reading notes

by Lemony Snickett

ISBN: 0064407667

I’m not sure what is says about me that I enjoyed reading a book that is all about wretched, horrible things happening to three children.

It is funny. Okay, so the Baudelaires are orphaned early on. They have to wear hideous clothes and perform ridiculously difficult chores. And a creepy old man — a distant relative — who is appointed their guardian spends all his time trying to get his hands on their inheritance, and possibly the eldest Baudelaire girl.

I’m not sounding any better, but really this book is good. It is juvenile fiction, so it has a habit of helpfully defining some words for the reader, such as briskly, which means “quickly, so as to get the Baudelaire children to leave the house.” I imagine older kids would like the book because they often feel like the whole world is dreadfully unfair and out to get them, so they will identify with Violet, Klaus, and Sunny.

I guess I’m just sick, because I love that Sunny bites instead of talks, and that I knew the ending wouldn’t be happy. This is the first in a series, and I will probably keep reading to see what other nasty things will happen to the Baudelaires. I expect they will all be like this one — entertaining, quick reads on the morbid side.

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 2nd, 2003 at 9:26 pm and is filed under young adult/children.