50 Book Challenge 2012 - # 27: The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket (A Series of Unfortunate Events #2")

Title: The Reptile Room (A Series of Unfortunate Events # 2)
Author: Lemony Snicket
Story: After narrowly escaping the menacing clutches of the dastardly Count Olaf, the three Baudelaire orphans are taken in by a kindly herpetologist with whom they live happily for an all-too-brief time.
Start: june 28th 2012
End: june 30th 2012
Comment: Fans of Lemony Snicket will not be disappointed with the second book in "The Series of Unfortunate Events". Again we follow Violet, Klaus, and Sunny. In this volume they visit Uncle Monty and they're finally for once since their parents died having a good time. When Uncle Monty tells the children that they will be going on an expedition to study snakes they get even more riled up. But Uncle Monty's assistant mysteriously disappears so he hires a replacement. And off course this is Count Olaf. Uncle Monty is finally an adult who the children like and he likes them just as much. But happiness is not in the Baudelaire's dictionairy, they have bad luck all the time. Snicket has his own way of telling a story. He doesn't patronize his readers, although it's written for kids. Children know more than you think. The author continues using the technique of defining words that do not need be defined in his attempt to ridicule some children books. He even lets Klaus express the frustration some readers may feel when Mr. Poe is explaining to him what ridicule means and Klaus snaps back "I know what 'ridicule' means". As for the characters, it's hard to dislike the Baudelaires and uncle Monty. Violet is still my favorite. Snicket treats his characters the same as his readers. The children in this book are very bright. And again Count Olaf is so.... bad. He is a good bad guy, if you know what I mean. He's well written and very well described. "The Reptile Room" has the same format as the first book and is just as excellent. I enjoyed the second book equally as much and I will definitely continue to read the rest of this series.
Rating: 5/ 5

50 Books Challenge 2011 - # 59: The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events # 1) by Lemony Snicket

Title: The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events # 1)
Author: Lemony Snicket
Story: Dear Reader, I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune. In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast. It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing. With all due respect, Lemony Snicket
Start: december 3rd 2011
End: december 4th 2011
Comment: Off course I love to read, but as a teacher I also like to read children's books. After seeing the movie version for the second time, I thought I could finally start reading this series. The fun thing about it is that the writer, Lemony Snicket, actually 'speaks' to his readers. It's like he's really talking to you. And his way of telling a story is so unique. Like he already warns his readers, it's not a very pleasant book and it doesn't have a happy ending. Snicket is also a writer who doesn't patronize his readers. There are pretty heavy topics, or at least not very common children's books topics. Like when Count Olaf is trying to trick the 15 year-old Violet into marrying him. Violet, Klaus and Sunny are all loveable characters and I like the fact that they all have a special talent. Violet is my favorite, how inventive she is. Olaf is a fantastic villain and the way he's described it's really easy to picture him. I really enjoyed reading this book and I will definitely read more books in this series.
Rating: 5/ 5