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erebus53's review against another edition
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is instalment 2 of this episodic arc of stories about 3 orphans and their spooky nemesis who contrives to get their inheritance. The theme song for this audio production is entirely too much better than it ought to be, but I found it on Spotify so I can appease my need should I have it stuck in my head for longer than the 2 days it has been O.o
At the start we have the orphans once more rehomed with a distant relative. This man is a herpetologist and Mr Poe (yes I still chortle at the name) is surprised to find that the children are not put off with the man's enthusiasm for creepy animals. I actually spare some love for a story that showcases snakes as being fascinating and loveable friends, rather than creepy and dangerous menaces... like people.
Tim Curry has clearly smoked more than his fair share in the last few decades as his rendition of the consumptive Mr. Poe has him hacking and wheezing like a champ.. and it's most unsettling. I am just waiting for the character to fall down dead of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (which means, here, that he might be so sick that his airways swell up and he dies).
Not a lot happens in this particular story. It seems that Count Olaf is a master of costuming and disguise.. and that he will insinuate himself into any position in the children's life to try and get their money. I do wish that this episode had more of the children's can do attitude showcased, but the pace slows to a crawl when the adults sit around having a ridiculous argument for over and hour about who should drive in whose car. I think that was supposed to be funny.. but it just dragged. The "bungling adults" trope is wearing.
I am beginning to see a formula. I hope that it subverts itself and shakes things up in future tales.
At the start we have the orphans once more rehomed with a distant relative. This man is a herpetologist and Mr Poe (yes I still chortle at the name) is surprised to find that the children are not put off with the man's enthusiasm for creepy animals. I actually spare some love for a story that showcases snakes as being fascinating and loveable friends, rather than creepy and dangerous menaces... like people.
Tim Curry has clearly smoked more than his fair share in the last few decades as his rendition of the consumptive Mr. Poe has him hacking and wheezing like a champ.. and it's most unsettling. I am just waiting for the character to fall down dead of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (which means, here, that he might be so sick that his airways swell up and he dies).
Not a lot happens in this particular story. It seems that Count Olaf is a master of costuming and disguise.. and that he will insinuate himself into any position in the children's life to try and get their money. I do wish that this episode had more of the children's can do attitude showcased, but the pace slows to a crawl when the adults sit around having a ridiculous argument for over and hour about who should drive in whose car. I think that was supposed to be funny.. but it just dragged. The "bungling adults" trope is wearing.
I am beginning to see a formula. I hope that it subverts itself and shakes things up in future tales.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Body horror, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Stalking, Car accident, Bullying, Murder, and Child abuse
sadiaa's review against another edition
5.0
Reading for the nostalgia
Mr poe is seriously getting on my nerves
Mr Monty and the children deserved each other
Mr poe is seriously getting on my nerves
Mr Monty and the children deserved each other
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent
ophycore'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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Gaslighting, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
joisaddler's review
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse
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
maeverose's review
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 abusebooksthatburn's review
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
readingincabeswater's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Death of parent
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