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A Series of Unfortunate Events #3
The Wide Window
Dear Reader,
If you have not read anything about the Baudelaire orphans, then before you read even one more sentence, you should know this: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are kindhearted and quick-witted, but their lives, I am sorry to say, are filled with bad luck and misery. All of the stories about these three children are unhappy and wretched, and this one may be the worst of them all. If you haven't got the stomach for a story that includes a hurricane, a signalling device, hungry leeches, cold cucumber soup, a horrible villain, and a doll named Pretty Penny, then this book will probably fill you with despair. I will continue to record these tragic tales, for that is what I do. You, however, should decide for yourself whether you can possibly endure this miserable story.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket
If you have not read anything about the Baudelaire orphans, then before you read even one more sentence, you should know this: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are kindhearted and quick-witted, but their lives, I am sorry to say, are filled with bad luck and misery. All of the stories about these three children are unhappy and wretched, and this one may be the worst of them all. If you haven't got the stomach for a story that includes a hurricane, a signalling device, hungry leeches, cold cucumber soup, a horrible villain, and a doll named Pretty Penny, then this book will probably fill you with despair. I will continue to record these tragic tales, for that is what I do. You, however, should decide for yourself whether you can possibly endure this miserable story.
With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket
214 pages, Paperback
First published February 25, 2000
2526 people are currently reading
40119 people want to read
About the author
Lemony Snicket
316 books26.6k 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 7,860 reviews
March 25, 2023
Grammatical SADNESS.
After leaving the Reptile House and uncle Monty behind, the Baudelaire orphans travel to Lake Lachrymose, to a secluded house on the top of a perilous cliff; where they meet their new caretaker Aunt Josephine, a brave and fearless sweet old lady who loves grammar and is never afraid of anything, least of all realtors. A brief respite ensues, but not with much happiness; Captain Sham, a brand new nemesis, swiftly appears on their doorstep, and calamity strikes, yet again.
No endearing beginnings this time, this third book goes almost straight from bleakness to tragedy. LIKED dear Aunt Josephine enough, but sadly, even with all her quirky traits and being a grammar obsessed person myself, she’s no Justice Strauss, or Monty material. Totally HATED Captain Sham, an utterly mischievous character, but civilized and charming, at least at the beginning, unlike the despicable Count Olaf of the first book, or the terrifying Stephano of the second, who were always mean from the start. Another nice addition to the series all around. The orphans still resourceful as ever, Violet with her inventions, Klaus with his intellect, and Sunny with her mighty biting.
If there’s something that makes all the sadness bearable is the brief moments of happiness and the lovable new characters; and this one didn’t deliver much of either. The humor is still very good, with a few laughs and chuckles here and there. A somewhat darker sequel. Worthy to read, with some good quotes and moments, but not specially remarkable.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[2000] [214p] [Children’s] [Not Recommendable] [Fearless Josephine <3] [Die Julio DIE!] [Totally legit correctly spelled last will]
-----------------------------------------------
★★★★☆ 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
-----------------------------------------------
TRISTEZA Gramatical.
Después de dejar la Casa de Reptiles y al tío Monty atrás, los huérfanos Baudelaire viajan al Lago Lachrymose, a una casa aislada en la cima de un peligroso acantilado; donde conocen a su nueva cuidadora Tía Josephine, una valiente y audaz dulce viejita que ama la gramática y nunca se asusta de nada, menos aún con agentes inmobiliarios. Un breve respiro tiene lugar, pero no con mucha felicidad; el Capitán Sham, un totalmente nuevo nemesis, rápidamente aparece en su entrada, y la calamidad golpea, otra vez.
Sin comienzos entrañables esta vez, este tercer libro va casi directamente derecho de frialdad a tragedia. Me GUSTO la querida Tía Josephine lo suficiente, pero lamentablemente, incluso con todos sus peculiares rasgos y siendo yo mismo una persona obsesiva de la gramática, no es una Justice Strauss, o material de Tío Monty. Totalmente ODIE al Capitán Sham, un personaje terriblemente taimado, pero civilizado y encantador, al menos al principio, a diferencia del despreciable Conde Olaf del primer libro, o el terrorífico Stephano del segundo, que fueron siempre malos desde el comienzo. Otra interesante adición a la serie en todo sentido. Los huérfanos ingeniosos como siempre, Violet con sus invenciones, Klaus con su intelecto, y Sunny con su ponderosa mordida.
Si hay algo que hace que toda la tristeza sea soportable son los breves momentos de felicidad y los nuevos personajes entrañables; y éste no entrega mucho de ninguno. El humor sigue siendo muy bueno, con algunas risas y carcajadas aquí y allá. Una medio oscura secuela. Valiosa de leer, con algunas buenas citas y momentos, pero no especialmente destacable.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[2000] [214p] [Libro para Niños] [No Recomendable] [Audaz Josephine <3] [Muere Julio MUERE!] [Totalmente legítimo bien escrito testamento]
-----------------------------------------------
After leaving the Reptile House and uncle Monty behind, the Baudelaire orphans travel to Lake Lachrymose, to a secluded house on the top of a perilous cliff; where they meet their new caretaker Aunt Josephine, a brave and fearless sweet old lady who loves grammar and is never afraid of anything, least of all realtors. A brief respite ensues, but not with much happiness; Captain Sham, a brand new nemesis, swiftly appears on their doorstep, and calamity strikes, yet again.
No endearing beginnings this time, this third book goes almost straight from bleakness to tragedy. LIKED dear Aunt Josephine enough, but sadly, even with all her quirky traits and being a grammar obsessed person myself, she’s no Justice Strauss, or Monty material. Totally HATED Captain Sham, an utterly mischievous character, but civilized and charming, at least at the beginning, unlike the despicable Count Olaf of the first book, or the terrifying Stephano of the second, who were always mean from the start. Another nice addition to the series all around. The orphans still resourceful as ever, Violet with her inventions, Klaus with his intellect, and Sunny with her mighty biting.
If there’s something that makes all the sadness bearable is the brief moments of happiness and the lovable new characters; and this one didn’t deliver much of either. The humor is still very good, with a few laughs and chuckles here and there. A somewhat darker sequel. Worthy to read, with some good quotes and moments, but not specially remarkable.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[2000] [214p] [Children’s] [Not Recommendable] [Fearless Josephine <3] [Die Julio DIE!] [Totally legit correctly spelled last will]
-----------------------------------------------
★★★★☆ 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
-----------------------------------------------
TRISTEZA Gramatical.
Después de dejar la Casa de Reptiles y al tío Monty atrás, los huérfanos Baudelaire viajan al Lago Lachrymose, a una casa aislada en la cima de un peligroso acantilado; donde conocen a su nueva cuidadora Tía Josephine, una valiente y audaz dulce viejita que ama la gramática y nunca se asusta de nada, menos aún con agentes inmobiliarios. Un breve respiro tiene lugar, pero no con mucha felicidad; el Capitán Sham, un totalmente nuevo nemesis, rápidamente aparece en su entrada, y la calamidad golpea, otra vez.
Sin comienzos entrañables esta vez, este tercer libro va casi directamente derecho de frialdad a tragedia. Me GUSTO la querida Tía Josephine lo suficiente, pero lamentablemente, incluso con todos sus peculiares rasgos y siendo yo mismo una persona obsesiva de la gramática, no es una Justice Strauss, o material de Tío Monty. Totalmente ODIE al Capitán Sham, un personaje terriblemente taimado, pero civilizado y encantador, al menos al principio, a diferencia del despreciable Conde Olaf del primer libro, o el terrorífico Stephano del segundo, que fueron siempre malos desde el comienzo. Otra interesante adición a la serie en todo sentido. Los huérfanos ingeniosos como siempre, Violet con sus invenciones, Klaus con su intelecto, y Sunny con su ponderosa mordida.
Si hay algo que hace que toda la tristeza sea soportable son los breves momentos de felicidad y los nuevos personajes entrañables; y éste no entrega mucho de ninguno. El humor sigue siendo muy bueno, con algunas risas y carcajadas aquí y allá. Una medio oscura secuela. Valiosa de leer, con algunas buenas citas y momentos, pero no especialmente destacable.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[2000] [214p] [Libro para Niños] [No Recomendable] [Audaz Josephine <3] [Muere Julio MUERE!] [Totalmente legítimo bien escrito testamento]
-----------------------------------------------
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.
I know towards the beginning of this series that the books tend to follow a similar story structure, but I love that Lemony Snicket still finds fresh ways of telling the Baudelaire story!
I know towards the beginning of this series that the books tend to follow a similar story structure, but I love that Lemony Snicket still finds fresh ways of telling the Baudelaire story!
February 7, 2017
Mr. Poe is an idiot but it wouldn't work any other way!
September 11, 2025
By the third book of Snicket's series the formula is fully established and it is exercised here in full. Mr Poe dumps the kids on another kookie relative, Count Olaf turns up in disguise and they recognize him instantly. No adult will believe them. Olaf nearly gets his hands on the children. Through use of their singular defining skills the children thwart Olaf and the henchman selected to back him up this book. Mr Poe lets Olaf escape.
It's still well done, but this one worked less well for my daughter. The relative's obsession with grammar is dry stuff and the subtle grammatical clues the children solve are hard to convey in an audiobook (which is what she's getting when I read to her) - it's/its and their/there ... sound the same.
The cartoonish quality grows slightly in this book. The boat-eating Lachrymose Leeches are a step beyond the established levels of strangeness and struck a sour note for me, and Violet's invention seemed a bit lame ... but still, as a whole the book was amusing and interesting and kept Celyn happy whilst not being a chore to read.
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It's still well done, but this one worked less well for my daughter. The relative's obsession with grammar is dry stuff and the subtle grammatical clues the children solve are hard to convey in an audiobook (which is what she's getting when I read to her) - it's/its and their/there ... sound the same.
The cartoonish quality grows slightly in this book. The boat-eating Lachrymose Leeches are a step beyond the established levels of strangeness and struck a sour note for me, and Violet's invention seemed a bit lame ... but still, as a whole the book was amusing and interesting and kept Celyn happy whilst not being a chore to read.
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Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
...
May 23, 2018
It seems sort of insensitive to say this was fun but gee was this fun. I love reading middle grade because it's simply just fun. It always reminds me why I love reading so much
October 25, 2021
Narración altamente adictiva. Me ha gustado mucho.
Antes que nada necesito aclarar que ya vi la serie de Netflix, por lo que obviamente ya conocía lo que sucedería en este volumen, y también lo que acontecerá en los siguientes. No obstante, a pesar de conocer el argumento, tengo curiosidad de conocer la forma como el autor presenta en los siguientes volúmenes los giros importantes de la trama, así como el desarrollo de las incógnitas. La adaptación me ha gustado mucho e incluso quisiera repetirla, pero eso no significa que me haya olvidado de la historia original: Quiero conocer las diferencias, las escenas omitidas, etc. Ese es mi objetivo con la lectura de los trece tomos.
En este tercer volumen, llamado El ventanal, conoceremos las aventuras que tienen que vivir los niños Baudelaire (Violet, Klaus y Sunny) al irse a vivir con su tía Josephine. Ellos, que al inicio buscan desesperadamente un lugar al cual puedan llamarle hogar, poco a poco cambiarán su enfoque, ya que entenderán que no hay adulto que pueda protegerlos de su archienemigo, El Conde Olaf. Podría decirse que los Baudelaire son como aves encerradas en una jaula, que tras notar un peligro inminente, intentan a toda costa escapar de allí sin importar las consecuencias de sus actos: En esos casos deja de importar el bienestar; en esos casos lo primordial es alejarse del peligro inminente y sobrevivir.
Me llama muchísimo la atención el cambio progresivo que van sufriendo psicológicamente los Baudelaire. De hecho, siento que es una jugada maestra por parte del autor ir trastornando poco a poco a los Baudelaire con su falta de fe hacia los adultos. Como los adultos siempre los defraudan, entonces ellos se ven forzados a buscar las propias soluciones de sus problemas. Los eventos desafortunados, su soledad y el sentimiento de abandono, son un gran peso para cualquier niño, y para los Baudelaire no son la excepción. Ellos no merecen sufrir lo que les acontece, ellos merecen seguir disfrutando su niñez sin tener preocupaciones; pero, el autor necesitaba para su historia el rol de niños huérfanos desamparados, y eso es exactamente lo que son los Baudelaire. Sí, son inteligentes y pueden usar sus habilidades para salir adelante, pero a pesar de eso no dejan de ser huérfanos indefensos en una selva peligrosa comandada por El Conde Olaf. Tomar decisiones difíciles, arriesgar sus propias vidas porque no tienen otro camino, y fingir fortaleza emocional, es el camino de los Baudelaire, día tras día.
La prosa —sobresaliente en los primeros dos tomos— en este volumen mejora considerablemente. La prosa es ligera y está diseñada para un público juvenil, pero, en este volumen, las palabras del autor tienen la capacidad de crear una combinación entre humor cruel, sarcasmo, ironía y exageración: Es una combinación simplemente espectacular. Me reí muchísimo con las palabras y exageraciones de El Conde Olaf, me divierte la inocencia y picardía de Sunny, y el rol del narrador es una genialidad porque cuenta los acontecimientos de una forma cruel, pero sofisticada: Es una narración elegante. Tanto me he divertido en este volumen, que leí como 200 páginas sin detenerme porque solo quería seguir riéndome. Lo mejor, es que como sé que más adelante aparecerán otros personajes con un toque de humor también excelente, entonces eso se convierte en una motivación para continuar leyendo los siguientes volúmenes y así poder divertirme.
Personalmente, este volumen me ha gustado más que los anteriores. Sé que al finalizar la saga no será mi favorito porque entre más vaya avanzando, la historia se tornará más interesante e intrigante, pero de momento es el que más he disfrutado. Por esa misma razón decido calificar este libro con cuatro estrellas y no con cinco, ya que si lo puntuara con cinco estrellas, entonces tendría que colocarles seis estrellas a los próximos volúmenes, y eso es imposible en Goodreads, o por lo menos en el momento. Saga recomendada.
Próximo destino: El aserradero lúgubre.
Antes que nada necesito aclarar que ya vi la serie de Netflix, por lo que obviamente ya conocía lo que sucedería en este volumen, y también lo que acontecerá en los siguientes. No obstante, a pesar de conocer el argumento, tengo curiosidad de conocer la forma como el autor presenta en los siguientes volúmenes los giros importantes de la trama, así como el desarrollo de las incógnitas. La adaptación me ha gustado mucho e incluso quisiera repetirla, pero eso no significa que me haya olvidado de la historia original: Quiero conocer las diferencias, las escenas omitidas, etc. Ese es mi objetivo con la lectura de los trece tomos.
En este tercer volumen, llamado El ventanal, conoceremos las aventuras que tienen que vivir los niños Baudelaire (Violet, Klaus y Sunny) al irse a vivir con su tía Josephine. Ellos, que al inicio buscan desesperadamente un lugar al cual puedan llamarle hogar, poco a poco cambiarán su enfoque, ya que entenderán que no hay adulto que pueda protegerlos de su archienemigo, El Conde Olaf. Podría decirse que los Baudelaire son como aves encerradas en una jaula, que tras notar un peligro inminente, intentan a toda costa escapar de allí sin importar las consecuencias de sus actos: En esos casos deja de importar el bienestar; en esos casos lo primordial es alejarse del peligro inminente y sobrevivir.
Me llama muchísimo la atención el cambio progresivo que van sufriendo psicológicamente los Baudelaire. De hecho, siento que es una jugada maestra por parte del autor ir trastornando poco a poco a los Baudelaire con su falta de fe hacia los adultos. Como los adultos siempre los defraudan, entonces ellos se ven forzados a buscar las propias soluciones de sus problemas. Los eventos desafortunados, su soledad y el sentimiento de abandono, son un gran peso para cualquier niño, y para los Baudelaire no son la excepción. Ellos no merecen sufrir lo que les acontece, ellos merecen seguir disfrutando su niñez sin tener preocupaciones; pero, el autor necesitaba para su historia el rol de niños huérfanos desamparados, y eso es exactamente lo que son los Baudelaire. Sí, son inteligentes y pueden usar sus habilidades para salir adelante, pero a pesar de eso no dejan de ser huérfanos indefensos en una selva peligrosa comandada por El Conde Olaf. Tomar decisiones difíciles, arriesgar sus propias vidas porque no tienen otro camino, y fingir fortaleza emocional, es el camino de los Baudelaire, día tras día.
La prosa —sobresaliente en los primeros dos tomos— en este volumen mejora considerablemente. La prosa es ligera y está diseñada para un público juvenil, pero, en este volumen, las palabras del autor tienen la capacidad de crear una combinación entre humor cruel, sarcasmo, ironía y exageración: Es una combinación simplemente espectacular. Me reí muchísimo con las palabras y exageraciones de El Conde Olaf, me divierte la inocencia y picardía de Sunny, y el rol del narrador es una genialidad porque cuenta los acontecimientos de una forma cruel, pero sofisticada: Es una narración elegante. Tanto me he divertido en este volumen, que leí como 200 páginas sin detenerme porque solo quería seguir riéndome. Lo mejor, es que como sé que más adelante aparecerán otros personajes con un toque de humor también excelente, entonces eso se convierte en una motivación para continuar leyendo los siguientes volúmenes y así poder divertirme.
Personalmente, este volumen me ha gustado más que los anteriores. Sé que al finalizar la saga no será mi favorito porque entre más vaya avanzando, la historia se tornará más interesante e intrigante, pero de momento es el que más he disfrutado. Por esa misma razón decido calificar este libro con cuatro estrellas y no con cinco, ya que si lo puntuara con cinco estrellas, entonces tendría que colocarles seis estrellas a los próximos volúmenes, y eso es imposible en Goodreads, o por lo menos en el momento. Saga recomendada.
Próximo destino: El aserradero lúgubre.
September 24, 2018
I’m having so much fun reading this series for the first time!
February 2, 2018
I wrote a fairly oversized mini review for The Reptile Room. I do not foresee myself doing that for this one. It’s just...it doesn’t inspire the same emotion.
Aunt Josephine is no Uncle Monty, guys. Like, she’s not supposed to be. But still.
However. There is still cool stuff to be found in this. It is still Lemony Snicket, after all.
The setting is particularly rad, which is impressive because this is one of my favorite worlds in all of literature. I like this lil village (shoutout to the Anxious Clown) and Lake Lachrymose and the harbor a lot.
Also, Uncle Monty > Aunt Josephine, but Stephano < Captain Sham. So it almost balances. Almost.
This book is not as sad as The Reptile Room (good!), but it is significantly more frustrating (not good). More and more hints at the complexity that is to come, though, sooooo….still 4.25 or 4.5 or whatever. Like it matters. It’ll be on Goodreads as four stars no matter what I say. (And screw you times infinity for that, Goodreads.)
Well, would you look at that. I still wrote a lot.
Shocker.
Bottom line: In, like, my bottom five books of the thirteen that make up my favorite series. SO ARBITRARY. And so good.
-------------
PRE-REVIEW
I'M REREADING THESE BOOKS SO MUCH FASTER THAN I CAN REVIEW THEM.
yes, this is coming from the person who has a to-write list thirteen posts long. what of it? it's definitely the fault of these books for being so short and fun and addictive and not my fault for poor time management.
so yet again, i shall say I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH, followed by that even more common phrase:
review to come
Aunt Josephine is no Uncle Monty, guys. Like, she’s not supposed to be. But still.
However. There is still cool stuff to be found in this. It is still Lemony Snicket, after all.
The setting is particularly rad, which is impressive because this is one of my favorite worlds in all of literature. I like this lil village (shoutout to the Anxious Clown) and Lake Lachrymose and the harbor a lot.
Also, Uncle Monty > Aunt Josephine, but Stephano < Captain Sham. So it almost balances. Almost.
This book is not as sad as The Reptile Room (good!), but it is significantly more frustrating (not good). More and more hints at the complexity that is to come, though, sooooo….still 4.25 or 4.5 or whatever. Like it matters. It’ll be on Goodreads as four stars no matter what I say. (And screw you times infinity for that, Goodreads.)
Well, would you look at that. I still wrote a lot.
Shocker.
Bottom line: In, like, my bottom five books of the thirteen that make up my favorite series. SO ARBITRARY. And so good.
-------------
PRE-REVIEW
I'M REREADING THESE BOOKS SO MUCH FASTER THAN I CAN REVIEW THEM.
yes, this is coming from the person who has a to-write list thirteen posts long. what of it? it's definitely the fault of these books for being so short and fun and addictive and not my fault for poor time management.
so yet again, i shall say I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH, followed by that even more common phrase:
review to come
February 7, 2017
*3.5/5
Once again, super enjoyable ride. It is interesting to now be reading these as I'm watching the show. I am not watching episodes until after I have finished the book, but I'm curious if my visual of the characters is changing as I watch the show. Just a thought.
I love how in this book, like the last, we get to see the Baudelaires growing into more intelligent and self-reliant people. Obviously they are still very naive in a lot of ways, being so young, but I love the way their relationship with each other develops over time so much within the series as a whole and it is fun to see that from closer to the beginning of the books. Captain Sham is, of course, ridiculous. But I love it.
Oh! And I really like the fact that this book starts to show the more angry, bitter side of these kids at times. They have every right to those emotions, and I think their more look-on-the-brightside outlook cracking every now and then is such a nice and realistic touch. Just a little bit of character development I appreciate. Now onto the last reread! I'll continue with the rest later, but I wanted to focus on covering the books that the show would handle for now.
Once again, super enjoyable ride. It is interesting to now be reading these as I'm watching the show. I am not watching episodes until after I have finished the book, but I'm curious if my visual of the characters is changing as I watch the show. Just a thought.
I love how in this book, like the last, we get to see the Baudelaires growing into more intelligent and self-reliant people. Obviously they are still very naive in a lot of ways, being so young, but I love the way their relationship with each other develops over time so much within the series as a whole and it is fun to see that from closer to the beginning of the books. Captain Sham is, of course, ridiculous. But I love it.
Oh! And I really like the fact that this book starts to show the more angry, bitter side of these kids at times. They have every right to those emotions, and I think their more look-on-the-brightside outlook cracking every now and then is such a nice and realistic touch. Just a little bit of character development I appreciate. Now onto the last reread! I'll continue with the rest later, but I wanted to focus on covering the books that the show would handle for now.
July 18, 2018
You can also read this review @ https://readrantrockandroll.com/2018/...
The children have managed to avoid capture by Count Olaf again and now meet their new guardian, Aunt Josephine. She recently lost her husband and lives alone atop a hill in a rickety house overlooking Lake Lachrymose. What is it with Aunt Josephine? She seems kind and the children feel safe, but she’s afraid of everything you could imagine and she’s absolutely obsessed with grammar.
Life is quite boring there and the children can’t help but think about their circumstances. While walking through the market one day, Violet runs into someone unexpectedly.
“Excuse m—” Violet started to say, but when she looked up she couldn’t finish her sentence. There stood a tall, thin man with a blue sailor hat on his head and black eye patch covering his left eye. He was smiling eagerly down at her as if she were a brightly wrapped birthday present that he couldn’t wait to rip open. His fingers were long and bony, and he was leaning awkwardly to one side, a bit like Aunt Josephine’s house dangling over the hill.
Right away Violet recognizes the man as Count Olaf and he’s already in the process of wooing Aunt Josephine who is completely oblivious as to what’s going on. She seems to be just as unsuspecting as Mr. Poe. He introduces himself as Captain Sham, but the children know better and will have to find a way to free themselves from Count Olaf once again.
I really love the use of vocabulary in these books. It really gets kids thinking about some of the words like: vainglorious, dastardly, irreconcilable, cahoots, and repartee, to name a few. I’ve even learned some new words myself. The author also includes explanations for phrases such as ‘hook, line, and sinker’.
We enjoyed this installment. The imagery is just fantastic and really pulls you in. This one is just as dark as the others we’ve read up to this point. Even with the recurring themes, we stayed interested throughout, all the way to the end.
We’ve already begun The Miserable Mill and we’re flying through it. The one mistake I did make was allow my kids to start the Netflix series. I noticed a major spoiler jut after watching the first episode that I don’t remember from the book. Even with the titles matching up with the books, it seems there will still be spoilers, so we may wait to move forward with the Netflix series.
My rating on this book is 5*****
The children have managed to avoid capture by Count Olaf again and now meet their new guardian, Aunt Josephine. She recently lost her husband and lives alone atop a hill in a rickety house overlooking Lake Lachrymose. What is it with Aunt Josephine? She seems kind and the children feel safe, but she’s afraid of everything you could imagine and she’s absolutely obsessed with grammar.
Life is quite boring there and the children can’t help but think about their circumstances. While walking through the market one day, Violet runs into someone unexpectedly.
“Excuse m—” Violet started to say, but when she looked up she couldn’t finish her sentence. There stood a tall, thin man with a blue sailor hat on his head and black eye patch covering his left eye. He was smiling eagerly down at her as if she were a brightly wrapped birthday present that he couldn’t wait to rip open. His fingers were long and bony, and he was leaning awkwardly to one side, a bit like Aunt Josephine’s house dangling over the hill.
Right away Violet recognizes the man as Count Olaf and he’s already in the process of wooing Aunt Josephine who is completely oblivious as to what’s going on. She seems to be just as unsuspecting as Mr. Poe. He introduces himself as Captain Sham, but the children know better and will have to find a way to free themselves from Count Olaf once again.
I really love the use of vocabulary in these books. It really gets kids thinking about some of the words like: vainglorious, dastardly, irreconcilable, cahoots, and repartee, to name a few. I’ve even learned some new words myself. The author also includes explanations for phrases such as ‘hook, line, and sinker’.
We enjoyed this installment. The imagery is just fantastic and really pulls you in. This one is just as dark as the others we’ve read up to this point. Even with the recurring themes, we stayed interested throughout, all the way to the end.
We’ve already begun The Miserable Mill and we’re flying through it. The one mistake I did make was allow my kids to start the Netflix series. I noticed a major spoiler jut after watching the first episode that I don’t remember from the book. Even with the titles matching up with the books, it seems there will still be spoilers, so we may wait to move forward with the Netflix series.
My rating on this book is 5*****
January 10, 2019
If I was Mr. Poe I would start believing the children when they freak out about some person being count Olaf. Not the smartest man, for a banker lol
January 10, 2018
Oh my criminy, I am so done with this series! What happens in The Wide Window, the third book in A Series of Unfortunate Events? The EXACT SAME STORY THAT HAPPENED IN THE FIRST TWO BOOKS! The Baudelaire orphans are placed with a distant relative, the villainous Count Olaf tries to do away with them and steal their fortune, he predictably fails, escapes, and the kids are relocated to some other hapless relative so the whole damn thing can repeat itself in the next book! I noticed this disappointing pattern in the second book, The Reptile Room, but hoped it was a one-off – nope, this looks to be the template for the entire series! I’ve read the same story for three books now and I can’t takes the formulaic repetition no more!
Daniel Handler/Lemony Snicket unimaginatively recycles the same dreary guff in yet another jaw-droppingly cheeky and lazy effort. If anything it gets worse as Lemony Snicket’s annoying explanations of complicated words is compounded by a new character called Aunt Josephine who is extremely pedantic about grammar – and she’s as annoying as you’d expect! Once again Olaf is easily discernible through his disguise while the adults fail to take the children seriously AGAIN so we have to wait for the boring plot to catch up with what the reader knows the instant “Captain Sham” appears – to describe it all as tedious at this point is an understatement.
The Wide Window is such a thoroughly unfunny and uninteresting reading experience that I’m abandoning the series now rather than suffer through reading the same story for another TEN books! Maybe I’m wrong though – if you’ve made it through the whole series, let me know if it changes tack after this book and improves and I might reconsider – but I recommend reading just the first book and then finding something else instead of continuing with this maddeningly trite title.
Daniel Handler/Lemony Snicket unimaginatively recycles the same dreary guff in yet another jaw-droppingly cheeky and lazy effort. If anything it gets worse as Lemony Snicket’s annoying explanations of complicated words is compounded by a new character called Aunt Josephine who is extremely pedantic about grammar – and she’s as annoying as you’d expect! Once again Olaf is easily discernible through his disguise while the adults fail to take the children seriously AGAIN so we have to wait for the boring plot to catch up with what the reader knows the instant “Captain Sham” appears – to describe it all as tedious at this point is an understatement.
The Wide Window is such a thoroughly unfunny and uninteresting reading experience that I’m abandoning the series now rather than suffer through reading the same story for another TEN books! Maybe I’m wrong though – if you’ve made it through the whole series, let me know if it changes tack after this book and improves and I might reconsider – but I recommend reading just the first book and then finding something else instead of continuing with this maddeningly trite title.
February 6, 2017
4.1
Ok this series is getting kinda inappropriate for children. I'm not even sure if it's a children's book anymore, since this one has a lot of dark, scary, and sensitive content in it. Nevertheless, it was still a fun and quick read just like the previous books. I really find it funny when Aunt Josephine keeps correcting everyone's grammatical errors. The kids always find a way to get out of their misfortunes, so there's really nothing to worry about them. But still, you can't help but sympathize. I'm enjoying this series so far and I'm off to read the 4th book, which is "The Miserable Mill".
Ok this series is getting kinda inappropriate for children. I'm not even sure if it's a children's book anymore, since this one has a lot of dark, scary, and sensitive content in it. Nevertheless, it was still a fun and quick read just like the previous books. I really find it funny when Aunt Josephine keeps correcting everyone's grammatical errors. The kids always find a way to get out of their misfortunes, so there's really nothing to worry about them. But still, you can't help but sympathize. I'm enjoying this series so far and I'm off to read the 4th book, which is "The Miserable Mill".
October 4, 2014
Those super unfortunate orphans get stuck with another ineffectual guardian, who can't keep them safe from the dastardly Count Olaf. Looks like they'll have to find their own way out of this tight bind all by themselves, again!
Amateur Character Actor and Plotter of Evil Deeds............
Count Olaf
The The Wide Window has some colorful characters, wonderful settings and enough action to keep this one entertaining through out. The overly apt naming of people and places gives this a very old-school storybook feel. Snicket keeps up with the whole defining big words thing, which some kids probably get annoyed with, even if they do learn a new word or two.
However, the problem is that at only the third in this series of 13 books, the repetitious plot line is beginning to wear thin. I doubt I would've read even this far in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events if it weren't that the man behind that preposterous pseudonym, Daniel Handler, played accordion on my favorite band, The Magnetic Fields fantastic triple cd album 69 Love Songs. I know, it's a stretch, but I loved everything about them at the time and couldn't help myself. Here's a somber song he played on, if you care to listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReTxR...
Amateur Character Actor and Plotter of Evil Deeds............
Count Olaf
The The Wide Window has some colorful characters, wonderful settings and enough action to keep this one entertaining through out. The overly apt naming of people and places gives this a very old-school storybook feel. Snicket keeps up with the whole defining big words thing, which some kids probably get annoyed with, even if they do learn a new word or two.
However, the problem is that at only the third in this series of 13 books, the repetitious plot line is beginning to wear thin. I doubt I would've read even this far in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events if it weren't that the man behind that preposterous pseudonym, Daniel Handler, played accordion on my favorite band, The Magnetic Fields fantastic triple cd album 69 Love Songs. I know, it's a stretch, but I loved everything about them at the time and couldn't help myself. Here's a somber song he played on, if you care to listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReTxR...
February 7, 2017
3.75* ~ WHY ARE ALL THE ADULTS IN THIS SERIES SO INCOMPETENT?! It's exhausting...
(But equally kind of addictive?)
Once again this was such a fun read!! Although? I don't think I enjoyed it quite as much as the first two books, simply because it felt a little too similar and repetitive. I'm intrigued to see what the rest of the series has in store. I'm hoping that the storyline will start to differ slightly to the first three, as so far the basic underlying plot has had pretty much the same structure!
(But equally kind of addictive?)
Once again this was such a fun read!! Although? I don't think I enjoyed it quite as much as the first two books, simply because it felt a little too similar and repetitive. I'm intrigued to see what the rest of the series has in store. I'm hoping that the storyline will start to differ slightly to the first three, as so far the basic underlying plot has had pretty much the same structure!
February 7, 2017
After watching the first 4 episodes of the new ASOUE series on Netflix, I decided to pause while I re-read books #3-4. I'm so glad I did, because I remembered very little in terms of details past book two, having read these book over a decade ago.
I'm happy to see they still hold up and are tons of fun to revisit. And I'm loving the new series, so well done NPH and crew! Such a brilliant and faithful adaptation.
My only gripe in this 2017 re-read is the insensitivity around the person in Count Olaf's theatre troupe "that looks neither like a man or a woman". Times change. That's a little cringey, and I'm embarrassed for the series each time it comes up.
However. I love these books. Can't wait to read the Miserable Mill next.
I'm happy to see they still hold up and are tons of fun to revisit. And I'm loving the new series, so well done NPH and crew! Such a brilliant and faithful adaptation.
My only gripe in this 2017 re-read is the insensitivity around the person in Count Olaf's theatre troupe "that looks neither like a man or a woman". Times change. That's a little cringey, and I'm embarrassed for the series each time it comes up.
However. I love these books. Can't wait to read the Miserable Mill next.
November 26, 2020
This audio book is narrated by ‘Lemony Snicket’. He doesn’t have the same perfectly creepy whisper voice Tim Curry had but he told the story well enough.
Interestingly, he also did not change his voice too much for each character.
Side note: This narrator (unfortunately) does not do the Poe coughing.
Interestingly, he also did not change his voice too much for each character.
Side note: This narrator (unfortunately) does not do the Poe coughing.
June 10, 2022
- RE-READ JUNE 2022!!! ~~~~~~~~ :)
________________________________________
4 STARS!!!
Aunt Josephine is the definition of a whack job. I think Meryl Streep portrayed her PERFECTLY in the movie and I had fun imagining her as Aunt Josephine in the book. It was awesome. Mr. Poe is still a dumb ass and I'm waiting for Violet or Klaus to pop off at him soon. I want one of them to scream their head off at him just once because he is just UGHHH!!! Count Olaf is such an asshole, I really want the children to turn the tables and come up with plan to exact some Kill Bill revenge on his ass and get rid of him but the series goes onto 13 books so I guess we'll see how it pans out.
I have a thing for lakes and fishermen type things because my grandpa was incredibly into fishing and loved lakes immensely so I had a lot of fun reading this one. :)
I read the first 3 with the movie in mind and now I'm starting the fourth and it's going to be interesting to see how I imagine everything in my head since it wasn't adapted in the movie. I'll still imagine Violet, Klaus, Sunny, Mr. Poe, and Count Olaf as the actors who portrayed them in the film though because I think they pulled off the characters amazingly and I don't think anyone, not even the Netflix series could top them.
Now on to The Miserable Mill!
- Richard
________________________________________
4 STARS!!!
Aunt Josephine is the definition of a whack job. I think Meryl Streep portrayed her PERFECTLY in the movie and I had fun imagining her as Aunt Josephine in the book. It was awesome. Mr. Poe is still a dumb ass and I'm waiting for Violet or Klaus to pop off at him soon. I want one of them to scream their head off at him just once because he is just UGHHH!!! Count Olaf is such an asshole, I really want the children to turn the tables and come up with plan to exact some Kill Bill revenge on his ass and get rid of him but the series goes onto 13 books so I guess we'll see how it pans out.
I have a thing for lakes and fishermen type things because my grandpa was incredibly into fishing and loved lakes immensely so I had a lot of fun reading this one. :)
I read the first 3 with the movie in mind and now I'm starting the fourth and it's going to be interesting to see how I imagine everything in my head since it wasn't adapted in the movie. I'll still imagine Violet, Klaus, Sunny, Mr. Poe, and Count Olaf as the actors who portrayed them in the film though because I think they pulled off the characters amazingly and I don't think anyone, not even the Netflix series could top them.
Now on to The Miserable Mill!
- Richard
August 17, 2020
This had the most interesting storyline thus far.
Still super repetitive and weird style of writing.
We are going to take a break after book 4 and come back to the rest of the series after.
See if that helps freshen things up a bit.
Still super repetitive and weird style of writing.
We are going to take a break after book 4 and come back to the rest of the series after.
See if that helps freshen things up a bit.
February 7, 2017
Not as good as the first two for me. I didn't enjoy this story as much although the storytelling was up to its usual standard. I'm also getting kind of tired of pretty much the same thing happening in each book. I'm sure it's going to keep that format for the foreseeable future but I'm getting kind of bored of what feels like an endless loop to me. It would be nice to see something different so I'm not reading 13 versions of the same book just with different guardians and different morals to each story.
The lesson I got from this one was about the difference between rational and irrational fears and also about being grateful for what you do have in your life. Snicket only really grazed the surface though in comparison to the lessons I learned in book 1 & 2 though.
I would recommend this series & I would read more by Lemony Snicket.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The lesson I got from this one was about the difference between rational and irrational fears and also about being grateful for what you do have in your life. Snicket only really grazed the surface though in comparison to the lessons I learned in book 1 & 2 though.
I would recommend this series & I would read more by Lemony Snicket.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
December 18, 2019
The third in the series, The Wide Window sees Klaus, Violet and Sunny thrust once again into the home of another relative as they continue to escape the madness of Count Olaf. Mr. Poe takes them to Aunt Josephine, a widow who lives in a house that probably should be condemned, but serves as a sanctuary for their overanxious guardian. Barely are the children settled before they find themselves once again having to outmaneuver the selfish(yet clever) Olaf.
I continue to enjoy the humor and circumstances of the Baudelaire orphans. Not to mention that the vocabulary is very rich and the plot fast moving and never a dull moment is to be found within this slime volume's pages.
Goodreads review published 17/12/19
I continue to enjoy the humor and circumstances of the Baudelaire orphans. Not to mention that the vocabulary is very rich and the plot fast moving and never a dull moment is to be found within this slime volume's pages.
Goodreads review published 17/12/19
February 9, 2017
UPDATE: 19/Jan/2017
The review from before is invalid because I like this more than I did before.
30/Nov/2016
This book was okay but I think didn't like it as much because it is a children's book. One thing I really don’t like it when the narrator of the book spoils it. He’s telling and story and then says what's going to happen much later in the book and it kind of ruins it.
The review from before is invalid because I like this more than I did before.
30/Nov/2016
This book was okay but I think didn't like it as much because it is a children's book. One thing I really don’t like it when the narrator of the book spoils it. He’s telling and story and then says what's going to happen much later in the book and it kind of ruins it.
February 6, 2023
Jak zwykle fajnie się przy tym bawiłam 🙈
October 17, 2020
Another fantastic addition to the series, but my goodness is Aunt Josephine annoying!
Similar to the first two book in the series, The Wide Window is just plain great. The characters, storyline and, most importantly, the humorous writing style feel like a perfect continuation of what I've already read.
My only real problem was Aunt Josephine. My gosh! She drove me nuts. I know she was supposed to, but still... She was just so irritating, and I never developed any sort of feeling toward her. She was just there. And very, very irritating.
But as you can see from my rating, one bothersome character definitely didn't ruin the whole story. I still loved it!
If you haven't picked up a book from this series yet, I would definitely recommend you do so! It's truly the sort of story that anyone of any age can enjoy.
My Book 1: The Bad Beginning Review
My Book 2: The Reptile Room Review
(Connect with me.)
Similar to the first two book in the series, The Wide Window is just plain great. The characters, storyline and, most importantly, the humorous writing style feel like a perfect continuation of what I've already read.
My only real problem was Aunt Josephine. My gosh! She drove me nuts. I know she was supposed to, but still... She was just so irritating, and I never developed any sort of feeling toward her. She was just there. And very, very irritating.
But as you can see from my rating, one bothersome character definitely didn't ruin the whole story. I still loved it!
If you haven't picked up a book from this series yet, I would definitely recommend you do so! It's truly the sort of story that anyone of any age can enjoy.
My Book 1: The Bad Beginning Review
My Book 2: The Reptile Room Review
(Connect with me.)
February 7, 2017
I am just flying through these books! Despite being dark and gloomy, they are so fun and enjoyable to read. And no matter how many times I reread them, I enjoy them just as much if not more each time. I think a big part of the reason for that is that as I get older I can appreciate things about these stories that I didn't when I was younger and I noticed that a lot in this particular book. I found myself actually chuckling out loud at the subtle but clever humour that's woven throughout this story! Snicket has truly written a series that stands the test of time and is as enjoyable when you're a child as when you're an adult!
July 16, 2019
“There are few sights sadder than a ruined book.”
Another funny volume, even though I enjoyed the first two more. I love aunt Josephine, and I can't help but imagining her as Meryl streep, and since she's one of my favourite actresses this may be one of the reasons why i like her so much! Anyway, it was fun, just the plot felt a little less interesting, especially the second half.
Another funny volume, even though I enjoyed the first two more. I love aunt Josephine, and I can't help but imagining her as Meryl streep, and since she's one of my favourite actresses this may be one of the reasons why i like her so much! Anyway, it was fun, just the plot felt a little less interesting, especially the second half.
May 7, 2022
One of my least favorite Unfortunate events! It's mostly bad because of the Baudelaire's guardian is simply the worst. Aunt Josephine is a scared widow who runs away when count Olaf dressed as Captain Sham makes her write a letter leaving the children to him. she even offers the children to him for her safety! But count Olaf is an evil SOB and kills her anyway. The good news is the children do some remarkable things like sail into a hurricane on a boat stolen from count Olaf. This was to save their awful guardian who of course then betrayed them. Mr. Poe shows up and doesn't believe a thing the kids say until Sunny bites off Captain Sham fake leg reveling him as Count Olaf. This had the clever writing that appeal to adult and children alike, but the guardian and familiar storyline only made it a three-star read.
The Netflix show tried hard to redeem Aunt Josephine, but she is just a lost cause!
The Netflix show tried hard to redeem Aunt Josephine, but she is just a lost cause!
April 8, 2017
"Violet fell against one of the bedposts and banged her knee. Klaus fell against the cold radiator and banged his foot. And Sunny fell into the pile of tin cans and banged everything."
First, the trio had a greedy guardian, followed by a cool herpetologist as an uncle and now they have a grammar obsessed aunty. Geez, I don't whether to be glad that they evaded Count Olaf or pity these children for their misfortunes in life. Lol
This series is hilarious and I just can't stop reading it.
August 20, 2018
I really enjoyed this book in the A Series of Unfortunate Events series.
The plot did feel like it was repeated from The Reptile Room.
The plot did feel like it was repeated from The Reptile Room.
November 8, 2023
Choose your villain: Count Olaf or a grammar Nazi who only ever serves you cold food.
Honestly, my heart goes out for the Baudelaire children. If I were in their shoes, I’d have given up in this book after living a day with Aunt Josephine.
Honestly, my heart goes out for the Baudelaire children. If I were in their shoes, I’d have given up in this book after living a day with Aunt Josephine.
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