A review by ladypalutena
The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket

dark fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

The Baudelaire orphans have been shipped off to Uncle Monty. As this book is fully narrated by Tim Curry, Uncle Monty sounds exactly like Nigel Thornberry from The Wild Thornberries,
which makes it even more devastating when Uncle Monty gets killed by Count Olaf


Uncle Monty is the greatest guardian that the Baudelaires have in this series. He's fun, he's got a great sense of humor, and he almost listens to them. They're so close. If you read the Unauthorized Autobiography, you get even more backstory about the film Zombies in the Snow that Uncle Monty takes the children to, which gives an already grim book an even grimmer meaning. 

Uncle Monty dies 50% of the way through the book.
This is way earlier than I remembered or was expecting, and the rest of the book is taken up
with an autopsy and the children trying to keep Mr. Poe from taking them away before getting justice for Monty.


When Count Olaf shows up, you realize that the Baudelaires will never be safe, no matter where they go or who they stay with. This sets up the tone for the rest of the series. When I was younger, I was reading these as they were coming out, so I had no idea how many books were coming. I just knew that Count Olaf had to get caught eventually, right? Eventually. 

I don't know how long the kids were with Count Olaf in the first book, but in this book it's exactly one week from when they arrive at Uncle Monty's to when they have to leave. (Also, how long do they stay with the Poe family between guardians?) A week is definitely shorter than however long they were with Olaf.
The guardians of the Baudelaires start meeting their deaths earlier and earlier in the orphans' stay, and this has to take a toll on the kids.
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