A Series Of Unfortunate Events

The Miserable Mill (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 4)
$12.99
THE SETUP
The series setup is that the parents of Violet, Kraus, and infant Sunny were killed in a fire, which destroyed their home and made them orphans. Their evil uncle Count Olaf schemes to get custody of them, in order to rob the Baudelaire fortune.

In "The Miserable Mill" (book 3), the three Baudelaire orphans, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny,are sent to live in a sawmill. As usually evil uncle Count Olaf is lurking nearby.

BOOKS 1 to 5
Books 1 to 5 are written in what I can only describe as dark droll asinine British talking-down-to children humor, becoming increasingly darker and depressing. The author isn't British, but obviously misspent his youth overdosing on Monte Python re-runs. Danial Handler strains to be clever and witty, and succeeds, no doubt to the applause of his adult friends.

It is one thing for an adult to do funny voices, ad lib, and exaggerate when telling a story or reading to children, but it isn't the same written in a book--it's disconcerting, if not a tad creepy.

The books are too bleak and depressing for it's target audience, e.g., 4 to 8 year olds. The "bad things" are not goblins, trolls, and orcs which can be dismissed as "pretend". The bad things are ordinary adults. Most children either live in broken home, have never known a father, or have friends in those situations--and can easily imagine losing the remaining custodial parent. There's nothing scarier to a child. Add to that the knowledge that they are not nearly as cleaver as the Baudelaires. Now that's terrifying.

In Books 1 to 5, Count Olaf is portrayed as a clever greedy schemer.

Since I was a small child, I've detested "children's" literature such as the animated cartoon "Bullwinkle", and most recent "Disney" animations, which are actually written for adults with adult cultural references and double entendres that only an adult could catch. Handler doesn't use adult cultural references or double entendres--his schtick is mis-defining words--which, in my opinion, is the equivalent of lying to a child, a form of child abuse.

THE "DEFINITIONS" IN "THE MISERABLE MILL"
The definition of "advanced vocabulary" words sounds as though it might be educational, except that most of the so-called definitions are simply NOT definitions.. A sentence such as: "The paragraph was daunting because it contained many difficult words", defines "daunting" in a particular context. But the assertion that "Daunting MEANS 'containing many difficult words'" is not true. Pseudo-definitions as a humorous device may entertain an adult reading the book to a child, but does not enlighten the child. Examples: *** "Ostentatious" (which means "showy") is defined as "really really horrendous". *** "Nefarious" is defined as "Baudelaire hating". *** "Curtly"is defined as "tired of Count Olaf's nonsense"

Possibly, some bright children may get the joke that the so-called definitions are NOT definitions, but rather only examples of use in a particular context--but I doubt that most 6-8 year olds are that sharp.

These are books for adults to read to young children, not for children to try to read on their own. Children are not sophisticated enough to catch the difference between truth and droll exaggeration on paper--spoken tone and inflection make all the difference.

On the positive side, the message of self-reliance is certainly beneficial, albeit balanced by the message that all adults are stupid, untrustworthy, and/or evil. Again, an intelligent, trustworthy adult reader is essential to balance the message.

BOOKS 6 to 13
Book 6 to 13 are of an entirely different style--either they were writen by a different author or Daniel Handler got some professional help. Books 6 to 13 appear to be genuinely written for 10-year-olds to early teens, but are fun reading for adults as well. More effort is made to define "advanced vocabulary" words accurately, and the books actually have interesting plots. Although the Baudelaire orphans are in tough situations, the plots are not really dark. However, Count Olaf becomes darker, becoming uncouth cruel nasty and evil.

The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 13)
$12.99
this book only made me frustrated and disturbed. i guess it was the pt. of the baudelaire story but it left so many mysteries unsolved.like the secret of the sugar bowl and what really happened to the quagmires and what the underwater question mark was.

The Grim Grotto (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 11)
$12.99
This book was purchased, along with Books 12 and 13 in this series, for my nine-year-old granddaughter. She hasn't read it yet, but has read other books in this series and enjoys them very much.

the books was orderd two weeks prior to Christmas as a Christmas present and arrived in time to give her at Christmas and in very good condition.

The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 5)
$12.99
THE SETUP
The series setup is that the parents of Violet, Kraus, and infant Sunny were killed in a fire, which destroyed their home and made them orphans. Their evil uncle Count Olaf schemes to get custody of them, in order to rob the Baudelaire fortune.

In "The Austere Academy" (book 5), the three Baudelaire orphans, 14 year-old Violet, 12 year-old Klaus, and infant Sunny, are sent a private boarding school run by vice-principle Nero. They meet obnoxious Carmeleta Spats, but also make friends with Duncan and Isadora Quagmire. Shortly thereafter evil uncle Count Olaf is hired as the gym teacher.

BOOKS 1 to 5
Books 1 to 5 are written in what I can only describe as dark droll asinine British talking-down-to children humor, becoming increasingly dark and depressing. The author isn't British, but obviously misspent his youth overdosing on Monte Python re-runs. He strains to be clever and witty, and succeeds, no doubt to the applause of his adult friends.

It is one thing for an adult to do funny voices, ad lib, and exaggerate when telling a story or reading to children, but it isn't the same written in a book--it's disconcerting, if not a tad creepy. These are books for adults to read to young children, not for children to try to read on their own. Children are not sophisticated enough to catch the difference between truth and droll exaggeration on paper--spoken tone and inflection make all the difference.

The books are too bleak and depressing for it's target audience, e.g., 4 to 8 year olds. The "bad things" are not goblins, trolls, and orcs which can be dismissed as "pretend". The bad things are ordinary adults. Most children either live in broken home, have never known a father, or have friends in those situations--and can easily imagine losing the remaining custodial parent. There's nothing scarier to a child. Add to that the knowledge that they are not nearly as cleaver as the Baudelaires. Now that's terrifying.

In Books 1 to 5, Count Olaf is portrayed as a clever greedy schemer.

On the positive side, the message of self-reliance is certainly beneficial, albeit balanced by the message that all adults are stupid, untrustworthy, and/or evil. Again, an intelligent, trustworthy, decent adult reader is essential to balance the message.

Since I was a small child, I've detested "children's" literature such as the animated cartoon "Bullwinkle", and most recent "Disney" animations, which are actually written for adults with adult cultural references and double entendres that only an adult could catch. Handler doesn't use adult cultural references or double entendres--his schtick is mis-defining words--which, in my opinion, is the equivalent of lying to a child, a form of child abuse.

BOOKS 6 to 13
Book 6 to 13 are of an entirely different style--either they were writen by a different author or Daniel Handler just started taking his anti-psychotic medications). Books 6 to 13 appear to be genuinely written for 10-year-olds to early teens, but are fun reading for adults as well. More effort is made to define "advanced vocabulary" words accurately, and the books actually have interesting plots.. Although the Baudelaire orphans are in tough situations, the plots are not really dark. However, Count Olaf becomes darker, becoming uncouth cruel nasty and evil.

THE "DEFINITIONS" IN "THE AUSTERE ACADEMY"
Definitions of "advanced vocabulary" words is an almost trademark device of the of the series. However, in "books" 1 to 4 most of the definitions were misleading or just plain wrong. In "The Austere Academy", the author appears to make a sincere effort to explain not only "advanced vocabulary" words, such as "triptych", but also idiomatic phrases, such as "making a mountain out of a mole hill", and "following suit". Jolly good.

But he still occasionally reverts to form with some real boners. "Austere" is defined as "stern and sphere" A sentence such as: "The territorial crabs were unhappy to see small children in their living quarters", defines "territorial" in a particular context. But the assertion that "Territorial" MEANS ' unhappy to see small children in their living quarters'" is not true. Pseudo-definitions as a humorous device may entertain an adult reading the book to a child, but does not enlighten the child. Examples: ***"Gingerly" is defined as "avoiding territorial crabs", *** "Poor teacher" (which needs no definition) is defined as "obsessed with the metric system". *** "Glaze over" is defined as "ache with boredom". **** "Inevitable" is defined as "A lifetime of horror and woe". *** "Ruefully" is defined as "while pointing at a rude, violent, and filthy little girl". Possibly, some bright children may get the joke that the so-called definitions are NOT definitions, but rather only examples of use in a particular context--but I doubt that most 6-8 year olds are that sharp.

The ending is particularly depressing---not a good place to send your kids off to dreamland.