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inkdrinkers's review
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
“Sometimes, even in the most unfortunate of lives, there will occur a moment or two of good fortune.”
After the events of The Bad Beginning the Baudelaire orphans find themselves traveling to another distant relative's home, in hope for a better future. They arrive at Dr. Montgomery Montgomery's house, an awarded herpetologist, and immediately feel more at home than they have since their parents died. Unfortunately, as the events in their lives tend to go, the orphan's luck sours.
I enjoyed listening to the second book! I feel like there were a ton of details I didn't remember at all from this one, though I remembered a lot about the first in the series. Instead of a full cast, this was entirely narrated and voice-acted by Tim Curry, who did some fantastically fun accents for the cast of characters. I do feel like this is significantly darker than I remember, especially in regards to the death and dastardly deeds of Count Olaf, but it's still a fun listen.
My only issue with this book was that it's a lot slower than the first. I remember racing through these as a kid because I wanted to know what happened, but as an adult there's a layer of sadness that I didn't really understand. It's hard to listen and know that nothing will go right (at least for a long, long) time for the kids, but I do genuinely enjoy the way Snicket (Daniel Handler) chooses to write the small details and keep the mystery going.
Onto The Wide Window! I remember the later books being my favorite (Ersatz Elevator and Grim Grotto especially) so I'm just excited to keep using these audios as my chore background noise.
Content warnings: death (on page), child abuse (present throughout, no one treats these kids well except Uncle Monty), death of a parent (mentioned), grief, emotional abuse (Olaf gaslights them, the other adults are stupid)
After the events of The Bad Beginning the Baudelaire orphans find themselves traveling to another distant relative's home, in hope for a better future. They arrive at Dr. Montgomery Montgomery's house, an awarded herpetologist, and immediately feel more at home than they have since their parents died. Unfortunately, as the events in their lives tend to go, the orphan's luck sours.
I enjoyed listening to the second book! I feel like there were a ton of details I didn't remember at all from this one, though I remembered a lot about the first in the series. Instead of a full cast, this was entirely narrated and voice-acted by Tim Curry, who did some fantastically fun accents for the cast of characters. I do feel like this is significantly darker than I remember, especially in regards to the death and dastardly deeds of Count Olaf, but it's still a fun listen.
My only issue with this book was that it's a lot slower than the first. I remember racing through these as a kid because I wanted to know what happened, but as an adult there's a layer of sadness that I didn't really understand. It's hard to listen and know that nothing will go right (at least for a long, long) time for the kids, but I do genuinely enjoy the way Snicket (Daniel Handler) chooses to write the small details and keep the mystery going.
Onto The Wide Window! I remember the later books being my favorite (Ersatz Elevator and Grim Grotto especially) so I'm just excited to keep using these audios as my chore background noise.
Content warnings: death (on page), child abuse (present throughout, no one treats these kids well except Uncle Monty), death of a parent (mentioned), grief, emotional abuse (Olaf gaslights them, the other adults are stupid)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Gaslighting and Death of parent
parasolcrafter's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
these books are so fun to read as an adult because i remember reading books in the same vein of this as a kid and being so worried for the kids at all times, and now im mad that the adults are all so useless and these kids are, mostly, on their own
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death
ashleycmms's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent
maeverose's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.75
🐍🐍🐍
I liked this one a bit more than the first one I think. The writing style and humor is my favorite part. Plus this one had slightly less ableism, transphobia and pedophilia, but that’s about it.
I know this series is obviously purposefully ridiculous, but it’s so frustrating how oblivious all the adults are. I know that’s the point. I get it. But I hate it. I know this story isn’t supposed to be taken seriously at all but it BOTHERS ME lol
maybe it’s just my autism being uncomfortable with the chaos and miscommunication idk.
I liked this one a bit more than the first one I think. The writing style and humor is my favorite part. Plus this one had slightly less ableism, transphobia and pedophilia, but that’s about it.
I know this series is obviously purposefully ridiculous, but it’s so frustrating how oblivious all the adults are. I know that’s the point. I get it. But I hate it. I know this story isn’t supposed to be taken seriously at all but it BOTHERS ME lol
maybe it’s just my autism being uncomfortable with the chaos and miscommunication idk.
And they keep calling venomous snakes poisonous
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gaslighting, and Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Blood, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Alcohol, Stalking, Cursing, Fatphobia, and Transphobia
Moderate: car crash, snakes Minor: mention of physical abusesteffi_23's review against another edition
dark
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Grief
Minor: Murder
vael's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Grief
booksthatburn's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The Baudelaire Orphans are moved to live yet another relative and they are briefly able to enjoy reading, inventing, and biting things before Count Olaf makes another odious appearance.
One strength of the narrative style is that it places interesting and (assuming a younger reader) new vocabulary and concepts in a context where they're explained in a way that conveys what they literally mean and why it's important right now in the story. It's a kind of whimsy that takes seriously the reader's desire to know more and meets it with an okay story told in a memorable way.
This is the next stage in the children's terrible non-adventure and it doesn’t wrap up anything specific from THE BAD BEGINNING. It features a new storyline with several things that are introduced and resolved. It leaves a big thing for later books to pick up. The narrator is consistent with the last book. The story makes sense if you start here, but it’s likely better to start at the beginning.
It has more of a mystery/hijinks vibe in the middle when the children are trying to figure out how to avoid being alone with Olaf and how to make him reveal himself as a fraud. It's not amazing, overall, but it mostly dodges the big problems from the first book.
One strength of the narrative style is that it places interesting and (assuming a younger reader) new vocabulary and concepts in a context where they're explained in a way that conveys what they literally mean and why it's important right now in the story. It's a kind of whimsy that takes seriously the reader's desire to know more and meets it with an okay story told in a memorable way.
This is the next stage in the children's terrible non-adventure and it doesn’t wrap up anything specific from THE BAD BEGINNING. It features a new storyline with several things that are introduced and resolved. It leaves a big thing for later books to pick up. The narrator is consistent with the last book. The story makes sense if you start here, but it’s likely better to start at the beginning.
It has more of a mystery/hijinks vibe in the middle when the children are trying to figure out how to avoid being alone with Olaf and how to make him reveal himself as a fraud. It's not amazing, overall, but it mostly dodges the big problems from the first book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Grief, Murder, and Death
Minor: Cursing, Ableism, Fatphobia, Blood, and Transphobia
strawberrytheauthor's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book honestly made me so angry. How could everyone not see what the Beaudelaires saw!? I know that’s kinda the point but it is still very frustrating. Or sucks that they don’t have a happy ending. These books suck!!
I honestly love them! ❤️❤️❤️
I honestly love them! ❤️❤️❤️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Murder, and Stalking
ceedy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Death
hazel_t23's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Sunny’s relationship with the incredibly deadly viper was so sweet! And the ending page was quite sad, but this book was definitely more witty than the first! I listened to the audiobook (narrated by Tim Curry - he’s so good!) and I laughed a lot, despite the themes of the book. Can’t wait to get my hands on the next book!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Car accident, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, Murder, and Stalking