaba leer esta serie entre otros libros, como hago con casi todo lo demás, pero luego decidí que probablemente no era la mejor idea dejar que Lemony destruya mi vibra cada mes durante el siguiente año. Así que acá estoy. Defendiendo mi posición para la pelea de 12 rounds de completa depresión. Trae todo Lemony. Hacé tu daño. Puedo soportarlo. *finge fortaleza*
[1999] [192p] [Libro para Niños] [3.5] [Recomendable] [Tío Monty <3] [Muere Stephano MUERE!] [Perturbadoras escenas con cuchillo] [Increíble nuevo vocabulario que rápidamente olvido]
-----------------------------------------------
Read
February 6, 2017*I'm not going to rate this, because I've already read this book & stand by my first rating of it.
Even though I've read this series before & I know how unfortunate this story is, it was hard to remember all the details & everything the Baudelaire orphans go through. It seems that every time they're shown a glimmer of hope, it's taken away from them. The relationship between the siblings is incredibly beautiful. They make an unstoppable team & they each pull their weight when needed.
Even though I've read this series before & I know how unfortunate this story is, it was hard to remember all the details & everything the Baudelaire orphans go through. It seems that every time they're shown a glimmer of hope, it's taken away from them. The relationship between the siblings is incredibly beautiful. They make an unstoppable team & they each pull their weight when needed.
September 9, 2015
While re-reading this series my main question is why the hell is an incompetent banker the only adult helping these children. Like where are the police or social workers????
December 26, 2022
So, Celyn and I cruised on to book 2, pausing only for breath.
This book sets a pattern, a formula, that is repeated in each of the books we've read so far.
The children move to a new place.
All the adults are idiots.
Count Olaaf arrives in disguise and at some point a selected member of his theatre troop will show up, also in disguise (someone may have been bumped off to make space for one or both of them).
The children see through his disguise in an instant.
The adults don't believe them.
Count Olaaf insinuates his way into their lives and gets them to refer to him by his assumed name (via some kind of threat).
Interesting words are introduced and defined amusingly in context by the narrator.
Sunny makes short random utterances that are interpreted by the narrator as lengthy and cogent observations.
The three children use their given skills (respectively inventor, bookworm, biter) to solve the problem of not letting Count Olaaf gain control of them.
At the end Mr Poe is called in and Olaaf's disguise is revealed.
Count Olaaf runs away while Mr Poe coughs then phones the police.
Rinse and repeat.
Because this is book 2, and because Lemony Snicket is an entertaining writer, the formula has not yet grown old.
Things get darker in this book. Actual murder is done. Olaaf repeatedly threatens the children with a knife and with death.
As the books progress there is a slow progression toward the cartoony and surreal. In this book though the action is still largely believable and the world recognizably 'real' - only the bizarre reptiles referred to in the reptile room take us toward make-believe, and only Sunny's contribution in 'biting rope into shorter lengths' takes us toward cartoony.
This is then, a well written and entertaining book that establishes a formula LS proceeds to beat to death every book hereafter (at least as far as we've read). Fortunately LS's skills mean that this isn't as painful experience as one might think.
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
.
This book sets a pattern, a formula, that is repeated in each of the books we've read so far.
The children move to a new place.
All the adults are idiots.
Count Olaaf arrives in disguise and at some point a selected member of his theatre troop will show up, also in disguise (someone may have been bumped off to make space for one or both of them).
The children see through his disguise in an instant.
The adults don't believe them.
Count Olaaf insinuates his way into their lives and gets them to refer to him by his assumed name (via some kind of threat).
Interesting words are introduced and defined amusingly in context by the narrator.
Sunny makes short random utterances that are interpreted by the narrator as lengthy and cogent observations.
The three children use their given skills (respectively inventor, bookworm, biter) to solve the problem of not letting Count Olaaf gain control of them.
At the end Mr Poe is called in and Olaaf's disguise is revealed.
Count Olaaf runs away while Mr Poe coughs then phones the police.
Rinse and repeat.
Because this is book 2, and because Lemony Snicket is an entertaining writer, the formula has not yet grown old.
Things get darker in this book. Actual murder is done. Olaaf repeatedly threatens the children with a knife and with death.
As the books progress there is a slow progression toward the cartoony and surreal. In this book though the action is still largely believable and the world recognizably 'real' - only the bizarre reptiles referred to in the reptile room take us toward make-believe, and only Sunny's contribution in 'biting rope into shorter lengths' takes us toward cartoony.
This is then, a well written and entertaining book that establishes a formula LS proceeds to beat to death every book hereafter (at least as far as we've read). Fortunately LS's skills mean that this isn't as painful experience as one might think.
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
.
July 7, 2018
You can also see my review @ https://readrantrockandroll.com/2018/...
In The Bad Beginning, the Baudelaire children lost their parents and everything they had before being shipped off to Count Olaf’s house. Count Olaf would be their caretaker until they were of age. Quickly the children realize that Count Olaf is evil and only wants to get his hands on their inherited fortune. After countless shenanigans, the children are finally whisked away from Count Olaf and Mr. Poe delivers them to Dr. Montgomery a.k.a. Uncle Monty. This begins The Reptile Room.
Mr. Poe stepped up to the door and rang the doorbell that was one of the loudest the children have ever heard. After a moment’s pause they could hear approaching footsteps, and Violet, Klaus, and Sunny all looked at one another. They had no way of knowing, of course, that very soon there would be more misfortune within their unlucky family, but they nevertheless felt uneasy. Would Dr. Montgomery be a kind person? they wondered. Would he at least be better than Count Olaf? Could he possibly be worse?
Uncle Monty seems like a kind and safe person. The children like him and it seems they are finally safe to enjoy some coconut cream cake and an occasional evening movie. They each get their own room and their own chores for the trip they’ll be taking. Uncle Monty explains his plan to visit Peru with the children to go reptile exploring. Klaus is instructed to read books on reptiles, Sunny bites rope, and Violet works on traps that they need for the expedition. They’re very excited to go on the adventure, until they meet Uncle Monty’s assistant Stephano who is really Count Olaf in disguise.
Everything spins out of control again as the children try to convince the others that Count Olaf is up to his old schemes again. Once again, it’s going to be up to the children to solve the problem.
“Well, let’s try to hash this out,” Violet said, using an expression which here means “talk about something at length until we completely understand it.”
We really enjoyed this installment in the series, even more than the first book. I felt that there were positive aspects in this installment as well. For a time, the children feel safe and engage in normal everyday events, that is until Stephano shows up, but once again the strong children stand by each other and work to solve the problems they face.
The writing is great and we thought it was really easy to follow just like the first book. We loved the illustrations and all the new vocabulary words/phrases that are introduced for children to learn. It was a nice surprise that multiple times throughout the book there were events that were not in the movie which kept us interested.
Overall, this is another winner for us and left completely open for the third book The Wide Window.
5*****
In The Bad Beginning, the Baudelaire children lost their parents and everything they had before being shipped off to Count Olaf’s house. Count Olaf would be their caretaker until they were of age. Quickly the children realize that Count Olaf is evil and only wants to get his hands on their inherited fortune. After countless shenanigans, the children are finally whisked away from Count Olaf and Mr. Poe delivers them to Dr. Montgomery a.k.a. Uncle Monty. This begins The Reptile Room.
Mr. Poe stepped up to the door and rang the doorbell that was one of the loudest the children have ever heard. After a moment’s pause they could hear approaching footsteps, and Violet, Klaus, and Sunny all looked at one another. They had no way of knowing, of course, that very soon there would be more misfortune within their unlucky family, but they nevertheless felt uneasy. Would Dr. Montgomery be a kind person? they wondered. Would he at least be better than Count Olaf? Could he possibly be worse?
Uncle Monty seems like a kind and safe person. The children like him and it seems they are finally safe to enjoy some coconut cream cake and an occasional evening movie. They each get their own room and their own chores for the trip they’ll be taking. Uncle Monty explains his plan to visit Peru with the children to go reptile exploring. Klaus is instructed to read books on reptiles, Sunny bites rope, and Violet works on traps that they need for the expedition. They’re very excited to go on the adventure, until they meet Uncle Monty’s assistant Stephano who is really Count Olaf in disguise.
Everything spins out of control again as the children try to convince the others that Count Olaf is up to his old schemes again. Once again, it’s going to be up to the children to solve the problem.
“Well, let’s try to hash this out,” Violet said, using an expression which here means “talk about something at length until we completely understand it.”
We really enjoyed this installment in the series, even more than the first book. I felt that there were positive aspects in this installment as well. For a time, the children feel safe and engage in normal everyday events, that is until Stephano shows up, but once again the strong children stand by each other and work to solve the problems they face.
The writing is great and we thought it was really easy to follow just like the first book. We loved the illustrations and all the new vocabulary words/phrases that are introduced for children to learn. It was a nice surprise that multiple times throughout the book there were events that were not in the movie which kept us interested.
Overall, this is another winner for us and left completely open for the third book The Wide Window.
5*****
January 22, 2018
I love Uncle Monty.
I love Uncle Monty. I love his coconut cake. I love the Incredibly Deadly Viper. I love the movie theater and the popcorn and Zombies in the Snow; I love Monty’s house and his shaped shrubs and his plans to voyage to Peru.
I love the Reptile Room (the place) and I love The Reptile Room (the book).
It is unusual for me to be so teeming with love. I’m not well adjusted to it. I may overdose, or my body might reject the chemical reaction in my brain, or something. BUT I LOVE THIS BOOK.
The Bad Beginning is so great, but it is only a fraction of the level of Varied, Full Detail this series will reach. This book kind of hints at it. AND YET IS STILL NOT QUITE AS GREAT AS THE SERIES BECOMES. Which is why my rating for this book is like, a 4.75, technically speaking, or something ridiculous like that. Because it’s all uphill from here, folks.
Well, generally. Not exactly. The Wide Window is not as good as this book. But whatever; you get what I mean.
Bottom line: I CANNOT WAIT to go home for break so I can continue my reread of this series. I am more excited to reunite with these books than I am to do so with most friends and family. #Priorities, people.
---------
oh my GOD i love this series so much.
so much so much so much so much so much so MUCH.
what a sequel, am i right? what a follow up. if you think about it this is one of the more important books of the series.
anyway. four to five stars. not my favorite of the series but far from the least. maybe in my top 5 of the books. (how ridiculous that this series is so immense that being in my top five is fairly elite.)
review to come!!!
I love Uncle Monty. I love his coconut cake. I love the Incredibly Deadly Viper. I love the movie theater and the popcorn and Zombies in the Snow; I love Monty’s house and his shaped shrubs and his plans to voyage to Peru.
I love the Reptile Room (the place) and I love The Reptile Room (the book).
It is unusual for me to be so teeming with love. I’m not well adjusted to it. I may overdose, or my body might reject the chemical reaction in my brain, or something. BUT I LOVE THIS BOOK.
The Bad Beginning is so great, but it is only a fraction of the level of Varied, Full Detail this series will reach. This book kind of hints at it. AND YET IS STILL NOT QUITE AS GREAT AS THE SERIES BECOMES. Which is why my rating for this book is like, a 4.75, technically speaking, or something ridiculous like that. Because it’s all uphill from here, folks.
Well, generally. Not exactly. The Wide Window is not as good as this book. But whatever; you get what I mean.
Bottom line: I CANNOT WAIT to go home for break so I can continue my reread of this series. I am more excited to reunite with these books than I am to do so with most friends and family. #Priorities, people.
---------
oh my GOD i love this series so much.
so much so much so much so much so much so MUCH.
what a sequel, am i right? what a follow up. if you think about it this is one of the more important books of the series.
anyway. four to five stars. not my favorite of the series but far from the least. maybe in my top 5 of the books. (how ridiculous that this series is so immense that being in my top five is fairly elite.)
review to come!!!
November 10, 2016
I liked this book better than the first just because I loved how Uncle Monty was with the kids. Uncle Monty was a great character too. But alas . . .
And I adored Sunny's relationship with the Incredibly Deadly Viper! The end was sad of course!
And I adored Sunny's relationship with the Incredibly Deadly Viper! The end was sad of course!
January 13, 2021
Libro sencillo, rápido de leer y con una prosa sobresaliente.
En realidad 3,5
La habitación de los reptiles continúa naturalmente la desafortunada historia de los huérfanos Baudelaire; historia, que no tiene la misma crueldad del primer tomo pero que seguimos disfrutando por su temática. La historia es simple, predecible y poco intrigante, pero conocer la forma como Violet, Klaus y Sunny intentan protegerse de las amenazas de su archienemigo, es suficiente motivación para seguir leyendo sus desdichadas aventuras.
Lo mejor del libro sin ninguna duda —al igual que en el primer tomo— es la prosa del autor. Ese rol de narrador es imprescindible en esta saga porque le permite al autor usar analogías, explicar palabras/frases y comentar sobre el comportamiento de los personajes sin nunca aburrir al lector. Daniel Handler, mejor conocido como Lemony Snicket, con su estilo de escritura logra simpatizar con el lector de cualquier edad, atrapándolo con su lenguaje ameno y con su destacado humor, cruel pero respetuoso. Debido a su prosa es que este libro se lee tan rápido. Mi intención era leerlo despacio para acabarlo hasta la próxima semana, pero sin darme cuenta seguí leyendo y leyendo hasta que inevitablemente llegué al final. Y ya que menciono la palabra «final», debo destacar que la carta publicada en esa sección del libro simplemente me encantó. Esa carta es un recurso muy interesante que el autor usa para promocionar su siguiente volumen. Textualmente sus palabras son:
En cuanto a lo que no me gustó, lo único fue el Señor Poe: Es demasiado tonto. No, discúlpenme, esa no es su descripción; la mejor descripción es: ¡Qué personaje tan idiota! Sé que es un libro enfocado para niños y adolescentes, pero que un adulto no sea capaz de distinguir un disfraz es ridículo. Lo peor es que los niños —en su intento de que el Señor Poe les creyera— le daban argumentos para que él entendiera que Stephano era el Conde Olaf, pero ni así eran escuchados. El Señor Poe los ignoraba simplemente por el hecho de ser niños. Por ello, pienso que el Señor Poe —más allá de su estupidez— se convierte en una crítica hacia los adultos que no tienen en cuenta los pensamientos, opiniones y/o sentimientos de los niños. Desafortunadamente, el mundo aún está lleno de señores y señoras Poe. ¡Hay que erradicarlos!
Una historia que me ha gustado —aunque sin exagerar— y que me incentiva a continuar con el próximo volumen debido a la simpatía y admiración que empiezo a sentir por los Baudelaire. No es fácil enfrentar momentos difíciles, y menos consecutivamente, por lo que su coraje y capacidad de resolver problemas bajo presión es digno de respeto: Me cautiva su tenacidad. La calificación es de 3,5 estrellas porque aunque la prosa es excelente y los personajes son geniales —excepto el Señor Poe— la trama en general es muy simple y no ofrece ningún giro inesperado. Mi próximo destino es El ventanal, en donde buscaré seguir acompañando a los Baudelaire en su complicada vida.
En realidad 3,5
La habitación de los reptiles continúa naturalmente la desafortunada historia de los huérfanos Baudelaire; historia, que no tiene la misma crueldad del primer tomo pero que seguimos disfrutando por su temática. La historia es simple, predecible y poco intrigante, pero conocer la forma como Violet, Klaus y Sunny intentan protegerse de las amenazas de su archienemigo, es suficiente motivación para seguir leyendo sus desdichadas aventuras.
Lo mejor del libro sin ninguna duda —al igual que en el primer tomo— es la prosa del autor. Ese rol de narrador es imprescindible en esta saga porque le permite al autor usar analogías, explicar palabras/frases y comentar sobre el comportamiento de los personajes sin nunca aburrir al lector. Daniel Handler, mejor conocido como Lemony Snicket, con su estilo de escritura logra simpatizar con el lector de cualquier edad, atrapándolo con su lenguaje ameno y con su destacado humor, cruel pero respetuoso. Debido a su prosa es que este libro se lee tan rápido. Mi intención era leerlo despacio para acabarlo hasta la próxima semana, pero sin darme cuenta seguí leyendo y leyendo hasta que inevitablemente llegué al final. Y ya que menciono la palabra «final», debo destacar que la carta publicada en esa sección del libro simplemente me encantó. Esa carta es un recurso muy interesante que el autor usa para promocionar su siguiente volumen. Textualmente sus palabras son:
A mí querido editor:
Le escribo desde la orilla del Lago Lacrimoso, donde estoy examinando los restos de la casa de Tía Josephine, para poder entender completamente todo lo que les ocurrió a los huérfanos Baudelaire cuando estuvieron aquí.
Por favor, diríjase al Café Kafka el próximo miércoles a las 4 de la tarde y pídale al camarero más alto una taza de té de jazmín. A menos que mis enemigos hayan tenido éxito, le traerá un sobre grande en lugar del té. En el interior del sobre encontrará mi descripción de esos horribles sucesos, titulados LA VENTANA GRANDE, así como un esbozo de la Cueva Cuajada, una bolsita con cristales rotos y la carta del restaurante Payaso Ansioso. También habrá una probeta con una (1) Sanguijuela Lacrimosa, para que el señor Belquist pueda dibujar una ilustración exacta. Esta probeta no debe ser abierta BAJO NINGUNA CIRCUNSTANCIA.
Recuerde, usted es mi última esperanza para que las historias de los huérfanos Baudelaire puedan finalmente ser contadas al gran público.
Con todo el debido respeto,
Lemony Snicket.
En cuanto a lo que no me gustó, lo único fue el Señor Poe: Es demasiado tonto. No, discúlpenme, esa no es su descripción; la mejor descripción es: ¡Qué personaje tan idiota! Sé que es un libro enfocado para niños y adolescentes, pero que un adulto no sea capaz de distinguir un disfraz es ridículo. Lo peor es que los niños —en su intento de que el Señor Poe les creyera— le daban argumentos para que él entendiera que Stephano era el Conde Olaf, pero ni así eran escuchados. El Señor Poe los ignoraba simplemente por el hecho de ser niños. Por ello, pienso que el Señor Poe —más allá de su estupidez— se convierte en una crítica hacia los adultos que no tienen en cuenta los pensamientos, opiniones y/o sentimientos de los niños. Desafortunadamente, el mundo aún está lleno de señores y señoras Poe. ¡Hay que erradicarlos!
Una historia que me ha gustado —aunque sin exagerar— y que me incentiva a continuar con el próximo volumen debido a la simpatía y admiración que empiezo a sentir por los Baudelaire. No es fácil enfrentar momentos difíciles, y menos consecutivamente, por lo que su coraje y capacidad de resolver problemas bajo presión es digno de respeto: Me cautiva su tenacidad. La calificación es de 3,5 estrellas porque aunque la prosa es excelente y los personajes son geniales —excepto el Señor Poe— la trama en general es muy simple y no ofrece ningún giro inesperado. Mi próximo destino es El ventanal, en donde buscaré seguir acompañando a los Baudelaire en su complicada vida.
February 7, 2017
I love this book a lot more than the first one. I think the first book is just introduction to characters, and this one Violet especially begins to establish herself as a character which I LOVE. Also, this one remains one of the most upsetting. I'm excited to see some of these moments play out in the show (which we can now watch?? Oh my god??) because I think they have the potential to be really fun to see on screen. Onto book 3!
July 21, 2018
I really love the creative simplicity of these books. Not only with the language but the locations and the occupations and the divide of good and evil. I love how each character has a single identifiable trait and that’s enough. I just, I’m really happy reading these books. They’re clever and charming and warp a boring world into one of description; where a name can tell you just about everything you need to know.
October 17, 2020
Violet Baudelaire is a revolution in the female character construct.
This book is so funny and imaginative and delightfully strange.
But let's talk about Violet. What a positively outstanding character. Gentle and kind and funny and intelligent and sensible and feminine and brave. It just doesn't get better than that.
My Book 1: The Bad Beginning Review
My Book 3: The Wide Window Review
(Connect with me.)
This book is so funny and imaginative and delightfully strange.
But let's talk about Violet. What a positively outstanding character. Gentle and kind and funny and intelligent and sensible and feminine and brave. It just doesn't get better than that.
My Book 1: The Bad Beginning Review
My Book 3: The Wide Window Review
(Connect with me.)
April 15, 2017
VIDEORECENSIONE:
https://youtu.be/GHxST4NWVD0
"La morte di una persona casa è una strana cosa. Noi tutti sappiamo che il nostro tempo in questo mondo è limitato, e che alla fine ci ritroveremo tutti sotto un lenzuolo per non rialzarci più. E tuttavia è sempre una sorpresa quando succede a qualcuno che conosciamo. È come quando saliamo le scale al buio per andare a casa e pensiamo che ci sia un altro gradino, e invece non c'è. Il piede ricade pesantemente nell'aria, e c'è un momento di spiacevole sorpresa in cui cerchiamo di modificare la nostra idea delle cose."
https://youtu.be/GHxST4NWVD0
"La morte di una persona casa è una strana cosa. Noi tutti sappiamo che il nostro tempo in questo mondo è limitato, e che alla fine ci ritroveremo tutti sotto un lenzuolo per non rialzarci più. E tuttavia è sempre una sorpresa quando succede a qualcuno che conosciamo. È come quando saliamo le scale al buio per andare a casa e pensiamo che ci sia un altro gradino, e invece non c'è. Il piede ricade pesantemente nell'aria, e c'è un momento di spiacevole sorpresa in cui cerchiamo di modificare la nostra idea delle cose."
March 5, 2017
Una notable mejora respecto al primero.
En La habitación de los reptiles (¡que por fin se están publicando en español de nuevo!) podemos encontrar aparte de una edición preciosa y que te dan ganas de abrazar, una historia más compleja que la primera parte de esta saga.
Mi mayor queja respecto a la primera entrega fue que los conflictos sucedían demasiado rápido, que no apenas había tensión dramática y que el mundo se quedaba sin definir. Sin embargo, en esta segunda entrega todas las cosas de las que me quejaba han mejorado bastante. Respecto al Conde Olaf y su personaje en este libro la verdad que tampoco tengo queja, estaba perfectamente explicado y todo lo relacionado con su trama se me ha hecho divertido.
Respecto a los jóvenes huérfanos me ha gustado saber más detalles sobre su vida, y que Sunny haya cobrado un poco más de protagonismo. Como digo, en esta ocasión hay más tensión especialmente en cuanto a ellos y la superación de los conflictos (el escapar de x, el decirle a x que y ha hecho eso). De verdad, genial esa tensión, mucho mejor manejada.
En general, este segundo libro de la saga me ha gustado bastante más. Lo he leído más rápido pese a ser un poco más largo y me ha enamorado. Tengo muchas ganas de ver cómo continúa con el resto de libros.
En La habitación de los reptiles (¡que por fin se están publicando en español de nuevo!) podemos encontrar aparte de una edición preciosa y que te dan ganas de abrazar, una historia más compleja que la primera parte de esta saga.
Mi mayor queja respecto a la primera entrega fue que los conflictos sucedían demasiado rápido, que no apenas había tensión dramática y que el mundo se quedaba sin definir. Sin embargo, en esta segunda entrega todas las cosas de las que me quejaba han mejorado bastante. Respecto al Conde Olaf y su personaje en este libro la verdad que tampoco tengo queja, estaba perfectamente explicado y todo lo relacionado con su trama se me ha hecho divertido.
Respecto a los jóvenes huérfanos me ha gustado saber más detalles sobre su vida, y que Sunny haya cobrado un poco más de protagonismo. Como digo, en esta ocasión hay más tensión especialmente en cuanto a ellos y la superación de los conflictos (el escapar de x, el decirle a x que y ha hecho eso). De verdad, genial esa tensión, mucho mejor manejada.
En general, este segundo libro de la saga me ha gustado bastante más. Lo he leído más rápido pese a ser un poco más largo y me ha enamorado. Tengo muchas ganas de ver cómo continúa con el resto de libros.
December 30, 2017
It's a cool, cloudy gray grim day...
It's 25th January.. well..it reminds me with the event that triggered all the Series of Unfortunate Events, that increased for many of us lately...
One of them, I read this book now in ebook format.. since all the book stores increased the prices cause of foreign currency crisis.. The book store that used to give us huge discounts as source of happiness for many changed its policy dramatically.. and other one closed all branches in my city...
Well, as I said in book one's review, "Who sees the Unfortunate Events of others feel solace about his own Unfortunates" , let's back to the Baudelaire's Series of Unfortunate Events... told by the dark fun, Lemony Snicket.
It's 25th January.. well..it reminds me with the event that triggered all the Series of Unfortunate Events, that increased for many of us lately...
One of them, I read this book now in ebook format.. since all the book stores increased the prices cause of foreign currency crisis.. The book store that used to give us huge discounts as source of happiness for many changed its policy dramatically.. and other one closed all branches in my city...
Well, as I said in book one's review, "Who sees the Unfortunate Events of others feel solace about his own Unfortunates" , let's back to the Baudelaire's Series of Unfortunate Events... told by the dark fun, Lemony Snicket.
January 4, 2017
This series is already frustrating me so much. Why does no one listen to the kids? How is Mr. Poe allowed any responsibility? How is Mr. Poe so entirely incompetent? How can I stop becoming physically tense with infuriation every time Mr. Poe is mentioned?
Will these kids ever get a break?
Is the next book going to terrify me half to death like the movie did? (It's the leeches isn't it? It has to be the leeches. I'm certain the leeches must be coming...) I'm infuriated, addicted and loving it. I love how messed up and dark it is and its dark humour is continuously surprising me. I'm so ready for the next book. I just need to find it somewhere as I wasn't anticipating to enjoy this as much as I am and only picked up the first two books in a charity shop...
Will these kids ever get a break?
Is the next book going to terrify me half to death like the movie did? (It's the leeches isn't it? It has to be the leeches. I'm certain the leeches must be coming...) I'm infuriated, addicted and loving it. I love how messed up and dark it is and its dark humour is continuously surprising me. I'm so ready for the next book. I just need to find it somewhere as I wasn't anticipating to enjoy this as much as I am and only picked up the first two books in a charity shop...
December 27, 2018
The Reptile Room (A Series of Unfortunate Events #2), Lemony Snicket
The Reptile Room is the second book in the children's series A Series of Unfortunate Events, written by Daniel Handler under the pseudonym Lemony Snicket. The book tells the story of the Baudelaire orphans, as they are sent to live with a distant relative named Montgomery Montgomery. The villainous Count Olaf arrives in an attempt to steal the children's inheritance, killing their guardian but failing to steal the fortune.
عنوانها: سالن خزندگان؛ تالار خزندگان؛ کودکان بدلر و اتاق خزندگان؛ نویسنده: لمونی اسنیکت؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز هفدهم ماه آوریل سال 2011 میلادی
عنوان: سالن خزندگان؛ نویسنده: لمونی اسنیکت؛ تصویرگر: برت هلکوئیست؛ مترجم: امیرمهدی حقیقت؛ تهران، انتشارات ماهی، 1381؛ در 154 ص؛ فروست: مجموعه بچه های بدشانس کتاب دوم؛ شابک: 9789649333352؛ چاپ پنجم 1385؛ ششم 1386؛ هشتم 1388؛ نهم 1389؛ موضوع: داستانهای خنده دار برای نوجوانان از نویسندگان امریکایی - سده 20 م
عنوان: کودکان بدلر و اتاق خزندگان؛ مت��جم: جمیله حیدری؛ تهران، راه اندیشه، 1381، در 121 ص؛ شابک: 9647328389؛
عنوان: تالار خزندگان؛ نویسنده: لمونی اسنیکت؛ مترجم: فرزانه کریمی؛ تهران، قدیانی، 1387، در 187 ص؛ مصور، فروست: رمان نوجوان؛ شابک: 9789645361592؛
هشدار: اگر کتاب را هنوز نخوانده اید و میخواهید با خوانش آن از لذت دانستن همه ی نادانسته هایی که در این سری از کتابها هست برخوردار شوید، ادامه ی این ریویو را لطفا نخوانید، بچه ها در این داستان، به خانه ی دایی «مونتی» (مونتگمری مونتگمری)، خزنده شناس مشهور میروند، که آنها را بسیار دوست دارد، و به خوبی از آنها پرستاری میکند، ولی چند روز پس رسیدن آنها دایی مونتی توسط: «کنت الاف»، که با هویت جعلی «استفانو»، دستیار وی شده بود، کشته میشود. باز با همکاری خواهران و برادر، در ادامه ی داستان نقشه ی کنت، درباره ی آنها ناکام میماند، و کنت فرار میکند. ا. شربیانی
The Reptile Room is the second book in the children's series A Series of Unfortunate Events, written by Daniel Handler under the pseudonym Lemony Snicket. The book tells the story of the Baudelaire orphans, as they are sent to live with a distant relative named Montgomery Montgomery. The villainous Count Olaf arrives in an attempt to steal the children's inheritance, killing their guardian but failing to steal the fortune.
عنوانها: سالن خزندگان؛ تالار خزندگان؛ کودکان بدلر و اتاق خزندگان؛ نویسنده: لمونی اسنیکت؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز هفدهم ماه آوریل سال 2011 میلادی
عنوان: سالن خزندگان؛ نویسنده: لمونی اسنیکت؛ تصویرگر: برت هلکوئیست؛ مترجم: امیرمهدی حقیقت؛ تهران، انتشارات ماهی، 1381؛ در 154 ص؛ فروست: مجموعه بچه های بدشانس کتاب دوم؛ شابک: 9789649333352؛ چاپ پنجم 1385؛ ششم 1386؛ هشتم 1388؛ نهم 1389؛ موضوع: داستانهای خنده دار برای نوجوانان از نویسندگان امریکایی - سده 20 م
عنوان: کودکان بدلر و اتاق خزندگان؛ مت��جم: جمیله حیدری؛ تهران، راه اندیشه، 1381، در 121 ص؛ شابک: 9647328389؛
عنوان: تالار خزندگان؛ نویسنده: لمونی اسنیکت؛ مترجم: فرزانه کریمی؛ تهران، قدیانی، 1387، در 187 ص؛ مصور، فروست: رمان نوجوان؛ شابک: 9789645361592؛
هشدار: اگر کتاب را هنوز نخوانده اید و میخواهید با خوانش آن از لذت دانستن همه ی نادانسته هایی که در این سری از کتابها هست برخوردار شوید، ادامه ی این ریویو را لطفا نخوانید، بچه ها در این داستان، به خانه ی دایی «مونتی» (مونتگمری مونتگمری)، خزنده شناس مشهور میروند، که آنها را بسیار دوست دارد، و به خوبی از آنها پرستاری میکند، ولی چند روز پس رسیدن آنها دایی مونتی توسط: «کنت الاف»، که با هویت جعلی «استفانو»، دستیار وی شده بود، کشته میشود. باز با همکاری خواهران و برادر، در ادامه ی داستان نقشه ی کنت، درباره ی آنها ناکام میماند، و کنت فرار میکند. ا. شربیانی
January 3, 2018
Wow, this series tanked hard - and so damn soon after a great first book! I kinda expected it to dip in quality gradually, like every series does at some point, but so quickly and by so much in just the second book? That’s impressive!
So the orphaned Baudelaire children, Violet, Klaus and Sunny, are sent to a new distant relative to stay with. This time it’s their Uncle Monty, who’s a herpetologist (a scientist who studies amphibians/reptiles). Then Count Olaf appears and the same charade from the first book is repeated and it’s over. Really? Really.
I guess good for the kids that they wound up, however temporarily, with a nice relative after the misery of staying with Count Olaf but unfortunately pleasant things aren’t in the least bit interesting to read (that’s why I can’t abide Alexander McCall Smith’s books or that abominable Lake Wobegon crap)! And once Olaf does appear, in disguise, we instantly know it’s him so we have to wait for the adult characters - whose contrived stupidity has already gotten annoying - to figure it out. And boy does that swiftly get tedious when nothing else is happening!
I liked that the series still has an edge to it (by children’s books standards) with the fate of Uncle Monty, the book is well-written and Count Olaf remains an interesting character. But for the most part The Reptile Room was an immensely boring and worthless addition to the series. Thank jeebus these books are quick to read otherwise I’d’ve packed it in long before the end! Hopefully the next book picks up by cutting out the filler and actually having a semi-compelling story!
So the orphaned Baudelaire children, Violet, Klaus and Sunny, are sent to a new distant relative to stay with. This time it’s their Uncle Monty, who’s a herpetologist (a scientist who studies amphibians/reptiles). Then Count Olaf appears and the same charade from the first book is repeated and it’s over. Really? Really.
I guess good for the kids that they wound up, however temporarily, with a nice relative after the misery of staying with Count Olaf but unfortunately pleasant things aren’t in the least bit interesting to read (that’s why I can’t abide Alexander McCall Smith’s books or that abominable Lake Wobegon crap)! And once Olaf does appear, in disguise, we instantly know it’s him so we have to wait for the adult characters - whose contrived stupidity has already gotten annoying - to figure it out. And boy does that swiftly get tedious when nothing else is happening!
I liked that the series still has an edge to it (by children’s books standards) with the fate of Uncle Monty, the book is well-written and Count Olaf remains an interesting character. But for the most part The Reptile Room was an immensely boring and worthless addition to the series. Thank jeebus these books are quick to read otherwise I’d’ve packed it in long before the end! Hopefully the next book picks up by cutting out the filler and actually having a semi-compelling story!
January 12, 2023
“How did you do that?” Mr. Poe asked. “Nice girls shouldn’t know how to do such things.”
“My sister is a nice girl,” Klaus said, “and she knows how to do all sorts of things.”
“My sister is a nice girl,” Klaus said, “and she knows how to do all sorts of things.”
August 6, 2019
“It is like walking up the stairs to your bedroom in the dark, and thinking there is one more stair than there is. Your foot falls down, through the air, and there is a sickly moment of dark surprise as you try to readjust the way you thought of things. The Baudelaire orphans were crying not only for their Uncle Monty, but for their own parents, and this dark and curious feeling of falling that accompanies every great loss.”
This second volume was just as enjoyable as the first... and oh how much I love uncle Monty! For once, I wished this was a series of fortunate events, because I would have loved to see the orphans settle down with him! Anyway, another lovely book, made me laugh just as much as the first one. I am having so much fun with this series! :D
This second volume was just as enjoyable as the first... and oh how much I love uncle Monty! For once, I wished this was a series of fortunate events, because I would have loved to see the orphans settle down with him! Anyway, another lovely book, made me laugh just as much as the first one. I am having so much fun with this series! :D
July 21, 2018
This definitely took me longer to read this than I expected but I still loved it!!
July 2, 2019
The regrettable record of the rotten run of luck of the Baudelaire rugrats rolls recklessly on...
January 28, 2016
*first read Jan 21*
#RYBSAT seriously though, the ending to each book in The Series of Unfortunate Events makes me cry! This ending tore my heart!
Each book only gets better. I probably loved this one more than The Bad Beginning, if that's even possible. I have to say, Sunny had her shinning moments in this book and is quickly becoming my favorite character! She's just so adorable!
Mr. Snicket's commentary throughout this book was awesome and so hilarious! And his writing is so poetically magnificent! I am in love with his writing. The way he pauses his storytelling to describe the metaphors he uses. He does so many awesome quirky things.
#RYBSAT seriously though, the ending to each book in The Series of Unfortunate Events makes me cry! This ending tore my heart!
Each book only gets better. I probably loved this one more than The Bad Beginning, if that's even possible. I have to say, Sunny had her shinning moments in this book and is quickly becoming my favorite character! She's just so adorable!
Mr. Snicket's commentary throughout this book was awesome and so hilarious! And his writing is so poetically magnificent! I am in love with his writing. The way he pauses his storytelling to describe the metaphors he uses. He does so many awesome quirky things.
March 23, 2018
تو کتاب دوم بدشانسیها تو خونهی جدید هم دست از سر بچهها برنمیداره.
جلد یک رو بیشتر دوست داشتم. ترجیح میدادم نوع بدشانسی آوردن بچهها یه مقدار خلاقانهتر باشه.
----------
یادگاری از کتاب:
یکی از دردناکترین چیزها در زندگی هر کسی، احساس پشیمانی است. اتفاقی برایتان میافتد و کار اشتباهی را انجام میدهید که سالهای سال با خودتان میگویید ای کاش کار دیگری کرده بودم.
...
مرگ کسی که دوستش داریم چیز عجیبی است. همه میدانیم که زندگی ما توی این دنیا محدود است و بالاخره یک روز، عمرمان تمام میشود و ملافهای رویمان میکشند که دیگر هیچوقت از زیرش بیرون نمیآییم. با این حال وقتی برای یکی از دوست و آشناهای خودمان همین اتفاق میافتد، همیشه جا میخوریم. مثل این میماند که توی تاریکی از پلهها بالا میروید تا به اتاق خوابتان برسید و پیش خودتان فکر میکنید که باید پلهی دیگری هم باشد اما یکهو زیر پایتان خالی میشود.
...
این جالب است که وقتی چند نفر به یک چیز نگاه میکنند، ممکن است هر یک فکرهای متفاوتی دربارهاش بکنند.
جلد یک رو بیشتر دوست داشتم. ترجیح میدادم نوع بدشانسی آوردن بچهها یه مقدار خلاقانهتر باشه.
----------
یادگاری از کتاب:
یکی از دردناکترین چیزها در زندگی هر کسی، احساس پشیمانی است. اتفاقی برایتان میافتد و کار اشتباهی را انجام میدهید که سالهای سال با خودتان میگویید ای کاش کار دیگری کرده بودم.
...
مرگ کسی که دوستش داریم چیز عجیبی است. همه میدانیم که زندگی ما توی این دنیا محدود است و بالاخره یک روز، عمرمان تمام میشود و ملافهای رویمان میکشند که دیگر هیچوقت از زیرش بیرون نمیآییم. با این حال وقتی برای یکی از دوست و آشناهای خودمان همین اتفاق میافتد، همیشه جا میخوریم. مثل این میماند که توی تاریکی از پلهها بالا میروید تا به اتاق خوابتان برسید و پیش خودتان فکر میکنید که باید پلهی دیگری هم باشد اما یکهو زیر پایتان خالی میشود.
...
این جالب است که وقتی چند نفر به یک چیز نگاه میکنند، ممکن است هر یک فکرهای متفاوتی دربارهاش بکنند.
October 6, 2015
These books are amazing. This book is a little darker than the first. It tells you right from the beginning that Uncle Monty will be killed. Other examples of darkness:
p. 51 ...he would slit the throats of the Baudelaire orphans as easily as you or I might eat a small butter cookie.
p.76 If I wanted to harm you, orphan, your blood would already be pouring down these stairs like a waterfall.
p.88 The hallway was strangely quiet, and blank as the eyes of a skull.
p.96 It is a curious thing, the death of a loved one. We all know that our time in this world is limited, and that eventually all of us will end up underneath some sheet, never to wake up. And yet it is always a surprise when it happens to someone we know. It is like walking up the stairs to your bedroom in the dark, and thinking there is one more stair than there is. Your foot falls down, through the air, and there is a sickly moment of dark surprise as you try to readjust the way you thought of things.
This last thought, about losing a person you love, is so true and poignant. I love these books for this reason.
One of the most brilliant and touching aspects of these novels is the support, love, and intelligence of the Baudelaire orphans. Snicket really emphasizes the great blessing it can be to have brothers and sisters. One particular thing that I noticed in this book was how helpful it is to have people with shared memories. One of the greatest things about siblings is you have shared memories about how your parents were, how your house was, what growing up was like, etc. This is mentioned in The Reptile Room (page 39).
There are a few instances of profanity in this book. No profanity was used in A Bad Beginning. "Damn" and "hell" are the words used, and they are used by the villain and frowned upon by the orphans. I don't take any issue with the profanity in this book - ten-year-olds will have heard these already and I thought they were appropriate in the context (pages 94 and 98).
The most hilarious scene is when Mr. Poe panics in the Reptile Room of Uncle Monty's house. I laughed out loud.
Here is a great example of Snicket's writing style:
It is very difficult, experts have told us, to find a needle in a haystack, which is why “needle in a haystack” has become a rather hackneyed phrase meaning “something that is difficult to find.” The reason it is difficult to find a needle in a haystack, of course, is that out of all the things in a haystack, the needle is only one of them. If, however, you were looking for anything in a haystack, that wouldn't be difficult at all, because once you started sifting through the haystack you would most certainly find something: hay, of course, but also dirt, bugs, a few farming tools, and maybe even a man who had escaped from prison and was hiding there. p.161
I also adore the feminist spirit shown in this book. Upon learning that Violet Baudelaire has picked a lock, Mr. Poe reacts with dismay:
“How did you do that?” Mr. Poe asked. “Nice girls shouldn't know how to do such things.”
“My sister is a nice girl,” Klaus said, “and she knows how to do all sorts of things.” p. 168
Way to go, Klaus! He stands up for his sister and also understands that she can be "nice" and also be a "mechanical genius" at the same time. A very powerful message for girls.
It's obvious throughout the book that the siblings have each others backs. They are all intelligent in their own way, they all contribute to their plans. They have such a strong bond that is only getting stronger the more it is tested by Olaf and other villains.
A highlight of this book is that Sunny finally starts using real words instead of her normal gibberish. I think she has two real words in here: "Aha!" and "Brilliant." She is becoming more independent and more communicative and it is a joy to see. Just as in real life, when you watch children grow up and become their own people with their own opinions and distinct personalities, so Sunny is illustrated here with her burgeoning vocabulary and personality.
Once again I want to mention how smart and educational these books are in addition to being funny and entrancing. Here are some words and concepts children will learn when reading this book: dramatic irony, alcove, segue, giddy, nemesis, surveillance, vainglorious, preempt, generic, brummagem, adding insult to injury, unblemished, hackneyed, inner sanctum, strangulatory, conjunction, tenebrous, hue, perpetuate his deception, swarthy, ruffian, and lampoon. Most of these are explained in a fun and stylistic way by Mr. Snicket, but others will have the child reaching for the dictionary.
I would also like to note the subtle Agatha Christie joke on page 126. Adults who are fans of Christie's work will get a chuckle out of this.
Kudos to Lemony Snicket for another thoroughly charming read.
p. 51 ...he would slit the throats of the Baudelaire orphans as easily as you or I might eat a small butter cookie.
p.76 If I wanted to harm you, orphan, your blood would already be pouring down these stairs like a waterfall.
p.88 The hallway was strangely quiet, and blank as the eyes of a skull.
p.96 It is a curious thing, the death of a loved one. We all know that our time in this world is limited, and that eventually all of us will end up underneath some sheet, never to wake up. And yet it is always a surprise when it happens to someone we know. It is like walking up the stairs to your bedroom in the dark, and thinking there is one more stair than there is. Your foot falls down, through the air, and there is a sickly moment of dark surprise as you try to readjust the way you thought of things.
This last thought, about losing a person you love, is so true and poignant. I love these books for this reason.
One of the most brilliant and touching aspects of these novels is the support, love, and intelligence of the Baudelaire orphans. Snicket really emphasizes the great blessing it can be to have brothers and sisters. One particular thing that I noticed in this book was how helpful it is to have people with shared memories. One of the greatest things about siblings is you have shared memories about how your parents were, how your house was, what growing up was like, etc. This is mentioned in The Reptile Room (page 39).
There are a few instances of profanity in this book. No profanity was used in A Bad Beginning. "Damn" and "hell" are the words used, and they are used by the villain and frowned upon by the orphans. I don't take any issue with the profanity in this book - ten-year-olds will have heard these already and I thought they were appropriate in the context (pages 94 and 98).
The most hilarious scene is when Mr. Poe panics in the Reptile Room of Uncle Monty's house. I laughed out loud.
Here is a great example of Snicket's writing style:
It is very difficult, experts have told us, to find a needle in a haystack, which is why “needle in a haystack” has become a rather hackneyed phrase meaning “something that is difficult to find.” The reason it is difficult to find a needle in a haystack, of course, is that out of all the things in a haystack, the needle is only one of them. If, however, you were looking for anything in a haystack, that wouldn't be difficult at all, because once you started sifting through the haystack you would most certainly find something: hay, of course, but also dirt, bugs, a few farming tools, and maybe even a man who had escaped from prison and was hiding there. p.161
I also adore the feminist spirit shown in this book. Upon learning that Violet Baudelaire has picked a lock, Mr. Poe reacts with dismay:
“How did you do that?” Mr. Poe asked. “Nice girls shouldn't know how to do such things.”
“My sister is a nice girl,” Klaus said, “and she knows how to do all sorts of things.” p. 168
Way to go, Klaus! He stands up for his sister and also understands that she can be "nice" and also be a "mechanical genius" at the same time. A very powerful message for girls.
It's obvious throughout the book that the siblings have each others backs. They are all intelligent in their own way, they all contribute to their plans. They have such a strong bond that is only getting stronger the more it is tested by Olaf and other villains.
A highlight of this book is that Sunny finally starts using real words instead of her normal gibberish. I think she has two real words in here: "Aha!" and "Brilliant." She is becoming more independent and more communicative and it is a joy to see. Just as in real life, when you watch children grow up and become their own people with their own opinions and distinct personalities, so Sunny is illustrated here with her burgeoning vocabulary and personality.
Once again I want to mention how smart and educational these books are in addition to being funny and entrancing. Here are some words and concepts children will learn when reading this book: dramatic irony, alcove, segue, giddy, nemesis, surveillance, vainglorious, preempt, generic, brummagem, adding insult to injury, unblemished, hackneyed, inner sanctum, strangulatory, conjunction, tenebrous, hue, perpetuate his deception, swarthy, ruffian, and lampoon. Most of these are explained in a fun and stylistic way by Mr. Snicket, but others will have the child reaching for the dictionary.
I would also like to note the subtle Agatha Christie joke on page 126. Adults who are fans of Christie's work will get a chuckle out of this.
Kudos to Lemony Snicket for another thoroughly charming read.
February 7, 2017
3.5ish Stars.
I was actually liking this one a lot more than the first one right up until the unfortunate event. The unfortunate event was indeed unfortunate but that's not what made me stop liking it as much. I felt it got kind of boring and it dragged out. I did still love the writing and the majority of the storytelling though.
What I found interesting though is how this Lemony Snicket storyteller keeps explaining words to his readers when in the story the adults do it but the children always know what it means and it shows how the adults belittle the orphans. So either Lemony Snicket is also belittling his young readers, he's doing it to be ironic or he's doing it because it's actually quite helpful. If I had to guess, I would say he's being ironic. Lemony Snicket paints a bad picture of adults in these books and even though this Lemony Snicket person is telling the story with compassion and sympathy, at the end of the day he is an adult and adults are incompetent people who don't listen to children and belittle children. I thought it was quite sweet for Snicket to explain what a word means. Sometimes he uses colourful language to describe something and he's just telling his readers what it means. He's not only teaching his readers about the definition of words either. He explains what dramatic irony is in this book and I just think that's great. I feel like both books I have read so far have also had life lessons in them. The first one was all about how bad things can happen and it can seem quite unfair but you have to keep on going. If the children had just accepted what Count Olaf was doing, they would be in a very bad position. They overcame Olaf's mean tricks because they didn't lose hope and they kept fighting. The lesson in this book was more to do with grieving and regrets about life I think. There was a lot on loss and life after the death of a loved one and also a bit about regrets and what you only wish you could have done.
... of course maybe this is just a story that is nothing but entertaining because it is a children's book and I do have a tendency to over-analyse absolutely everything!!! Anyways I will stop my review now. I would recommend this and I would read more by Lemony Snicket.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“For Beatrice—
My love for you shall live forever.
You, however, did not.”
“I wish—and I'm sure you wish as well—that we could go back in time and warn him, but we can't, and that is that.”
“I think we'll always miss our parents. But I think we can miss them without being miserable all the time. After all, they wouldn't want us to be miserable.”
“One of the most difficult things to think about in life is one's regrets. Something will happen to you, and you will do the wrong thing, and for years afterward you will wish you had done something different.”
“It is a curious thing, the death of a loved one. We all know that our time in this world is limited, and that eventually all of us will end up underneath some sheet, never to wake up. And yet it is always a surprise when it happens to someone we know.”
“It is remarkable that different people will have different thoughts when they look at the same thing.”
“How did you do that?” Mr. Poe asked. “Nice girls shouldn't know how to do such things.”
“My sister is a nice girl,” Klaus said, “and she knows how to do all sorts of things.”
I was actually liking this one a lot more than the first one right up until the unfortunate event. The unfortunate event was indeed unfortunate but that's not what made me stop liking it as much. I felt it got kind of boring and it dragged out. I did still love the writing and the majority of the storytelling though.
What I found interesting though is how this Lemony Snicket storyteller keeps explaining words to his readers when in the story the adults do it but the children always know what it means and it shows how the adults belittle the orphans. So either Lemony Snicket is also belittling his young readers, he's doing it to be ironic or he's doing it because it's actually quite helpful. If I had to guess, I would say he's being ironic. Lemony Snicket paints a bad picture of adults in these books and even though this Lemony Snicket person is telling the story with compassion and sympathy, at the end of the day he is an adult and adults are incompetent people who don't listen to children and belittle children. I thought it was quite sweet for Snicket to explain what a word means. Sometimes he uses colourful language to describe something and he's just telling his readers what it means. He's not only teaching his readers about the definition of words either. He explains what dramatic irony is in this book and I just think that's great. I feel like both books I have read so far have also had life lessons in them. The first one was all about how bad things can happen and it can seem quite unfair but you have to keep on going. If the children had just accepted what Count Olaf was doing, they would be in a very bad position. They overcame Olaf's mean tricks because they didn't lose hope and they kept fighting. The lesson in this book was more to do with grieving and regrets about life I think. There was a lot on loss and life after the death of a loved one and also a bit about regrets and what you only wish you could have done.
... of course maybe this is just a story that is nothing but entertaining because it is a children's book and I do have a tendency to over-analyse absolutely everything!!! Anyways I will stop my review now. I would recommend this and I would read more by Lemony Snicket.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“For Beatrice—
My love for you shall live forever.
You, however, did not.”
“I wish—and I'm sure you wish as well—that we could go back in time and warn him, but we can't, and that is that.”
“I think we'll always miss our parents. But I think we can miss them without being miserable all the time. After all, they wouldn't want us to be miserable.”
“One of the most difficult things to think about in life is one's regrets. Something will happen to you, and you will do the wrong thing, and for years afterward you will wish you had done something different.”
“It is a curious thing, the death of a loved one. We all know that our time in this world is limited, and that eventually all of us will end up underneath some sheet, never to wake up. And yet it is always a surprise when it happens to someone we know.”
“It is remarkable that different people will have different thoughts when they look at the same thing.”
“How did you do that?” Mr. Poe asked. “Nice girls shouldn't know how to do such things.”
“My sister is a nice girl,” Klaus said, “and she knows how to do all sorts of things.”
March 24, 2023
For the Baudelaire children, “even pleasant events lead down the same road to misery”
Count Olaf’s nefarious plans for a marriage with Violet Baudelaire and the theft of the children’s inherited wealth were foiled in A BAD BEGINNING. But Lemony Snicket will tell you that if you’re reading THE REPTILE ROOM, BOOK THE SECOND in A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS in hope “of finding a simple and cheery tale”, you’ve come to the wrong place and you’re looking at the wrong book. Aside from car accidents, poisonous snakes, sharp and very threatening knives, and the danger of heavy brass lamps falling from high places, Mr Poe remains blind and hopelessly insensitive to the children’s danger and Count Olaf proves that, while he was down, he most certainly isn’t out. He continues to lust for the children’s bankroll. The children’s hopes for life with a relentlessly cheerful and loving uncle are, of course, dashed on the rocks of “unfortunate events”.
Other than as a unique stylistic hook, I still haven’t figured out the point to Snicket’s interminable offerings of doom and gloom to a most delightful family of children. But I will admit it works and, for the moment at least, I’m willing to continue reading and to continue recommending the books for both children and for young at heart adult readers who enjoy dipping their toes into lighter fare from to time. On an even more positive note, I will commend Snicket’s writing style as being very “grown-up” in tone, never patronizing or condescending to young readers for even a microsecond and, in the bargain, quite educational and useful for building a young person’s vocabulary of more “adult” words.
Paul Weiss
Count Olaf’s nefarious plans for a marriage with Violet Baudelaire and the theft of the children’s inherited wealth were foiled in A BAD BEGINNING. But Lemony Snicket will tell you that if you’re reading THE REPTILE ROOM, BOOK THE SECOND in A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS in hope “of finding a simple and cheery tale”, you’ve come to the wrong place and you’re looking at the wrong book. Aside from car accidents, poisonous snakes, sharp and very threatening knives, and the danger of heavy brass lamps falling from high places, Mr Poe remains blind and hopelessly insensitive to the children’s danger and Count Olaf proves that, while he was down, he most certainly isn’t out. He continues to lust for the children’s bankroll. The children’s hopes for life with a relentlessly cheerful and loving uncle are, of course, dashed on the rocks of “unfortunate events”.
Other than as a unique stylistic hook, I still haven’t figured out the point to Snicket’s interminable offerings of doom and gloom to a most delightful family of children. But I will admit it works and, for the moment at least, I’m willing to continue reading and to continue recommending the books for both children and for young at heart adult readers who enjoy dipping their toes into lighter fare from to time. On an even more positive note, I will commend Snicket’s writing style as being very “grown-up” in tone, never patronizing or condescending to young readers for even a microsecond and, in the bargain, quite educational and useful for building a young person’s vocabulary of more “adult” words.
Paul Weiss
November 20, 2015
In this second volume, the Baudelaire children are sent to stay with another distant relative who is a herpetologist - studies snakes, therefore the reptile room of the title. What proceeds is another adventure of mishaps and contrived situations that see the children triumph, yet not at the same time.
There is nothing new to report here, I felt the same way about this novel as the last - a little bit creeped out, a lot bored. There is the explaining of words, which I do like and the hint of something larger and deeper when the author refers to himself, but the majority is humdrum classic villainous villainry. While the motives of the villain are known, it is never really explained why some nations fitted his plan. But, as usual I think I am thinking too much about it.
My partner's response to my felling of naffs about this was a telling off. "It's a children's book so read it like one!" I don't know if I can anymore. I still enjoy some children's books, and they are probably books that I would have loved as a kid also. But these books, I don't know if I would have liked them as a kid.
Anyway, I have been told they get much better, especially from the next book. For my own sake I sure hope so. If I do end up reading it and it is just like the last two I am going to feel like I have wasted my time.
There is nothing new to report here, I felt the same way about this novel as the last - a little bit creeped out, a lot bored. There is the explaining of words, which I do like and the hint of something larger and deeper when the author refers to himself, but the majority is humdrum classic villainous villainry. While the motives of the villain are known, it is never really explained why some nations fitted his plan. But, as usual I think I am thinking too much about it.
My partner's response to my felling of naffs about this was a telling off. "It's a children's book so read it like one!" I don't know if I can anymore. I still enjoy some children's books, and they are probably books that I would have loved as a kid also. But these books, I don't know if I would have liked them as a kid.
Anyway, I have been told they get much better, especially from the next book. For my own sake I sure hope so. If I do end up reading it and it is just like the last two I am going to feel like I have wasted my time.
March 12, 2017
These books are such fast reads! They also take me back to when I first read them in my last year of primary school, when life was much easier. However, reading the unfortunate events of Sunny, Klaus and Violet's life always makes my life a little better - as horrific as that is.
The children face yet again more trials in The Reptile Room, while fearing Count Olaf. There is no foreshadowing as the author tells you directly who is going to die etc.
Ultimately, these books are just fast reads and I'm beyond excited for the TV series!
The children face yet again more trials in The Reptile Room, while fearing Count Olaf. There is no foreshadowing as the author tells you directly who is going to die etc.
Ultimately, these books are just fast reads and I'm beyond excited for the TV series!
February 7, 2017
4.3
An improvement compared to the first book, although it was basically the same life lessons. This was another quick read and I really loved the storyline of this one. Violet once again shows her cunning knowledge in tools and devices, Klaus's bookish personality saved their lives, and the adorable Sunny is still that too-mature-to-be-an-infant baby. Count Olaf's Stephano disguise was really funny and ridiculous as well! . Hope these kids find their perfect guardians soon and get out of all of their misfortunes. Off to the third book, which is "The Wide Window"!
An improvement compared to the first book, although it was basically the same life lessons. This was another quick read and I really loved the storyline of this one. Violet once again shows her cunning knowledge in tools and devices, Klaus's bookish personality saved their lives, and the adorable Sunny is still that too-mature-to-be-an-infant baby. Count Olaf's Stephano disguise was really funny and ridiculous as well! . Hope these kids find their perfect guardians soon and get out of all of their misfortunes. Off to the third book, which is "The Wide Window"!
April 8, 2017
"If one's safety is threatened, one often finds courage one didn't know one had."
I like this book better than the first one. Count Olaf took the next step in pursuing the Baudelaire's treasure and it was fun!
I can't help but be frustrated when no one believes the children even though they were telling the truth, but where's the fun if they did believe them right away, right?
Violet, Kalaus and Sunny are one of a kind, their sibling bond is so sturdy and I don't think any unfortunate events can ruin that.
P.S I miss the Incredibly Deadly Viper
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